As of September 1, 2022, advertising on Telegram is no longer a 'gray' market. Now, anyone placing ads must do so legally: transparency, reporting, and most importantly—official labeling is required. Yes, even if you just promoted something with a blogger out of friendship or made a post with a discount on your product—this all falls under the new rules and requirements of Roskomnadzor.
Let’s understand what advertising labeling means on Telegram, why it's needed, how to correctly indicate all mandatory labeling elements, what mistakes are commonly made in advertising labeling on Telegram, and what will happen if you don’t comply. All business—complete with examples, step-by-step instructions, and a rundown of common violations.
What is Advertising Labeling and Why is it Needed?
Labeling is a mandatory mark that lets the user know: they are looking at advertising material. Ideally, advertising labeling on Telegram should be noticeable, understandable, and compliant with the law.
Essentially, this is a way to separate advertising from regular content, increase audience trust, and safeguard all participants in the process: from the advertiser to the owner of the Telegram channel. Since autumn 2022, Federal Law No. 347-FZ has come into effect, which requires advertising labeling on Telegram for any internet advertising. All materials, including ads on Telegram channels, must be labeled.
What is Included in the Labeling?
- Indication that this is advertising (using terms like 'advertising', 'as advertising', etc.).
- A unique identifier (ERID) obtained through an advertising data operator (ADO). It is important to transmit it correctly in the EIR, as well as to know how to read the ERID from an image if necessary.
- Advertiser information (name of the legal entity or individual entrepreneur).
- Indication that the creative itself must be registered and stored in the system.
The advertiser is required to report on each campaign, and all information must be submitted within 30 days. This allows the government to monitor the volume of advertising and the effectiveness of its placement.
The goal is to ensure accountability, transparency, and the ability to track effectiveness. All of this operates within the broader framework of digitization and monitoring online promotion in Russia. Failure to comply with the requirements and label advertisements on Telegram leaves the advertiser or platform owner liable: fines, post blocking, or claims from Roskomnadzor.
Does all advertising in TG require labeling?
Short answer — yes, practically all of it. The law makes no exceptions for Telegram: if you are advertising — it needs to be labeled, regardless of format or conditions.
The following are subject to labeling:
- Paid advertising through Telegram Ads;
- Advertising posts in TG channels by agreement with the blogger or admin;
- Barter — when you send a product to a blogger, and they make a post;
- Mutual promotion — if you promote someone, and they promote you;
- Self-promotion — including posts about your own products, if the channel is registered as a mass media outlet.
The point is: if the post has an advertising goal and benefit — it must be labeled. Even if you just wrote 'guys, we opened a barbershop, come by' — this is already advertising.
What does not require labeling?
- Personal posts without a clear commercial goal;
- Content without signs of promoting goods, services, or brands;
- Discussion of news, if you are not getting paid for it or receiving other benefits.
Criterion one: is there an interest from the author to promote something specific? If yes — there should be a label, ERID, and indication of who the advertiser is.
Telegram Ads Label
If you run ads through the official Telegram Ads platform, the labeling becomes part of the process automatically. The system itself submits the data to the registry via ORD — all you need to do is correctly fill out the advertiser's card and provide the necessary information.
Here's how it works:
- In your Telegram Ads personal account, go to the Manage budget section.
- Navigate to the Info tab.
- At the bottom of the page, find the Advertiser’s legal name field — you need to enter:
- the official name of the legal entity or individual entrepreneur,
- Tax ID,
- other data, if required by the Advertising Data Operator.
After that, Telegram automatically generates and sends the ERID - a unique ad identifier. It is added to the post markup and enters the accounting system.
Important: if you are advertising both through Telegram Ads and through influencer placements, you'll need to do the tagging manually as well, which we will discuss shortly. InTelegram Mini Appsyou can conveniently implement high-engagement advertising.
Tagging in TG channels
If you are advertising directly with the owners of Telegram channels, the responsibility for tagging lies with you (or the channel administrator, if you are the advertiser). This applies to all formats: from regular posts to video clips and stories.
The Telegram system does not participate here, so you will need to obtain the ERID independently through the Advertising Data Operator, properly format the post, and submit all the information to the registry.
Key steps:
- Enter into a contract with the channel owner or an agency.
- Choose an ORD (for example, Vi, Mediascout, AGIMA, etc.).
- Create an advertising campaign and receive a unique ERID.
- Add labeling to the post text: indicate that it is advertising and insert the ERID.
Important: even if you are advertising through barter, simply "for friendship" or for internal bonuses — it is still formally advertising and must be labeled.
Texts
Text posts are one of the most popular formats for promotion on Telegram. This type of content was the starting point for mass checks related to the advertising labeling law in Telegram.
What a correct advertising creative should look like:
- At the very beginning, it must be clearly stated that this is advertising.
- Next, the advertising text is placed in a regular format.
- Note: the advertising label notification must be visible immediately. It cannot be hidden at the end, in hashtags, in images, or behind buttons.
Even if the advertisement is presented 'from the first person' — for example, in the format 'I tried product X, and I liked it' — it is still considered part of the campaign and subject to legal requirements.
What constitutes a violation:
- There is no clear indication that this is advertising;
- The token provided by the impressions tracking system is hidden;
- An attempt to present the advertising creative as a personal opinion without proper formatting;
- Mentioning brands or products without adhering to the regulations set forth in the advertising label law.
Each placement must contain information about the advertiser, as well as the corresponding token — a unique identifier necessary for reporting and passing statistics to official systems. This is part of complying with personal data processing requirements and monitoring advertising activities on Telegram.
All this helps make the market more transparent and allows tracking impressions and the effectiveness of creatives.
Stories
Stories are a format that regulators have questions about too. Even though stories disappear after 24 hours, they still need to be labeled if they have an advertising nature.
What must be indicated:
- The word "advertising" — clearly, in large font. It's better to place it at the top of the stories so it's visible from the first seconds.
- ERID — can be written as text (in the corner, at the bottom) or incorporated into the graphic itself.
- If there are multiple slides in the stories — the label should appear on each one.
Important: placing ERID only in the link or through "Read more" is not allowed — this is considered a violation. All necessary information should be in the body of the stories so that the user sees it immediately.
Video Circles
Video Circles (also known as video avatars or round images) are another format where advertising can be easily disguised. But that's why they attract extra attention.
If the circle includes a mention of a brand, product, promo code, or any other advertising element — it needs to be marked.
What constitutes proper labeling:
- Oral mention in a video — say a phrase like:
«This circle contains advertising for product X. ERID: 2Nz8g6RZPjz». - Text on screen — you can add text directly into the video, at the beginning or during the clip: «Advertising. ERID: …»
- Accompanying text to the circle — it is visible upon clicking. You must also insert a phrase like:«Advertisement. INN: …, ERID: …»
What is not allowed:
- not mentioning that the video is an advertisement;
- placing ERID only in a pinned post or a link;
- hiding information under a cut or in the comments.
Unmarked advertising posts are a direct path to complaints and fines. Even if they're "just for a couple of seconds and just for fun."
Barter
Many still think that if the advertisement is not paid, but done "as a favor" or for a gift, it can be done without marking. Unfortunately, that's not the case.
Barter is still an advertising agreement, just without monetary payment. Therefore, it falls under the law and requires compliance with all formalities: marking, ERID, data transfer to EIRR.
Examples of situations where ERID is needed:
- You sent a product to a blogger — they posted a review;
- The channel promoted an event in exchange for free participation;
- The influencer did a story with a promo code because "you were gifted it."
How to label:
- Get the ERID through your chosen ORD;
- Include the phrase "Advertising. ERID: …" in the text, stories, or video;
- Specify the advertiser (usually — your brand or legal entity).
The payment format doesn't matter. What matters is whether there is a benefit and product advertisement.
Mutual promotion
Mutual promotion is when two channels promote each other by agreement. No money is paid, but audience and reach are exchanged. That means it’s still advertising. And yes, it also needs to be labeled.
What the law says:
If a post has an advertising nature, it must be labeled, regardless of the payment format. Even if it’s just a post exchange — both materials are considered advertising.
What to do:
- Obtain the ERID through the ORD (separately for each post);
- Specify "Advertising. ERID: ..." at the beginning of the text;
- Mention who the advertiser is (if necessary — for example, if the channel is being promoted on behalf of a company).
Example:You run a channel about design. Your friend runs one about marketing. You mention each other in your posts to share subscribers. Formally — this is mutual promotion. And if you don’t label it, you might have a lot of questions coming your way.
Personal recommendations
Now here comes the slippery part. Personal recommendations are when the author speaks from personal experience, seemingly sharing their opinion sincerely: "I use product X, and I'm very satisfied." But if there's a commercial agreement behind it, it’s advertising, and it must be labeled.
The law doesn't care what tone the post is written in – it looks at the facts:
- Was there an advertising message?
- Did the author receive compensation (money, goods, services);
- Is this beneficial for the advertised party?
If even one of the answers is "yes", it's advertising, and it requires:
- phrases like "Sponsored content";
- ERID from ORD;
- indication of the advertiser.
What not to do:
- disguise ads as ‘personal experience’;
- post on behalf of followers, employees, etc. without clear labeling;
- think that ‘life hack from the author’ isn’t advertising just because they were paid for it.
Self-promotion
‘But it’s my channel, why should I label posts about my own product?’ — the most common question from TG channel owners. And it’s a logical one. But the law sees it differently.
If the channel is a media resource and you promote your services, courses, products, projects, etc. through it, it is considered advertising. Even if you aren’t charging yourself for it.
What to do?
- Yes, label it.Indicate that the post is advertising and add ERID.
- Act as an advertiser.In other words, in the ORD card, you are the advertising client, and the channel is the platform.
- Add the necessary details:"Advertisement. ERID: XXXXX. Advertiser: LLC 'Vector'"
When can self-advertising not be labeled?
Only if the channel does not promote goods, services, or third-party projects, and all posts are strictly personal, without commercial intent.
How to label advertising in a Telegram channel: a step-by-step guide
If you are placing ads in a Telegram channel manually—whether it's native ads, stories, a circle, or just a text post—the process is always the same. Here are four steps to help you do everything correctly and avoid penalties.
Step 1. Sign a contract with the advertiser
Even if you agreed verbally—ideally, you need an official contract. This might be:
- classic advertising placement agreement;
- offer, if you're working through an exchange;
- or email correspondence confirming the terms (though that's already on the edge).
This document is necessary to give you the right to transfer data to the ERIR and properly set up your advertising campaign through the operator.
Step 2. Choose an Advertising Data Operator (ADO)
ADO is an intermediary between you and the advertising registry. It helps to:
- register campaigns,
- obtain ERID (unique advertising identifiers),
- maintain reporting.
Currently, there are dozens of ADOs in Russia: Vi, AGIMA, Mediascout, "Digital Technologies", and more. Choose any that is convenient in terms of interface and pricing.
Step 3. Get your ERID and insert it into your ad material
After submitting the information to the ORD, you will receive your ERID — a unique ad identifier. You must insert it into:
- the post text (at the beginning or the end);
- the description for the video reel;
- stories or video — directly in the visuals or voiceover.
Without the ERID, the labeling is considered incomplete. And that's a violation.
Step 4. Submit ad data to the EDIR
The final step — reporting. This is done by the ORD, but you are required to provide it with all the data:
- link to the publication;
- reach;
- placement duration;
- post identifier and others.
This information will be included in the Unified Register of Internet Advertising (ERI), so you'll be covered — both before the FAS and the advertiser.
Examples of correct and incorrect labeling
The theory is good, but in practice, mistakes often happen due to a lack of attention to details. Let's break downhow to label correctly, and what you should absolutely not do.Examples of correct labeling
Text post:
Ad. ERID: 2Nz8g6RZPjz
We tested the new Stories analytics service. Here’s what we found…
— everything follows the format: the word "ad" is present, there's an ERID, and it's placed at the beginning.
Stories:
On the first slide — the inscription:
- "Sponsored. ERID: QqK92la0Dp5"The inscription is readable, contrasting, and doesn’t disappear after 1 second.
- ERID can be duplicated in the description.
- Video circle:
The text on the screen says:
- «This circle contains advertising. ERID: E6sHlgV3Uw1»The voiceover repeats the same in the first half of the video.
- The caption of the circle has a similar note.
- Common mistakes
The label «Advertising» is placed at the end of the post — users may not see it right away.
- The ERID is hidden in a link or a pin — this is a violation; it should be written in plain text.
- The post appears to be a personal opinion, but in reality, it's a native integration without labeling.
- Stories are designed without any markings, even if there are promo codes and brand mentions.
- There is a mention of advertising, but without an ERID — it is considered incomplete labeling.
- It's important to remember:
automated checks are not that frequent yet, but user complaints and manual moderation are effective — there have already been cases of blocks and fines.Risks and consequences of violations
Many still view labeling as a formality: "who will check us?" But that's a mistake. Practice shows that FAS, Roskomnadzor, and the tax authority are seriously taking control of online advertising, and Telegram is no exception.
Here's what can happen if you don't label advertising correctly:
Fines for advertisers and channels
According to the Administrative Offenses Code of the Russian Federation (Article 14.3), violating advertising requirements is an administrative offense.
Fine amounts:
for
- individuals — from 2,000 to 2,500 rubles;for
- officials — from 4,000 to 20,000 rubles;for
- legal entities — from 100,000 to 500,000 rubles.If the violation is repeated, the amount may be even higher.
Blocking posts or entire channels
Platforms and ORD can promptly remove a post if it doesn't meet the requirements. There have already been cases where Telegram content simply disappeared at the request of the regulator.
Tax and regulatory issues
Without labeling, the reporting chain is broken. This can raise questions not only from the FAS but also from the FNS:
on what basis the income was received,
- who paid,
- is there a contract,
- who the advertiser is.
- All of this is grounds for unplanned audits and additional assessments.
Loss of trust from partners and clients
For businesses, operating without labeling poses reputational risks. Clients, especially large ones, are increasingly demanding strict compliance with the law. The lack of transparency is a negative in the eyes of potential partners.
Conclusion
Advertising labeling in Telegram is no longer an option but a mandatory requirement. The law is clear: if you promote something through a post, story, circle, or any other format — indicate that it's an ad, include the ERID, register your campaign through ORD, and follow the process.
At first glance, it may seem complicated. But in practice, it’s enough to figure it out once and set up the process. Moreover, there are now dozens of operators, user-friendly interfaces, and detailed instructions available.
Why is this important:
avoid fines and inspections;
- maintain audience trust;
- scale your promotion in TG with confidence.
- And if you regularly advertise or manage a channel that collaborates with brands — it’s essential to implement labeling into your work as early as possible.
P.S.
If you work with advertising in Telegram and want to understand better how to promote under new conditions — stay updated on Adsgram.ai. We explain how to adapt to legal requirements while maintaining the effectiveness of your advertising campaigns.Advertising Labeling in Telegram: Instructions and Examples
