Telegram Ads is Telegram’s official advertising platform that shows short sponsored messages in public channels, bots and Telegram search. Advertisers pay per thousand impressions (CPM), and targeting is built around channels, topics and audience settings rather than users’ personal data.
How Telegram Ads works
An ad in Telegram Ads is called a sponsored message. It appears below the latest posts of a public channel once the user has scrolled to the end, and it is labelled as an ad. Advertisers don’t negotiate with channel owners: they choose placements or an audience in the ad account, and the platform shows the ad automatically.
According to the AdsGram blog (August 2026), one ad unit has three placements:
- Channels — public channels with 1,000+ subscribers, ad at the bottom of the feed.
- Bots — a bar above the chat with a bot.
- Search — a sponsored result next to organic results.
Telegram Premium subscribers don’t see ads. There are no ads in private chats or groups.
What an ad looks like
The format is deliberately minimal. Limits as of 2026:
| Element | Limit |
|---|---|
| Text | up to 160 characters including spaces and emoji |
| Button link | up to 256 characters, HTTPS only |
| Site name | up to 40 characters |
| Image | JPEG or PNG, 16:9, from 640×360 to 1920×1080 |
| Video | MP4 up to 20 MB, 16:9, 3 to 60 seconds |
Text goes through moderation: no all-caps, multiple exclamation marks, superlatives or income promises. Learn more in our article on Telegram Ads moderation and in the guide to ad creatives.
How much it costs and how you pay
Telegram Ads uses the CPM model: you set a bid per 1,000 impressions, and the higher it is, the more often your ad wins an impression. The minimum bid depends on the ad account: 0.1 TON in a TON account, about €1 in a euro account for most topics, and 50 Stars in a Stars account.
There are three ways to pay:
- Euros through resellers. The most common option for businesses: the starting budget is usually €250–500, plus the reseller’s fee and VAT.
- TON directly via ads.telegram.org. You can only promote Telegram channels and bots, and targeting is by channel only.
- Telegram Stars — for owners of channels and bots that earn Stars from their audience or buy them.
See the detailed breakdown in how much Telegram Ads costs and the comparison of paying in euros, TON and Stars.
Targeting options
Telegram doesn’t use users’ gender or age for ads, so targeting works differently from social networks. A euro account offers:
- specific channels and bots;
- channel topics and language;
- subscribers of selected channels;
- interests, countries and regions by IP;
- app language and device type.
How to combine these settings is covered in our article on Telegram Ads targeting.
Who earns from the ads
Since 2024 Telegram has shared 50% of ad revenue with owners of public channels where the ads are shown. Payouts are made in Toncoin. This gives channel owners a reason to welcome official ads in their channels.
Can you advertise to a Russian audience?
This is the key question of 2026. Since 1 September 2025, Russia’s advertising law has banned ads on resources whose access is restricted in Russia. In March 2026 the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) stated that advertising in Telegram falls under this ban and announced a transition period: no penalties will be applied until the end of 2026 inclusive.
The obligation to label ads and report them to the state register (ERIR) still applies. The position for 2027 has not been announced officially. Details are in our article on ad labeling and Russian rules. This is not legal advice.
Pros and cons of Telegram Ads
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Large audience with little ad clutter in channels | No targeting by gender or age |
| You pay only for impressions and set the bid yourself | Short text and strict moderation |
| Traffic can go to a channel, bot or website | A euro account requires a reseller and a budget from €250 |
| Convenient for promoting Telegram channels and bots | Legal uncertainty for ads aimed at Russia |
How to get started
- Define the goal: channel subscribers, bot users or website traffic.
- Choose a payment method and, if needed, a reseller — see how to choose a reseller and our reseller reviews.
- Build a list of channels where your audience reads.
- Prepare 3–5 ad texts and run a test — step by step in how to launch Telegram Ads.
Read also: How to Prepare Your Channel for Telegram Ads · 12 Telegram Ads Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
FAQ
What is Telegram Ads in simple terms?
It is Telegram’s built-in advertising: short ads shown at the bottom of public channels, in bots and in search. Advertisers pay for impressions and choose where and to whom the ad is shown.
Where do Telegram Ads appear?
In public channels with 1,000+ subscribers, in chats with bots and in Telegram search. There are no ads in private chats or groups, and Telegram Premium subscribers don’t see them.
What is the minimum budget to start?
Through resellers the starting budget is usually €250–500 plus a fee. In a Stars account you can start with a small amount, but only to promote your own channel or bot.
Can you promote a website?
Yes, a euro account through a reseller lets you send traffic to an external website. TON and Stars accounts only allow links to Telegram channels and bots.
How is Telegram Ads different from buying posts in channels?
Buying a post means agreeing directly with a channel admin. Telegram Ads is an impression auction in the official ad account: you don’t negotiate with channel owners and pay per 1,000 impressions.
Is advertising in Telegram legal for Russia?
Since 2026 the FAS considers it covered by the ban on ads on restricted resources, but no penalties apply until the end of 2026. Ad labeling remains mandatory.
