What’s changed in Telegram Ads: a guide to the latest updates from Netpeak

According to a SOCIS survey conducted in June 2025, Telegram remains the most popular news source among Ukrainian internet users, with almost 70% of respondents choosing the messenger. It is chosen not only for news, but also for finding a job, renting a house, and solving everyday issues.

For some time, Telegram Ads remained a niche promotion tool with limited functionality, gaining momentum organically. However, over the past six months, the platform has undergone significant changes and is gradually transforming into a full-fledged advertising ecosystem. Telegram is not yet oversaturated with ads like Meta or Google, and at the same time, it is becoming an increasingly structured tool with transparent rules, analytics, and technical support. This creates a less competitive environment for audience attention and contributes to higher campaign efficiency. I’ll talk about the main updates later in the article.

New CPM rules: not always 1 euro

Telegram has reduced the minimum CPM by 50%, allowing advertisers to customize their campaigns more flexibly. The minimum CPM now starts at 0.5 euros, but depends on the format and topic:

for channel-specific ads, the minimum CPM is 1 euro;
for campaigns without a channel binding (for example, “sales”), the rate can start at 0.5 euros.

According to our team, the average CPM for different topics ranges from €0.75 to €1.2. The highest rates are usually observed in the following niches: educational projects, banking services, cryptocurrencies, and investments.

Format update: images and videos are the new leaders among ads

Telegram keeps the standard text ad up to 160 characters, but now you can add

images with an aspect ratio of 16:9 and a minimum width of 640 pixels
video (3 to 60 seconds long, up to 20 MB in size).

According to our observations, these new formats yield better results. In the case of the picture format, the performance is higher: subscribers cost less and CTR increases.

Speaking in more detail about the cost of new formats:

Picture: 50% to the basic CPM (for any target), while the image for a specific channel: 80% to CPM.

Video: 70% to CPM, while video per channel: 100% to CPM.

What’s interesting: Telegram does not prohibit the use of AI-generated images. This opens up new opportunities for advertisers. However, it is important to remember that all images must comply with the platform’s policies – no manipulations, clickbait, or prohibited topics (religion, politics, fakes).

Additional ad locations: now ads appear even inside the content

Previously, ads appeared only at the end of the channel. Now, Telegram allows them to be integrated into the feed after about every 10 posts. This makes the ads more native and organic in the context of the channel’s content, which improves performance. According to the test results, the CTR for such ads remains high, and the ad itself looks like it was added by the channel administrator. Unfortunately, it is currently impossible to choose the exact placement location, but this format definitely opens up new horizons for creativity in advertising.

Advertising for news channels: Telegram has weakened moderation

Formally, the platform has previously allowed advertising of neutral news posts, as long as the content was not politically or sensitively colored. There have been no official changes to the rules, but moderation has become less strict. Although such campaigns are more expensive than native placements, they still yield good results, especially if they are reinforced by mechanics such as sweepstakes or special offers.

New placement: targeting in bots and Search Ads

Telegram has opened up new opportunities for placement – now ads can be shown in bots with traffic of 1000 users per day and in Search Ads. You can advertise on channels, bots, accounts, and Mini Apps with a minimum CPM rate of €1. Customization is also available: add an avatar to the ad (30% to CPM) or Premium emoji (20% to CPM). Telegram Pixel has also been added, which allows you to track the effectiveness of campaigns and enhances analytics.

Among the niches for which the latest updates will be relevant: