Adsun

How to identify misleading CPM claims when comparing advertising networks

Warning signs of misleading CPM claims — ‘up to’ rates, top-country cherry-picking, gross vs net, missing fill rate and undisclosed IVT deductions — and the questions to ask.

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Sparkly price tag inspected by a magnifying glass revealing hidden fine print and a warning sign
Sparkly price tag inspected by a magnifying glass revealing hidden fine print and a warning sign

Content owner: Adsun Editorial & Ad Operations Team · Last verified:

Quick answer

Identify misleading CPM claims by checking whether the number is an ‘up to’ maximum, comes from the best countries or formats only, is gross before revenue share and IVT deductions, ignores fill rate, or has no stated period and sample. Ask for net eCPM and fill rate per country and format on traffic like yours, then verify with a split test — revenue per 1,000 requests on your own traffic is the only reliable comparison.

Key takeaways

  • ‘Up to’ CPM is a ceiling, not an expectation.
  • Gross ≠ net: revenue share and IVT reduce payouts.
  • CPM without fill rate is half the picture.
  • Trust your own split test over marketing.

Warning signs

  • “Up to $X CPM” with no average or median.
  • Rates from top-tier countries presented as global.
  • Advertiser CPM shown instead of publisher eCPM.
  • No fill rate, period, sample or format stated.
  • Deductions for IVT not mentioned.
  • Guaranteed earnings promises.

Questions to ask

  • Is this net publisher eCPM after revenue share?
  • Which countries, formats and dates?
  • What fill rate accompanied it?
  • How much IVT was deducted on similar traffic?
  • Can I run a 2–4 week split test?

Where Adsun fits

  • Publisher side: Reward, Interstitial and Task ad blocks for Telegram Mini Apps, plus bot placements via a server-side snippet.
  • Advertiser side: Network campaigns and Native Ads (media, inline ads, channel posts and bot messages).
  • Safety: server-to-server Reward URL; onReward fires after server verification. Debug mode is not billed.
  • Controls & reporting: time between ads and daily limits per block; platform, block and country reports and an SDK health panel.
  • Status: Adsun is an independent network, not Telegram’s official advertising platform. Commercial terms are shown in the account.

Metric definitions and formulas

CPM
Cost per mille: what an advertiser pays for 1,000 ad impressions.CPM = (Ad spend ÷ Impressions) × 1,000
CPC
Cost per click: average price an advertiser pays for one click.CPC = Ad spend ÷ Clicks
CTR
Click-through rate: the share of impressions that produced a click.CTR = (Clicks ÷ Impressions) × 100%
eCPM
Effective CPM: what a publisher earns per 1,000 impressions, whatever the pricing model.eCPM = (Publisher earnings ÷ Impressions) × 1,000
Fill rate
The share of ad requests that returned an ad.Fill rate = (Filled ad requests ÷ Total ad requests) × 100%

More terms in the glossary and the advertising metrics guide.

Worked example

Hypothetical example — not real Adsun data

A Mini App sends 200,000 ad requests in a day. 170,000 return an ad (fill rate = 170,000 ÷ 200,000 = 85%). The publisher earns $255 for those impressions (eCPM = 255 ÷ 170,000 × 1,000 = $1.50). 2,550 users click (CTR = 2,550 ÷ 170,000 = 1.5%). Use the same formulas on your own dashboard numbers to compare networks fairly.

Adsun measurement methodology

Adsun counts an impression when an ad is rendered in a publisher block, a click when the user opens the ad destination, and a reward only after the server-to-server Reward URL confirms completion. Debug-mode traffic is excluded from billing and reports. Metrics are shown per platform, block and country in the partner and advertiser dashboards. Adsun does not publish aggregate network benchmarks in this guide; any number below marked “Hypothetical” is illustrative only. See the SDK documentation for integration details.

About Adsun

Adsun is a Telegram advertising network operated by Adsun. Products: Rewarded ads, Interstitial ads, Task ads, Native ads. Platforms: Telegram Mini Apps, Telegram bots, Telegram channels. Learn more about Adsun.

Frequently asked questions

Why is advertised CPM higher than what I earn?

Advertised figures are often gross, top-country or maximum values; your net eCPM depends on your traffic, fill and deductions.

Does Adsun publish CPM benchmarks?

No. Adsun shows your own metrics per platform, block and country rather than marketing averages.

Sources

Update log

  • 2026-10-18: First published. Competitor features are described by category only; verify each network’s current documentation.
Compare fill rate, eCPM, terms & IVTA fair method for Telegram publishers to compare ad networks: fill rate, eCPM, revenue per 1,000 requests, payment terms and invalid-traffic policies, with formulas and a worked hypothetical example.Transparent reporting checklistThe data a transparent Telegram ad network should publish: metric definitions, counting methodology, segment-level reports, IVT filtering and deductions, data freshness, exports and change logs.How to choose a Telegram ad networkAn 8-point checklist for choosing a third-party Telegram advertising network: formats, SDK, reward verification, controls, reporting, demand, terms and two-sided tools.Ad network comparisonA neutral checklist for choosing a Telegram ad network for Mini Apps and bots: formats, SDK, reward verification, bot ads, reporting and payout terms.