The Telegram playbook · 2026
Build on Telegram.
The most complete playbook for builders, founders, and operators shipping on Mini Apps, Stars, and the Bot API. Step-by-step. With every link.
Six pillars
Outcomes first. Pick what you're trying to achieve — the right product surface follows.
Get started
New to Telegram? Start here. The basics, the differences with other apps, and the privacy you actually have.
Make money
Every monetization rail: paid posts, channel subs, Stars, ads, affiliate, products.
Grow business
Acquisition, conversion, retention. Ads, cross-promo, funnels, attribution.
Build products
Mini Apps, bots, integrations. Architecture, payments, distribution.
Run operations
Telegram Business, customer support, AI-assisted replies, internal automation.
Stars & TON
In-app currency, gifts, NFT collectibles, the wallet, payment rails.
Discover
What's worth your attention right now — the apps, games, and channels actually moving in 2026.
Reference
API specs, changelogs, glossary, side-by-side comparisons.
Latest dispatches
View all guides →- 001 Apr 26, 2026Field guide
Telegram channels worth following in 2026
A curated, opinionated starting point — by category and by language — for the Telegram channels worth opening regularly in Q2 2026.
12 min - 002 Apr 26, 2026Field guide
The Mini Apps that won (and the ones still winning) — Q2 2026
An opinionated tour of the Telegram Mini Apps actually worth your attention in 2026 — post-airdrop survivors, the new categories, and the boring-essentials nobody talks about.
14 min - 003 Apr 26, 2026Comparison
Channels vs groups vs bots vs Mini Apps — when to use what
A simple decision guide for new Telegram users: the four main surfaces, what each is for, and how to pick the right one in any situation.
7 min - 004 Apr 26, 2026Playbook
Find good channels and stop following bad ones
A practical method for discovering Telegram channels that actually inform you, vetting them quickly, and unfollowing the ones eating your attention without giving anything back.
8 min - 005 Apr 26, 2026Field guide
Privacy on Telegram — what's actually private (and what isn't)
An honest, non-paranoid guide to what Telegram can and can't see, who else can see what, how Secret Chats actually work, and the privacy settings that matter most.
11 min