How to Use TGStat and Telemetr to Find Profitable Ad Placements and Spy on Competitors
Stop wasting your ad budget on dead channels. Here is how we use TGStat and Telemetr in our daily workflow to vet audiences, track competitor ads, and buy placements that actually convert.
Telegram does not have an algorithmic feed to push your content to new users. If you want traffic, you have to buy it or build it yourself. But blindly picking channels to run ads is a quick way to burn your budget on bot farms. In our network of channels, we rely on two main analytics platforms—TGStat and Telemetr—to verify channel metrics, reverse-engineer competitor campaigns, and pick placements that actually bring in real customers.
- TGStat is your go-to search engine for broad thematic discovery and tracking keyword mentions across the entire platform.
- Telemetr acts as your forensic lab for checking subscriber quality, detecting view-bots, and seeing exactly which ad creatives your competitors use.
- Always look at the shape of the hourly view graphs; sudden spikes followed by flatlines usually point to bought views.
- Always cross-reference metrics and expect occasional data updates lag because Telegram API limits can slow down tracking platforms.
How Telegram Analytics Actually Work Under the Hood
Telegram delivers every post straight to a user's chat list without an algorithm deciding who sees what. Because of this closed setup, you cannot just browse a feed to see what is trending. Tools like TGStat and Telemetr solve this by running automated tracking nodes and bots that constantly scan public channels. These tracking systems log when a channel gains subscribers, how fast a post gets views, and which channels forward each other's content. This lets you trace exactly where a competitor's traffic is coming from.
- They track changes in subscriber count and public metadata around the clock
- They record hourly view velocities to help you spot bot-inflated posts
- They map out forwarding chains and external mentions via tracking link parsing and text-matching algorithms
TGStat vs. Telemetr: Core Differences
We use both tools, but they serve completely different parts of our workflow. Think of TGStat as a massive, open search engine and thematic catalogue. It is fantastic for finding new channels in specific niches, tracking keyword mentions, and looking at global channel rankings. Telemetr, on the other hand, acts as an analyst's desk optimized for vetting channel hygiene and auditing audience quality before you spend your ad budget.
- Use TGStat for broad searches, keyword alerts, and finding channels by country
- Use Telemetr to audit subscriber quality and dissect competitor ad history
- The free TGStat tier gives you up to 20 of the newest posts per search query over a 7-day window
- The free Telemetr tier lets you analyze up to 3 individual channels every day
| Feature | TGStat | Telemetr |
|---|---|---|
| Best For | Broad niche search and keyword tracking | Deep audience audits and ad history |
| Key Metrics | Global rankings, citation indexes, keyword mentions | Subscriber growth curves, ad creatives, bot detection |
| Free Limits | 20 search-result posts over a rolling 7-day period | Basic metrics for up to 3 channels per day |
Market Figures, Pricing, and CPM Benchmarks
Pricing for these tools depends on how deeply you need to analyze data. TGStat offers keyword tracking for around 1,050 ₽ per month (~$11–$12), with premium search at ~2,940 ₽ per month (~$31–$33) and premium analytics plans at ~3,360 ₽ per month (~$36–$38). Telemetr offers an Economy plan for roughly 2,750 ₽ per month (~$30), which frequently features promotional first-month intros at 1 ₽ (with auto-renewal enabled by default). When buying ads, CPM (cost per 1,000 views) typically ranges from $10 to over $50, depending heavily on the niche and GEO.
- TGStat keyword tracking starts at roughly 1,050 ₽ per month
- TGStat paid API tiers scale from 2,100 ₽ to 60,900 ₽ per month
- Telemetr Economy plans run around 2,750 ₽ per month with frequent promo deals
- Ad CPMs usually range from $10 to $50+ depending on how business-focused the niche is
Spotting Fraud: Typical Mistakes to Avoid
When analyzing channels, relying solely on subscriber count is a vanity trap. A channel with 5,000 highly active users often outperforms a stagnant 50,000-subscriber channel riddled with bot-driven churn. You must also watch out for sudden spikes in subscriber count. Buying an ad right after a massive subscriber jump without checking how they acquired those users (such as aggressive giveaway loops versus organic mentions) often leads to dead traffic.
- Avoid judging a channel's value based on subscriber count alone
- Check the source of sudden subscriber jumps to avoid low-quality giveaway traffic
- Look for engagement rate (ER) anomalies that indicate view-botting
- Verify the channel's ad history to ensure your brand safety
Platform Boundaries and API Constraints
You must keep in mind that these platforms operate within the rules of Telegram's API. Automated tracking tools are bound by Telegram’s API restrictions, meaning heavy scraping can trigger temporary bans or data delays. More importantly, neither tool can peek inside private channels or closed invite-only groups unless you have admin access. If you are planning an ad campaign, focus your research on public channels with clean, searchable usernames.
- Tracking tools must respect strict API rate limits to avoid getting blocked
- Private channels and closed groups cannot be indexed without admin setup
- You can only run deep audits on public channels that have a custom username
- Expect occasional data delays of a few hours during high-traffic periods
Step by step
Use TGStat to filter channels by category, language, and country, then look at their Citation Index (a score showing how often other public channels mention them).
Copy the channel URL and paste it into Telemetr. Check the subscriber growth chart to make sure you see smooth, natural curves rather than sharp, vertical steps.
Look at the channel’s ad history in Telemetr. See what creatives they run, how often they post ads, and which other brands have bought space there.
Contact the admin listed in the channel bio. Ask for screenshots of their internal Telegram stats to verify their active audience before sending any payment.
Common mistakes
A channel with 50,000 subscribers might look great, but if only 500 people read their posts, you are paying for dead weight. Always look at active daily views instead.
If a channel gains 10,000 users overnight without any visible mentions in other channels, they likely bought bots. Real growth comes from documented ad campaigns or viral posts.
If a post gets 5,000 views within five minutes of posting and then completely stops gaining views for the rest of the day, that is a classic sign of automated view-bots.
If you do not check what a channel has advertised before, you might find your clean brand sandwiched between shady betting schemes or sketchy crypto projects.
Want to scale your Telegram campaigns without burning your budget? Reach out to our team, and let us build a high-converting, bot-free ad strategy for you.
Message on Telegram →FAQ
Can TGStat and Telemetr track private Telegram channels?
No, they cannot. Both platforms rely on public data. If a channel is private or uses a temporary invite link, these tools cannot index its posts or subscriber count unless the admin manually connects their bot.
Which tool is better for buying ads?
In our experience, Telemetr is better for buying ads because it focuses heavily on ad history, creative tracking, and spot-checking subscriber quality. TGStat is fantastic for finding channels and tracking brand mentions.
Are the free versions of these tools enough?
The free tiers are great for occasional checks, but if you are actively running campaigns, you will hit limits quickly. TGStat limits your post searches, and Telemetr only lets you check 3 channels a day on the free plan.
How do I spot fake views in a channel?
Look at the hourly view graph in Telemetr. A real channel has a smooth curve that peaks in the first few hours and gradually tapers off. Bot views usually look like a vertical cliff or a flat line that never changes.
Sources
Andrii Slobodian is an online growth expert: a network of Telegram and VK communities with 4M+ subscribers and up to 8.5M daily views. XM Leader Awards 2024 winner (Leader in Digital Transformation). He builds AI bots, AI agents and AI products for media and business.
More about the author →Blog articles are produced by Andrii Slobodian's editorial team with AI tools: research, drafting and fact-checking are automated; the editorial policy and practical conclusions are set by the author. AI never publishes directly — there is always a human editor between AI and publication. Spotted an error? Message us on Telegram.
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