Telegram scheduling: a bot takes a minute to set up, but runs into broadcast speed

Short answer. API access is granted straight away and without approval — the token is issued by the @BotFather bot. The restrictions start after that: broadcast speed, a bot's file size, and the fact that some of the platform's features are unavailable to a bot.

*Checked 27–28 July 2026. Every statement is backed by links to the platform's documentation.*

Access: no applications, no approval

Bot API is an ordinary HTTP interface. The token is issued automatically by @BotFather, no approval of the application is required, and the token is passed directly in the request address. source

This is the simplest way in of all the platforms we have covered: Instagram needs a professional account and a linked page, TikTok needs an app audit, Viber needs a commercial contract.

Speed: the main restriction

Speed: the main restriction
Where to	Limit
to a single private chat	1 message per second
to a group	20 messages per minute
overall broadcast	about 30 messages per second

source

A bot will send a message to a thousand subscribers in roughly half a minute, and to a hundred thousand in an hour. This is precisely why bulk broadcasts in Telegram are scheduled in advance.

The paid mode raises the limit to 1000 messages per second — at 0.1 Stars per message, but it is not available to everyone: it requires at least 100,000 Stars and 100,000 monthly active users. source

Which means the speed-up is available only to those who already have a large audience.

Sizes: a bot and a human do not get the same ones

A bot sends files up to 50 MB. source
A human — up to 2 GB, and with a Premium subscription up to 4 GB. source

A fortyfold difference. A video you can send by hand without a second thought will not go out through a bot — and that is a platform restriction, not a tool's.

What you can run

Groups of up to 200,000 members, channels — with no limit on the number of subscribers, private chats, stories, video calls. source

How people earn

Sponsored messages in public channels, private messages from subscribers to the channel owner, suggested posts — including paid ones. source

The platform does not disclose its commissions or payout terms. source

What is forbidden

Spam and harassment of users, promotion of violence and illegal goods. For users in the European Union a minimum age is set. source

One thing to note separately: the terms page reached us in German — the language depends on where it is requested from. We collected from Germany, and in another country the text may differ.

About the audience — with no period given

The platform claims more than 1 billion active users, but does not state the period: per day or per month. source

That number cannot be compared with the "monthly active users" of other platforms.

What to do

Set up a bot through @BotFather — it takes a minute, no approval needed.
Do the arithmetic on speed: 30 messages per second means an hour for a hundred thousand subscribers.
Keep files under 50 MB, otherwise the bot will not send them.
Do not count on transparent payout terms: the platform does not publish them.