Telegram's Affiliate Program for Mini Apps and Bots

Telegram's affiliate programs let the owner of a bot or mini app pay a share of its Stars revenue to people who bring in new users. The developer sets a commission and, optionally, how many months it lasts; affiliates, which can be ordinary users, channels or bots, get a referral link and earn Stars whenever users they referred pay inside the app during that period. Everything runs inside Telegram, so there is no separate network, tracking code or payout invoice.

This guide explains the program from both sides: how a developer sets one up and chooses its terms, how an affiliate joins and earns, which rules cannot be changed later, and how to avoid the low-quality schemes that copy the name.

How the program works in one picture

Three parties are involved:

• The developer, who owns a bot or mini app that sells digital goods or services for Telegram Stars.
• The affiliate, who promotes that app. An affiliate can be a person's account, a channel they own or a bot they own.
• The referred user, who opens the app through the affiliate's link and later pays for something in Stars.

When the referred user pays, Telegram sends the agreed share of that payment to the affiliate as Stars, for as long as the program's duration lasts for that user. The developer receives the rest. No one has to track clicks by hand or send payments at the end of the month.

If Stars are new to you, start with Telegram Stars explained. If mini apps are new, read Telegram mini apps explained first.

What makes it different from ordinary affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketing on Telegram existed long before this feature: channels posted links to online shops and courses and were paid by outside affiliate networks. Our guide to affiliate marketing on Telegram covers that kind. The built-in programs differ in a few important ways:

• Tracking is done by Telegram. The link is tied to the affiliate inside Telegram, so attribution does not depend on cookies or browser settings.
• Commission is paid in Stars, automatically. There is no minimum invoice, no monthly report to reconcile, and no waiting for a network to approve a payout.
• It covers digital goods paid in Stars. According to Telegram's developer documentation, programs are meant for mini apps that sell digital products for Stars. Physical goods sold through third-party payment providers do not earn commission.
• Terms are public and fixed in one direction. The developer can raise commission and duration, but cannot lower them without ending the program.
• Joining happens inside Telegram. Affiliates join from the app itself rather than applying to a network and waiting for approval.

For developers: setting up a program

Before you start

• You need to own the bot. Only the Telegram account that owns the mini app can create, change or end its affiliate program.
• You should already sell something for Stars. If you have not set up Stars payments, see Telegram bot payments for developers.
• Decide what you can afford to share. Every Star paid to affiliates is a Star you do not receive, for every purchase their users make during the duration.
• Check your app's value to new users. Affiliates will promote apps that convert. If new users rarely pay, even a generous commission earns affiliates little, and good affiliates will move on.

Creating the program

Telegram provides the settings inside its apps for bot owners, and also through its developer interfaces. The location of the setting can change between versions, so look in your bot's settings for an affiliate program section, or in Telegram's official developer documentation.

1. Open the settings for your bot or mini app as its owner.
2. Find the affiliate program option and choose to create a program.
3. Set the commission: the share of each payment that goes to the affiliate.
4. Set the duration: how many months after a user arrives through an affiliate's link the affiliate keeps earning from that user's purchases. You can leave it without an end date, in which case the affiliate earns from that user indefinitely.
5. Review the terms carefully, because of the rule below, and confirm.

Once created, the program is visible to potential affiliates, who can join and receive their own link.

The one-way rule

Telegram's documentation states that a program's commission and duration can only be increased after creation. To lower either, you must end the program and create a new one.

That rule protects affiliates: someone who spends effort promoting your app knows the terms will not be cut beneath them. For you, it means:

• Start conservatively. It is easy to raise commission later if you want more affiliates. It is disruptive to lower it.
• Avoid "launch" terms you cannot sustain. A very high introductory commission locks you in until you end the program.
• Think about the duration as carefully as the rate. A long or unlimited duration means affiliates share in a user's purchases for a long time.

Ending a program

You can end a program at any time. According to Telegram's developer documentation, ending it stops new affiliates from joining, but affiliates who joined before keep earning commission until the end of their commission periods. If your duration was unlimited, that is worth weighing before you start.

Choosing commission and duration: an illustrative example

Example (made-up figures, for arithmetic only): an app sells a premium feature for 100 Stars. The developer considers two set-ups.

• Set-up A: a modest commission and a short duration. An affiliate who brings a user who buys twice in the first months earns a modest share of two purchases, then nothing more from that user.
• Set-up B: a higher commission with no end date. The same affiliate earns a larger share of every purchase that user ever makes.

Set-up B attracts more affiliates and rewards them for bringing loyal users, but costs the developer a share of that user's spending for as long as they stay. Set-up A costs less over time but gives affiliates less reason to make the effort. There is no right answer; it depends on your margins and how long your users typically keep paying. The safe path is to start closer to A and increase towards B as you learn.

Making your program attractive

Affiliates choose between programs, and many will compare terms side by side. Beyond the numbers:

1. Make the first experience convert. A clear opening screen and an obvious first purchase help affiliates earn, which keeps them promoting you.
2. Give affiliates something to show. Screenshots, a short description and honest explanations of what the app does make promotion easier.
3. Describe your audience. Affiliates whose channels match your users will earn more and send better users.
4. Keep your app reliable. Affiliates stop promoting an app that crashes or delivers late, because complaints come back to them.
5. Handle payment support. Telegram expects bots that accept Stars to answer the /paysupport command. Refund promptly when you failed to deliver; see can you get a refund for Telegram Stars for the buyer's side.

For affiliates: joining and earning

Who can be an affiliate

You can join a program as yourself, as a channel you own or as a bot you own. The commission is credited to whichever of these you joined with. For most people the natural choice is a channel, because a channel has an audience that the referral link can reach.

Finding programs

Telegram shows available affiliate programs inside the app, typically from the Stars section of your settings or from the settings of a channel or bot you own, where there is an option to earn Stars through affiliate programs. Some mini apps also mention their program in their own profile or description. The list usually shows each program's commission and duration, so you can compare them.

Joining a program

1. Open the list of affiliate programs from your settings, or from your channel's or bot's settings if you want commission credited there.
2. Pick a program and read its terms: the commission, the duration and what the app sells.
3. Choose which account, channel or bot the commission should go to.
4. Join. Telegram gives you a referral link for that app.
5. Share the link where it is genuinely relevant to your audience.

What counts as a referral

A user counts as yours when they open the mini app through your referral link. From then, their payments in Stars inside the app earn you commission for the duration the developer set. Telegram's documentation describes the period as starting when your link is used.

A few practical consequences:

• Users who already used the app may not count. If someone opened the app before through another route, your link may not attribute them to you. Promote apps your audience is likely to be new to.
• Only Stars purchases of digital goods count. If the app sells physical goods through other payment methods, those sales do not earn commission.
• Earning depends on the referred user paying. A click, or even a new user who never pays, earns nothing.

Where earnings go and how to use them

Commission arrives as Stars in the balance of the account, channel or bot you joined with. You can see transactions in the Stars section. What you can do with the Stars depends on where they are: Stars can be spent inside Telegram, and channels and bots that earn Stars have a route to withdraw them, subject to Telegram's current conditions. Check how to withdraw Telegram Stars and the current rules in Telegram before you plan around a payout.

This is one reason many people join with a channel rather than their personal account: Stars earned by a channel sit with the channel's other Stars income, such as paid reactions or paid posts, and can be managed together. If several people run the channel, agree in advance who decides how those Stars are used, because the channel's owner controls them.

Choosing which programs to promote

Commission percentage is the most visible number and the least useful one on its own. Ask:

1. Does my audience need this app? A finance channel recommending a language-learning game will earn little and annoy readers.
2. Would I use it myself? Your recommendation carries your reputation. If the app turns out to be low quality, your audience remembers who sent them.
3. How long is the duration? A longer duration rewards you for bringing users who stay.
4. Does the app sell something people repeatedly buy? Subscriptions and repeat purchases earn more over time than a single unlock.
5. Is the developer reliable? Look for consistent updates, responsive support and a clear description.

A worked example (illustrative only)

Example: Aisha runs a channel about productivity tools. She finds two programs: a note-taking mini app with a modest commission and a long duration, and a game with a higher commission and a short duration. Her readers would genuinely use the note-taking app, and its users tend to keep a subscription. She joins with her channel, tries the app herself for a week, then writes a post explaining what it does and what it does not do, with her referral link. The game pays more per purchase, but her audience would not stay, so she skips it.

How to promote an affiliate link honestly

A referral link is an advert, and your audience deserves to know that.

• Disclose it. Say plainly that you earn Stars if people buy through your link. Our guide to Telegram sponsored post disclosure explains how to label commercial content clearly.
• Explain the app, not just the link. What does it do? Who is it for? What does it cost?
• Mention the downsides. If the free version is limited or the paid feature is pricey, say so. Honest posts keep trust.
• Do not spam groups. Posting links in groups you do not run is likely to break their rules and get you removed or reported.
• Do not promise income. Some apps include their own reward systems; never tell readers they will earn money by using an app.

Channels that rely heavily on affiliate posts tend to see engagement fall. Mix promotion with useful content, and check your measured views over time; see Telegram channel engagement rate for how to read them.

What the program is not

Several things share the word "affiliate" or "referral" on Telegram and are not this program.

Not a referral pyramid

Some bots and games promise rewards for inviting friends, who invite more friends, with rewards flowing up a chain. Telegram's affiliate program pays one level: the affiliate who brought a user earns from that user's Stars purchases. Nothing flows up a chain.

Not tap-to-earn points

Many games award points for inviting friends, with vague promises of future tokens. Those are the game's own systems. Our guide to Telegram tap-to-earn games explains how they work and their risks.

Not paid for installs or clicks

You earn only when referred users pay in Stars for digital goods. Bringing users who never pay earns nothing, which is why relevance matters more than reach.

Not an endorsement by Telegram

Telegram provides the mechanism. It does not vouch for any app with a program. Judge the app yourself.

Scams and low-quality offers to avoid

The popularity of earning Stars has attracted copycats. Watch for:

• "Affiliate dashboards" outside Telegram that ask you to log in with your phone number and code. The real program lives in the Telegram app. Never share a login code; see never share your Telegram login code.
• Bots that charge a fee to join a "high-paying" program. Joining a real program costs nothing.
• Offers to buy referred users. Buying fake users or using bots to open links breaks the spirit of the program, earns nothing because fake users do not pay, and can get your channel reported.
• Apps that do not deliver. An app with a high commission and poor reviews may be trying to buy promotion it cannot earn. Your audience will blame you.
• "Guaranteed income" posts about affiliate programs. No program guarantees earnings; income depends on real users paying.

For a broader view of scams, see how to spot Telegram scams.

Tracking results

As an affiliate, the Stars transaction history shows your earnings. Look at:

• Which posts bring paying users. If you promote several apps, note the date of each post and compare with when earnings arrive.
• Whether earnings continue. Steady earnings over months mean you referred users who stay, which tells you the app suits your audience.
• What your audience says. Replies and comments after a promotional post are an early signal of whether you chose well.

As a developer, compare new paying users who arrived through affiliates with those who came directly, and watch for affiliates whose users never pay. Raise commission only when you see that affiliates bring users worth it.

A first month as an affiliate: a simple plan

If you run a channel and want to try affiliate programs without hurting your audience's trust, a gradual approach works well.

1. Week one: shortlist. Browse the available programs and pick two or three apps that fit your channel's topic. Note each one's commission and duration.
2. Week one and two: test. Use each app yourself for long enough to form an opinion. Drop any that disappoint.
3. Week two: one post. Write one honest post about the best app: what it does, who it suits, what it costs, and that you earn Stars through the link.
4. Week three: listen. Read replies and comments. Did people try it? Did anyone complain?
5. Week four: review. Check your Stars transaction history. Decide whether to mention the app again later, try the second app, or stop.

Keep promotional posts a small part of what you publish. Readers subscribed for your content, not for links, and the subscriber and view figures on your channel will tell you if the balance tips too far. Our guide on how often a Telegram channel should post helps with planning the mix.

For developers: raising terms and talking to affiliates

Because terms can only go up, raising them is a decision you can make with confidence and announce as good news.

• Raise commission when you want more promotion, for example before a major update.
• Extend the duration when your users stay longer than expected, so affiliates share in that loyalty.
• Tell your audience. If your app has a channel, announce changes there, so affiliates see that the program is active.
• Thank your best affiliates publicly where they agree to it. Recognition costs nothing and keeps good partners.

If you ever need to lower terms, ending the program and starting a new one is the only route, and existing affiliates keep earning for their periods. Explain the change openly rather than letting affiliates discover it.

Taxes and records

Stars earned through affiliate programs may be income where you live, especially once withdrawn. This is general information, not tax advice. Keep a simple record of earnings and withdrawals and check local rules or ask a professional. Our guide to Telegram income and taxes for creators explains the kinds of records that help.

For developers: should you run a program at all?

An affiliate program is not right for every app. Consider waiting if:

• Your margins are thin. If each sale barely covers your costs, sharing part of it with affiliates may leave nothing.
• The app is not ready. Affiliates send you their audience once. If the first experience is broken, those users rarely return, and the affiliates will not promote you again.
• Most of your revenue is not in Stars. If you sell physical products or take payments through other providers, those sales do not earn commission, so affiliates have little reason to join.
• You cannot handle more support. More users mean more questions and more payment issues.

A program tends to make sense when the app already turns a reasonable share of new users into paying ones, sells digital goods for Stars, and could reach more people through channels whose audiences match its users.

Where to share a referral link

The link is a normal Telegram link, so it works anywhere a link can go, as long as the person opens it in Telegram.

• In a channel post explaining the app. This is where most affiliates get results, because the explanation and the link arrive together.
• In a pinned message or a resources post, for apps that fit your channel permanently. See Telegram pinned message examples for how to structure one.
• In your bot, if you joined as a bot and the app complements what your bot does.
• Outside Telegram, such as on a website or in a video description. People who tap it will be taken into Telegram to open the app.

Wherever you share it, put the disclosure next to the link, not at the bottom of a long post.

Questions to ask before promoting an app

Before you put your name behind an app, it is reasonable to ask the developer, or find out yourself:

1. What exactly do users pay for, and how much does it cost in Stars?
2. Is there a free part, so readers can try before paying?
3. How does the app handle refunds and /paysupport requests?
4. Is the app actively maintained?
5. Is there anything my audience should know before using it, such as age limits or regional restrictions?

A developer who answers clearly is more likely to look after the users you send. One who cannot explain what users pay for is a warning sign.

When commission does not appear

Affiliates sometimes see no earnings and assume the program is broken. Usually one of these explains it.

The user was not new to the app

Recognise it: people tell you they bought, but nothing arrives. If they had opened the app before, through another link or directly, they may not count as your referral. There is no fix for past users; promote apps your audience has not already found.

The purchase was not a Stars purchase of digital goods

Recognise it: the app sells several things and some are paid differently. Only Stars purchases of digital goods count. Check what your readers actually bought.

The duration has ended

Recognise it: earnings from early referrals stopped while new ones still arrive. The program's duration limits how long each user earns you commission. Check the terms you joined under.

You are looking at the wrong balance

Recognise it: you joined with your channel but are checking your personal Stars balance, or the other way round. Commission goes to whatever you joined with. Open the Stars section for that channel or bot.

Nobody has paid yet

Recognise it: you can see interest in the comments but no earnings. Opening the app through your link earns nothing until the user pays. Give it time, and if no one ever pays, the app may not suit your audience.

If none of these applies and you have clear evidence that referred users paid, contact the developer through their support and describe what you see.

Common mistakes

For developers

• Starting with terms you cannot sustain. You can only raise them; lowering means ending the program.
• Forgetting that ending a program does not end existing commission periods.
• Expecting affiliates to fix a weak app. If new users do not pay, affiliates earn nothing and leave.
• Ignoring /paysupport. Unhappy referred users reflect badly on you and your affiliates.

For affiliates

• Choosing by commission alone. Relevance and repeat purchases matter more.
• Not disclosing the link.
• Spamming groups with the link.
• Promoting apps you have not tried.
• Using fake or bought users. They do not pay, and the attempt can get your channel reported.
• Paying anyone to join a program.

FAQ

Who can join a Telegram affiliate program?

Users, channels and bots can join as affiliates. The commission goes to whichever one you joined with, as Stars.

How much commission can I earn?

It depends entirely on the program's terms and on how much your referred users spend in Stars during the duration. There is no guaranteed amount.

Can a developer lower the commission after I join?

According to Telegram's developer documentation, commission and duration can only be increased. To lower them, the developer must end the program, and affiliates who joined earlier keep earning until their commission periods end.

Do I earn from physical products sold in a mini app?

No. The programs cover digital goods paid for in Stars. Purchases made with other payment providers, such as for physical items, do not earn commission.

Can I withdraw affiliate earnings as money?

Commission arrives as Stars. Channels and bots that earn Stars have a withdrawal route subject to Telegram's current conditions. Check the rules in Telegram before relying on a payout.

Does joining a program cost anything?

No. Joining a real affiliate program is free and happens inside the Telegram app. Anyone asking for a fee to join is not offering Telegram's program.

Summary

Telegram's built-in affiliate programs let a bot or mini app owner share a set part of Stars revenue with users, channels or bots that bring in new users. Developers choose a commission and an optional duration, which can later only be raised; ending a program stops new affiliates but lets existing ones finish their periods. Affiliates join inside Telegram for free, receive a referral link and earn Stars automatically when referred users buy digital goods in Stars. Choose apps your audience genuinely needs, try them yourself, disclose your link, and ignore any offer that asks for a fee, a login code or bought users.