Building a Telegram Ads campaign is easier than getting it through moderation without wasting budget. Formats and prices vary by account type, and businesses gain access through resellers and agencies. Key settings are locked as soon as they are saved, making mistakes costly. This article explains how to run ads on Telegram from start to finish: formats, costs, targeting, setup, and moderation basics.

How Telegram Ads work: the main ad formats

Ads on Telegram, which the platform calls sponsored messages, appear in public channels with at least 1,000 subscribers, directly below the latest published post in the channel feed.

When you set up a campaign in the ad account, the primary constraint on copy is its length. Official guidelines limit ad text to 160 characters, including spaces. Both the offer and the call to action must fit within that limit. In addition to text, the creative can include custom emojis, video clips, or static images.

Count every character and check every media asset in the draft before saving. If the copy exceeds 160 characters by even one space, the platform blocks submission and forces another round of edits. Media makes the ad more noticeable, but each format adds a surcharge to the base CPM. Concise copy and suitable media help keep the launch on schedule.

Telegram Ads pricing and format surcharges

The minimum CPM in a euro account depends on the type of targeting. Broad targeting based on topics, interests, and channel subscribers starts at €0.7. Narrow targeting of specific channels, bots, and search keywords starts at €0.15 as of late August 2026: the platform reduced this minimum sevenfold from €1. Both figures come from market data; the reduction applies to new campaigns. The TON account has a lower official minimum of 0.1 TON (the coin is now called Gram, while the interface retains the TON name). According to reseller data, the auction uses a first-price model. This means that you pay exactly the bid you submitted for every thousand impressions, rather than the nearest competitor's price. Unlike in second-price auctions such as Google Ads, the charge is not reduced to the next-highest bid. An inflated bid therefore not only wins the auction but also raises the price paid for every impression won.

Account typeMinimum CPMPayments and documentsEuro account, via resellers and agencies€0.7 broad targeting / €0.15 specific channels, bots, search (cut from €1 in August 2026)Invoicing, bank payments, corporate accountTON account, self-service0.1 TONCrypto only: no invoicing or bank payments; a simplified account unsuitable for businesses that require formal payment processes

According to reseller rate cards, media carries a surcharge: custom emojis, logos, images, and videos each add a set percentage. These percentages are calculated from the minimum CPM rather than the bid and are cumulative. Each added format raises the minimum entry price: video with channel-list targeting can double it. If the budget does not account for these surcharges, funds can run out well ahead of schedule and stop the campaign. Calculate the bid together with all surcharges before launch; our moderation article includes the rate table for each account type.

Targeting options and audience limits

Telegram Ads supports broad targeting by topics and interests, as well as narrower targeting by specific channels and search keywords. According to Telegram's own figures, its public channels generate 1 trillion views per month from 1 billion users, making audience selection a critical decision.

• Channel topics and user interests. Ads are shown based on general channel categories or interest profiles. This is the broad tier from the pricing section above.
• Specific channels and search keywords. Handpick public channels where your target audience is already active, or trigger ads when users search for specific terms. Since late August 2026, this narrow tier starts at €0.15, below the broad minimum, which makes testing specific channels cheaper.
• Geographic targeting. Limit impressions to users in selected countries or regions so the budget remains focused on the markets you serve.
• Exclusion of Premium subscribers. Telegram automatically hides ads from users who subscribe to Telegram Premium, which directly affects how many people you can reach.

The right combination depends on the campaign goals and unit economics. Narrow channel targeting reaches high-intent users in contextually relevant communities, while topic targeting scales more quickly across broader segments. Check for audience overlap before launch to avoid competing with your own active ads.

How to set up your Telegram ad campaign step by step

When you set up ads on Telegram, a single targeting error can force you to recreate the campaign from scratch. Learn the ad account workflow before committing the budget. Experienced advertisers double-check every field before launch: an error in a locked setting means recreating the ad.

1. Access your ad account. Businesses gain access through authorized resellers and agencies that open a corporate ad account. Create a new ad in the account and give it a clear title so that test campaigns are easy to distinguish.
2. Add your message and media. Write concise ad copy that stays strictly within the 160-character limit, including spaces. Add the destination link and, if needed, a logo or media file to attract attention.
3. Define target audiences precisely. Select target channels, broad topics, or user interests that match your market. A common mistake is selecting a channel list, saving the campaign, and then discovering that the list is wrong. Telegram Ads does not allow targeting changes after an ad is saved, so the only solution is to recreate it.
4. Set your bid and budget limits. Specify your CPM rate and allocate the total campaign budget. You can both increase and decrease this amount later.
5. Set up your tracking pixel. If you use one, choose the conversion event carefully before finalizing the form: it cannot be changed later, and an incorrect choice requires a complete restart. Our dedicated pixel article covers the setup process.
6. Submit for moderation and monitor official statuses. Send your campaign for review and monitor its progress in the ad account. According to official Telegram documentation, your campaign will display one of five ad statuses: Stopped, In Review, Declined, Active, or On Hold.

Moderation basics before you submit

The review system checks the copy and destination against the 12 prohibited content categories in Section 5 of the guidelines; they range from financial scams to uncertified medical products. The destination itself must be active, with a profile image, a complete description, and at least one post published within the two weeks before review. Ensure that the ad text matches the destination content, as a mismatch increases the risk of rejection. Note that editing the text or link of a live ad returns it to In Review and pauses impressions until approval. Our moderation article covers the full rules, review times, and recovery steps after an ad is declined.

FAQ

Can I request a refund for unspent balance on Telegram Ads?

Not through the platform itself: under the Telegram Ads Terms of Service, an account balance cannot be withdrawn, transferred to another account, or refunded, and is considered forfeit after three years of continuous inactivity. When you work through a reseller, however, the unspent balance can be returned on request, with the reseller keeping its fee on the amount already spent. The budget of an individual ad works differently: any unspent amount can be returned to the account's free balance. The ad is not deleted; it simply stops when its budget reaches zero.

Do Telegram Premium users see ads?

No, ads are hidden from users who subscribe to Telegram Premium.

How can I track website conversions from Telegram Ads?

Install the Telegram Pixel on your website and pick a conversion event when creating the ad. The full setup is covered in our pixel article.

Ways to work with Telegram Ads

A direct contract with Telegram carries a reference threshold of 2 million euros or more, first publicly cited in 2021 and not officially updated since. For everyone else, the practical route is an authorized reseller or agency that opens a corporate ad account and handles invoicing and bank payments. Adstat is one such route: it combines the reseller role with per-ad statistics and automation.

The access route affects payment terms and available account features, but the core workflow remains the same: create the ad, set the targeting and budget, and submit it for moderation.

Before submitting the draft, run a short pre-launch check:

1. Copy fits within 160 characters, including spaces.
2. Targeting is chosen deliberately.
3. The destination has a recent post.

This check catches the settings that are hardest to fix once the ad is saved. Measuring the results is covered in our analytics article.