The Telegram Ads pixel is a piece of JavaScript code that advertisers add to their website to see, in the ad account, the target actions of users who came from an ad: applications, sign-ups, purchases. It launched in May 2025, works only for website ads in a euro account and counts conversions on a post-click basis.
What the Telegram Ads pixel is and what it counts
Before the pixel, advertisers saw only impressions and clicks in the ad account and had to match website conversions manually using UTM tags and web analytics. According to eLama and ppc.world (May 2025), the pixel sends data about on-site actions straight to Telegram Ads, and the ad statistics show the number of target actions and their cost (CPA).
The pixel has two parts:
- Base code — placed on every page of the website to initialize the pixel.
- Event code — placed on specific pages or elements where the action happens: a “Thank you” page, a “Buy” button, a sign-up form.
The pixel is only needed for ads that lead to an external website. Such ads are available in a euro account through a reseller; TON and Stars accounts can only promote channels and bots. How to track those is covered below.
How to install the pixel: step by step
- In your Telegram Ads account, open “Manage events” and click “Create a pixel”.
- Copy the base code and place it on every page of the site before the closing
</head>tag. You can do this manually (best left to a developer), via Google Tag Manager, or through your site builder’s settings — in Tilda, for example, in the field for HTML code inserted into the head. - After installation, two events are created automatically: landing page view and site page view.
- For other actions, click “Create event”, choose a type and copy the event code.
- Place the event code on the relevant page or element, for example the thank-you page after a form is submitted.
- Check the event status in the ad account: according to ppc.world, “active” means the event fires, while “inactive” means it hasn’t fired or there was no activity in the last 7 days.
- When creating or editing an ad that leads to the website, select the event in the ad settings — the option is below the ad schedule block.
The general flow of launching an ad is described in how to launch Telegram Ads.
Which events to set up
According to eLama, there are 19 event types, but the type only affects the displayed name: the code structure is the same for all of them. So what matters is not the type you pick but where you place the code.
| Website goal | Event | Where to place the event code |
|---|---|---|
| Lead collection | Form submission | “Thank you” page or the form submit handler |
| Webinar, service | Registration | Page shown after successful sign-up |
| Online store | Add to cart, purchase | Cart button, order confirmation page |
| Newsletter | Subscription | Subscription confirmation |
| Content, landing page | Key page view | Pricing, contacts or checkout page |
Start with one or two events closest to revenue — leads or purchases. Page views are useful for diagnostics, but it’s hard to judge payback from them.
How the pixel attributes conversions
The pixel uses post-click attribution: a conversion is credited to an ad if the person clicked it and then completed an action on the site. The action doesn’t have to happen right away — in eLama’s example, if a user clicks, leaves and comes back two days later via search to submit a form, the conversion is still credited to the ad. It has to happen in the same browser.
Public materials don’t state the length of the attribution window. Keep the counting rules in mind as well:
- conversions are counted only from the moment the event is added to the ad;
- an event can be added to an ad that is already running, but can’t be changed once added;
- ad views without a click (post-view) are not counted.
Because attribution models differ, the numbers in Telegram Ads and in web analytics (Google Analytics, Yandex Metrica) almost never match exactly. That’s normal; it’s more important to track trends within one source. How to read the statistics is covered in Telegram Ads metrics.
Why use UTM tags if you have the pixel
The pixel shows conversions inside Telegram Ads, but it doesn’t send data to your web analytics or CRM. UTM tags fill that gap: they show how much revenue and repeat purchases Telegram traffic brought and which ads deals are linked to.
The button link in an ad can be up to 256 characters and must be HTTPS, so tags usually fit. Example structure:
https://example.com/webinar/?utm_source=telegram&utm_medium=cpm&utm_campaign=webinar_nov&utm_content=ad_design_01
Putting the ad name or number in utm_content makes it easy to match ad account data with analytics later. Use one naming scheme across all campaigns.
Pixel limitations
- Data is aggregated and anonymized. You can’t identify a specific user from it.
- Website only. The pixel doesn’t track actions inside Telegram — channel subscriptions, bot starts, purchases in a Mini App.
- No event-based optimization. According to eLama at launch, Telegram Ads doesn’t redistribute impressions toward conversions on its own: you still set bids and placements manually or with bidders.
- Euro account only. Promoting a website, and therefore using the pixel, is only possible through a reseller.
For advertisers in Russia there is an extra data-storage question: an eLama expert quoted by ppc.world (May 2025) pointed out that Telegram stores data outside Russia, so cross-border data transfer may require notifying Roskomnadzor, the Russian data regulator. This is worth discussing with a lawyer.
How to track conversions for bots and channels
If the ad leads into Telegram rather than to a website, the pixel won’t help — use other tools:
- The start parameter for bots. A link like
https://t.me/your_bot?start=ad01passes the valuead01to the bot on launch. According to the Bot API documentation, the parameter can be up to 64 characters: Latin letters, digits, underscore and hyphen. Use a separate parameter for each ad and store it in the bot’s database along with the user’s later actions. - The startapp parameter for Mini Apps. Works the same way for direct links to mini apps.
- Ad statistics. For channel and bot ads, the ad account shows clicks and actions such as subscriptions — cross-check them with channel growth in analytics tools such as TGStat.
Tracking in bots is covered in detail in promoting a bot and Mini App. If you’re still choosing where to open a euro account, compare terms in our resellers section.
FAQ
Where is the pixel in Telegram Ads?
In the ad account, under “Manage events”: that’s where you create the pixel and events. It’s relevant for euro accounts, where websites can be promoted.
Can I install the pixel via Google Tag Manager?
Yes. The base code can be added through GTM or another tag manager, or via a site builder’s settings such as Tilda. The key is that it loads on every page.
Why don’t Telegram Ads conversions match my analytics?
The pixel counts only actions after an ad click in the same browser and only from the moment the event was added, while web analytics uses its own attribution models. Some discrepancy is normal; compare trends rather than absolute numbers.
Does the pixel work for channel or bot ads?
No, the pixel only tracks actions on a website. For bots, use the start parameter in the link; for channels, use ad statistics and channel analytics.
Can I change the event in a running ad?
You can add an event to a running ad, but you can’t change it afterwards. If you need a different event, it’s easier to create a new ad.
Does Telegram Ads optimize delivery for conversions?
As of the pixel’s launch, there was no automatic optimization by events. The pixel gives you data for decisions, while bids and placements are changed by you or by bidder services.
