Telegram ads via Yandex Direct and MTS in 2026: how they work and how they differ from Telegram Ads
In this guide
Yandex Direct places ads in Telegram as regular posts in channels that belong to the Yandex Advertising Network. You can let it pick channels automatically and pay per click, or choose channels from a catalogue and pay per view. Each post stays up for 48 hours and is then deleted. This is a separate product from official Telegram Ads, which shows a short ad below posts in any suitable channel with 1,000+ subscribers and charges per thousand impressions in euros.
Here is how both options work, what the MTS account offers and which to choose for your goal.
How do Telegram ads via Yandex Direct work?
According to Yandex Direct help:
- Ads appear in public and private Telegram channels, and in channels on the MAX messenger, whose owners are Yandex Advertising Network partners.
- Advertisers based in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Türkiye can run them.
- Campaigns are created in Expert mode as “Ads in messengers”; you can pick Telegram, MAX or both.
- Automatic channel selection is pay-per-click. Yandex materials put the minimum bid at about €0.30 per click.
- Manual selection from the channel catalogue is pay-per-view, at about €0.01 per view on average according to Yandex.
- Posts stay up for 48 hours and are deleted automatically. Titles are limited to 56 characters and text to 764.
- If you promote your own channel, subscribers are counted via an invite link in Telegram’s channel settings, not in Direct.
Terms change, and Yandex labels some scenarios as beta, so check the current help pages before launch.
How does Yandex Direct differ from Telegram Ads?
| Yandex Direct in Telegram | Telegram Ads | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it shows | A post in the feed of Yandex partner channels | An ad below posts in public channels with 1,000+ subscribers |
| Format | A post with an image, up to 764 characters | Short text up to 160 characters with a button |
| Pricing | Per click or per view | Per 1,000 impressions (CPM), in euros via a provider or agency |
| Placement choice | Automatic or from the Yandex catalogue | Any suitable channels, topics and audiences |
| Duration | 48 hours per post | As long as the campaign runs and has budget |
| Who does not see it | — | Telegram Premium users do not see the ads |
| Ad labelling | Handled by Yandex | Via the provider or agency |
The key difference is scale and control. Direct is limited to channels that joined Yandex’s network. Telegram Ads covers most of Telegram and lets you run dozens of ads and switch off weak ones quickly. In our online vocal school case, 144 ads ran at the same time at peak; that kind of testing is not practical with Direct posts.
What is Telegram advertising via MTS?
The MTS Ads “Marketolog Pro” account gives access to Telegram Ads itself. It is not a separate channel network but the same official Telegram ad tool. According to MTS Ads announcements, you can open a euro-denominated account there, with extra targeting based on MTS data.
Other providers such as eLama, and agencies, offer similar access. Compare them by how much reaches your ad balance, the fee, the minimum top-up and who will manage the campaigns. See How to fund and pay for Telegram Ads.
Which should you choose: Direct or Telegram Ads?
Yandex Direct suits you if:
- you need a full post with an image and longer copy;
- you want one account alongside your other Yandex advertising;
- you need a small test placement in specific catalogue channels.
Telegram Ads suits you if:
- you need a steady flow of subscribers or leads rather than one-off placements;
- you want precise control over channels and topics across Telegram;
- you are ready to test many short ads and optimise for cost per subscriber.
Many projects use both: Direct for selected placements and Telegram Ads as the main subscriber source. See typical Telegram Ads costs by industry in the cost calculator.
How to launch Telegram ads via Direct: a quick guide
- Prepare the channel: description, pinned post and 10–15 useful posts. See How to prepare a Telegram channel for ads.
- Create an invite link in the channel settings to count subscribers.
- In Direct, create an “Ads in messengers” campaign, choose Telegram and how channels are selected.
- Write the post: a title up to 56 characters, text up to 764, an image and the invite link.
- After review, track subscriptions via the link and calculate cost per subscriber.
To run Telegram Ads and compare its cost per subscriber with Direct, message our team.