With over 800 million users, Telegram has become one of the most powerful channels for creators, brands and communities. Its built-in ad platform, Telegram Ads, lets you show short sponsored posts inside public channels — paid in TON coins and shared 50/50 with channel owners.
This guide walks you through how Telegram ads work, how to sign in to the dashboard, how to launch your first campaign, and how to find the right channels and optimize for results.
How Telegram Ads Work
Telegram ads are ultra-lightweight and deliberately simple:
- Format: A short text ad (up to 160 characters) plus one internal Telegram link (channel or bot).
- Placement: Shown as a “Sponsored” post inside public channels that you choose.
- Payment: You pay in TON coin (the native token of the TON network), using a CPM (cost per 1,000 impressions) model.
- Revenue share: Telegram splits ad revenue 50/50 with channel owners, so channels are incentivized to show your ads.
There are no images, carousels or long creatives — success comes from sharp targeting and concise, compelling copy.
How to Log In to the Telegram Ads Dashboard
- Open your browser and search for Telegram Ads or go directly to the Telegram Ads dashboard.
- Click Log in.
- Enter the phone number linked to your Telegram account.
- Open Telegram on your phone or desktop; you’ll receive a login request from the official Telegram service.
- Review the request and tap Confirm.
- Back in your browser, you’ll now see the Ads dashboard.
- Fill in your name, email, phone number and country, then save.
Once this basic profile is set, you can create campaigns and manage budgets from the same interface.
Key Rules You Must Know Before Launching Telegram Ads
Before writing your first ad, it’s crucial to understand Telegram’s core rules so your ad isn’t rejected:
1. Minimum Channel Audience
- Ads are shown only in public channels.
- Each channel you target must have at least 1,000 members.
You don’t need to own those channels, but they must meet this threshold.
2. Internal Links Only
- Your ad’s link must be an internal Telegram destination: t.me/yourchannel or t.me/yourbot @yourchannel style usernames
- External URLs are not allowed inside Telegram ad creatives.
If you want external traffic, you typically drive users from your channel or bot to your website later.
3. Required Creative Fields
Every ad must contain:
- Title (internal label – only visible to you in the dashboard)
- Ad text (up to 160 characters)
- Link (channel or bot)
The URL appears as a button under the ad text inside channels.
4. TON-Based CPM
- Telegram uses CPM in TON coin.
- There is a minimum CPM of 0.01 TON (approx. a few cents), but you can bid higher to win more impressions in competitive channels.
Higher CPM means stronger priority in auctions for the same inventory.
5. Budget Adjustments
- You can increase your campaign budget at any time.
- To reduce budget, you must delete the ad; any unspent TON is returned to your account’s balance.
Plan your initial budget with this restriction in mind.
6. Manual Review
- Every ad goes through a Telegram review process before going live.
- If rejected, you’ll receive feedback and can edit and resubmit.
Step-by-Step: Create Your First Telegram Ad Campaign
From the main Ads dashboard, click “Create a new ad”, then follow this sequence.
Step 1: Internal Ad Title
- Enter an internal title (e.g. “Crypto bot launch – EN – Tech channels”).
- Only your team sees this; it won’t show to users.
Step 2: Ad Text (up to 160 characters)
- Write a clear, punchy message under 160 characters.
- Focus on one core benefit and a simple call-to-action: “Join our daily crypto signals channel. Short insights, no spam – tap to subscribe.”
Step 3: Destination Link
- Add the Telegram channel or bot you want to promote: e.g. t.me/yourchannelname
- Remember: no external websites.
Step 4: Initial Status & Dates
- Choose to: Activate immediately, or Schedule a start date (and optional end date).
Scheduling helps you align ads with product launches or events.
Step 5: Daily Schedule
- Decide whether your ad: Runs 24/7, or Shows only during specific hours (e.g. 09:00–23:00 in your main market).
This is useful if your audience is concentrated in one time zone.
Step 6: Internal Notes (Optional)
- Add notes for yourself or team: “Test high-CPM on 3 tech channels – EN only.”
- Helps with internal tracking when you scale.
Step 7: Choose Channels to Target
- Paste each channel link you want to target and press Enter.
- To find a channel’s link: Open it in Telegram, tap its name at the top, and copy the t.me/... URL.
You can target multiple channels within the same campaign.
Step 8: Set CPM (in TON)
- Enter your CPM bid in TON.
- Minimum is 0.01 TON; in crowded niches you’ll likely bid more to get volume.
Think of this like bidding on other ad platforms: higher bids = more delivery.
Step 9: Daily Views Per User
- Limit how many times each user sees your ad per day (e.g. 1–3 views).
- This prevents fatigue and keeps your message fresher.
Step 10: Initial Budget (in TON)
- Set the total budget your campaign is allowed to spend.
- Telegram will draw from this as impressions accrue.
Step 11: Daily Budget Cap (Optional)
- Add a daily budget limit if you want smoother pacing instead of spending everything quickly.
Finally, accept Telegram’s advertising terms and hit “Create ad”.
If your balance doesn’t have enough TON, you’ll need to top up before the ad can start serving.
How to Find Telegram Channels to Target
Targeting the right audience is more important than clever copy. The video outlines several practical ways to discover quality channels:
1. Use Telegram’s Built-In Search
- In the Telegram app, type keywords related to your niche: “crypto signals”, “productivity tips”, “NFT news”, etc.
- Filter through channels, not just groups, and check: Member count Posting frequency Content quality and engagement
2. Explore Telegram Channel Directories
There are third-party sites that curate Telegram channels by category (finance, education, gaming, etc.). These lists make it easier to find relevant inventory without searching manually for hours.
3. Use Google Search
- Try queries like: best telegram channels for trading telegram channels marketing 2025
- Many bloggers compile updated lists of channels in specific niches.
4. Guess Short Links with t.me
- Some channels use short t.me/keyword links.
- Type combinations like t.me/crypto, t.me/aiupdates directly into your browser to discover channels.
5. Leverage Social Media Communities
- On X (Twitter), Reddit and similar platforms, look for threads like “Share your favorite Telegram channels”.
- These communities often surface high-quality niche channels that are not easily found via search.
Combine these methods to build a curated targeting list before you spend a single TON.
Best Practices to Make Telegram Ads Perform
The tutorial ends with several optimization tips you should treat as your playbook:
1. Pick Channels Your Buyers Actually Read
Instead of chasing the largest channels, prioritize:
- Topic relevance to your product
- Language and region match
- Real engagement (views, comments, forwards if enabled)
A 5,000-member laser-targeted channel can outperform a 200,000-member generic channel.
2. Write Concise, High-Impact Copy
You only have 160 characters, so:
- Lead with the strongest benefit (“Daily stock picks, no hype.”).
- Use a clear call-to-action (“Join the channel” / “Start the bot”).
- Avoid fluff, emojis overload, and vague promises.
Test multiple angles: urgency, exclusivity, social proof, education.
3. Offer a Clear Incentive
Increase conversions by including:
- A welcome bonus (e.g. free guide, template, checklist)
- Exclusive discounts for new channel members
- A limited-time offer tied to the campaign dates
Even a small but concrete perk can dramatically improve join rates.
4. Run Multiple Variants and Double Down on Winners
Don’t rely on a single ad:
- Launch several ads with different texts and/or channel mixes.
- Monitor which one: Gets the best CTR and engagement in your promoted channel. Drives the highest quality of members or bot actions.
- Pause weaker variants and concentrate budget on the top performer.
Continuous A/B testing is how you turn Telegram Ads from an experiment into a repeatable acquisition channel.
FAQ: Telegram Ads for Beginners
1. What is the minimum budget to start Telegram ads?
Telegram charges on a CPM basis in TON coin, with a minimum CPM of 0.01 TON. Your overall budget can be small to start; just set a modest initial budget in TON and raise it once you see results.
2. Can I send traffic from Telegram ads directly to my website?
No. Telegram currently allows only internal links in ad creatives — to Telegram channels or bots using t.me or @username formats. You can, however, drive users to your channel first and then link to your website from there.
3. Do I need my own channel to advertise on Telegram?
You don’t need a big channel to run ads, but you do need a destination (channel or bot) where users land. The channels you target must be public and have at least 1,000 members.
4. How does Telegram decide where my ad appears?
You choose the channels you want to target, and then CPM bids plus review status determine how often your ad appears as a sponsored message inside those channels.
5. What happens if my Telegram ad is rejected?
If an ad doesn’t pass review, Telegram sends you feedback on what must be changed (often link or content issues). You can edit the creative and resubmit without losing your remaining budget.
6. How many times will the same user see my ad?
During setup, you can set a daily view limit per user. That way, each person only sees your ad a fixed number of times per day, reducing ad fatigue.
