Telegram Ads spy tools are ad databases that collect sponsored messages shown in Telegram channels and let you search them by text, link, advertiser or channel. They help you see which offers and placements competitors use, but they don’t show competitors’ budgets, bids or conversions. Below is what data these tools provide, which tools exist on the market and how to build competitor analysis into your workflow.
What spy tools show
The data varies by tool, but you can usually find:
- Ad texts — with emoji, button label and media, if any.
- Links and landing type — channel, bot or website.
- Channels where the ad was seen — a ready-made list of placements for your own hypotheses.
- Dates and approximate volume — when the tool first and last saw the ad and how often.
- Advertiser — for ads with Russian labeling, some tools show the legal entity and Russian tax ID (INN) taken from the labeling data.
- Filters — language, country, targeting type, media, account currency (euro or TON).
What spy tools don’t show: CPM bids, budgets, CTR, cost per subscriber and sales. That data exists only in the advertiser’s account.
Where the data comes from and how accurate it is
The tools collect ads by monitoring public channels that show advertising. They usually don’t disclose their exact methodology. This leads to some limitations:
- the database only contains what the tool managed to see — it is a sample, not a complete list of a competitor’s ads;
- the impression count in the tool reflects what its observers recorded, not the actual account statistics;
- interest and channel-subscriber targeting is “invisible”: an ad may be seen in a channel the advertiser never specifically chose.
So spy data is a source of hypotheses, not a ready-made strategy.
Which tools are available
Below are tools mentioned in public sources. Most of them come from the Russian-speaking market. Pricing and features change, so check them on each tool’s website.
| Tool | What it offers | Access |
|---|---|---|
| TelegramAds.com | Search ads by text and link, filters by language, country, button, targeting type, media and currency | According to vc.ru as of March 2025, free and without registration |
| Adstat.pro | Search for ads and the channels where they run; its main function is campaign automation | Terms on the tool’s website |
| TgMaps | Ads, links, landing type, advertiser’s legal entity, similar-channel search, CSV export | Free for clients of some Russian resellers (eLama, Clickise), otherwise a paid subscription |
| Spy Service in MTS Marketolog PRO | Competitors’ impressions and placements, channel list with categories, analysis of benefits used in ad texts (discount, gift, etc.) | For Marketolog PRO users (a Russian platform), available since November 2024 according to ppc.world |
To check the channels you find, use analytics services such as TGStat and Telemetrio. Tool reviews are collected in our services section, and reseller terms, including bundled tools, are in the resellers section.
How to analyze competitors step by step
- List your competitors. Direct competitors, adjacent niches and channels selling a similar product. Add the keywords you’ll use to search for ads.
- Collect the ads. Search by brand names, links, legal entities and words from the offer. Filter by your audience’s language and country.
- Flag the “long-runners”. Ads the tool has seen for weeks are probably profitable, or at least not losing money — otherwise they would have been switched off. It’s not a guarantee, but it’s a strong signal.
- Write down the channels. Placements where competitors’ ads appear regularly are candidates for your targeting. Check their reach and ERR in TGStat or Telemetrio.
- Break down the offers. What benefit is promised, how the first sentence is phrased, what the button says, whether there is media, where the link goes.
- Form hypotheses and test them. Don’t copy ads — create your own variants and compare them in small tests.
It’s convenient to keep the results in a shared spreadsheet: competitor, text, link, channels, dates first and last seen, your hypothesis and the test result. After a couple of months the sheet shows which approaches last in your niche and which disappear quickly. Channels that work for you will also come in handy when scaling your campaigns.
What to borrow from competitors and what not to
| Worth using | Don’t carry over |
|---|---|
| Lists of channels and topics | Texts word for word |
| Angles: benefit, pain point, lead magnet format | Competitors’ names and trademarks |
| Landing type: channel, bot or website | Media and visuals of another brand |
| Seasonality: when competitors step up advertising | Conclusions about budgets and payback that the tool doesn’t show |
Copy that works well for a competitor may fail moderation for you or fall flat with your audience. How to write your own ads is covered in Telegram Ads creatives, and how to choose placements in Telegram Ads targeting.
Limitations and ethics
Analyzing publicly shown advertising is normal marketing practice, but there are limits. Copying texts, visuals and names word for word may infringe a competitor’s rights and mislead users, and mentioning another brand in your ad can get it rejected by moderation. Use spy tools as a source of ideas and placements, not as a template for cloning.
Keep the margin of error in mind too. A “long-runner” in the database may have been running at a loss for brand awareness, and the absence of ads in the database doesn’t mean a competitor isn’t advertising. Make final decisions based on your own tests and metrics.
FAQ
What is a Telegram Ads spy tool?
It’s a database of Telegram Ads collected by a service while monitoring channels. You can search it for competitors’ ads by text, link, advertiser and channel.
Can I find out a competitor’s budget and bids?
No. Spy tools show the ads themselves, the channels and approximate frequency, while bids, budgets and conversions are visible only in the advertiser’s account.
Are there free spy tools?
According to vc.ru as of March 2025, TelegramAds.com was free and required no registration. TgMaps is free for clients of some Russian resellers. Check current terms on the tools’ websites.
How complete is spy tool data?
It’s a sample: the tool only sees ads in the channels it monitors. So a competitor’s ad list may be incomplete and impression counts are approximate.
Can I copy competitors’ ads?
Not word for word: it may infringe the competitor’s rights and doesn’t guarantee results. It’s better to borrow angles and placement lists and test your own variants.
How often should I analyze competitors?
For most niches, once every 2–4 weeks and before launching a new campaign is enough. In seasonal niches, check more often during peak periods.
