Telegram released a major update on August 25, 2026, adding welcome messages for groups and channels, programmable buttons inside rich messages, inline documents and comments on collectible gifts bought through Telegram Marketplace.
For channel owners, the most immediate change is the welcome message. It creates a private onboarding space for each new member without adding another post to the public feed. Interactive buttons go further, but they require bot development and should not be confused with a new advertising format.
Welcome messages give every new member a private starting point
A group or channel owner can now prepare a welcome pack that appears only to people who join. Existing members do not see it in the chat. The pack can contain multiple messages, media and the same rich formatting Telegram introduced in July, including tables and inline media.
Telegram says owners can set it up without a bot. Open the group or channel profile, select Edit > Welcome Message, then compose the messages that a newcomer should receive.
This makes several common onboarding tasks easier to combine in one place: explain what the channel publishes, show where to find key resources, state group rules, or point a new subscriber toward a first action. A software community, for example, could welcome a member with a short overview, an attached setup guide and links to its support group and release channel.
The feature is especially relevant after paid acquisition. An ad can set the initial promise, while the welcome pack can confirm what the new member will receive and where to begin. The two messages should match. A broad ad promise followed by a dense rulebook is likely to create friction even if the new tool itself works as intended.
Buttons inside messages can run surveys, quizzes and automated flows
Telegram now lets developers place multiple buttons directly inside a rich message. The company lists surveys, games, quizzes, product browsing and ordering as possible uses. These messages can be posted in groups and channels, where many users can interact with the same message independently.
Buttons can also work with ephemeral messages, which are visible only to a specific user and the bot. This allows one shared post to open different private steps for different people without filling the public chat with bot replies.
The distinction between the two headline features matters. A channel owner can create a standard welcome message from Telegram's interface. Building an interactive button flow requires code and the Bot API. Telegram's Bot API 10.3, dated August 24, added dedicated button classes for rich messages and expanded ephemeral-message behavior.
For marketers, these buttons could reduce the number of separate posts or external pages needed for a simple interaction. A welcome flow might ask a member to choose a topic, then show the appropriate guide or bot action privately. That is a hypothetical use case, not a performance claim. Telegram has not published conversion benchmarks for the format.
Documents and music can now sit inside text blocks
Telegram's rich text editor now supports documents, general files and music placed within the body of a message. Previously introduced rich-message options already included headings, lists, tables, quotations, photos and videos. The August update extends that system beyond visual media.
For publishers, this can make a detailed post more coherent. A report can place its spreadsheet beside the paragraph that explains it, while a music channel can position an audio file next to the relevant note.
The existing MangoAds guide to Telegram text formatting covers the broader formatting workflow.
Telegram also added a compatibility placeholder for people using an outdated app. If their client cannot render a new feature, they will see an update prompt instead of the unsupported content. Channel teams should still preview important posts on their main mobile and desktop clients before publishing.
Signed Marketplace gifts are a smaller but more personal change
Users buying rare upgraded gifts from another person through Telegram Marketplace can now add a signature and a comment. The purchase still uses Telegram Stars. Telegram presents this as a way to personalize a collectible gift at the time it is sent.
This feature has less direct impact on advertising or channel operations than welcome messages and buttons, but it continues Telegram's effort to add context and identity to its digital-gift marketplace.
What channel owners and advertisers should test
Channel owners can start with the no-code feature: create a short welcome pack, check it from a new account and keep the first action clear. The message should answer why the person joined and what to do next, rather than repeat the channel description.
Teams with bot-development resources can then prototype one narrow button flow. Track the relevant callback events in the bot's own system and preserve campaign attribution when the flow sends a user to a website or another Telegram destination.
Our subscriber and conversion tracking guide explains how to separate channel joins, bot starts, leads and purchases.
The update improves what happens after a person reaches a channel or group. It does not change how ads are bought. Telegram did not announce new ad targeting, pricing, placement rules or reporting with this release. Advertisers using MangoAds can continue to run CPM campaigns across Telegram channels, while treating welcome messages and bot flows as destination-side tools that may improve onboarding after the click or subscription.
Telegram has also not announced a native dashboard for welcome-message views or button conversions. Developers can receive bot interaction events, but channel owners should not assume that every new interaction comes with ready-made analytics.
Timeline
- July 14, 2026: Telegram introduces its visual rich text editor and ephemeral bot messages in groups.
- August 24, 2026: Bot API 10.3 adds rich-message button classes, inline document support and new welcome-message administrator rights.
- August 25, 2026: Telegram announces welcome messages, buttons inside messages, inline files and music, app-update placeholders and signed Marketplace gifts.
