How to make money with Telegram bots if you're not a programmer?
In 2026, Telegram chatbots are one of the fastest-growing automation and revenue-generating tools. Millions of people earn money both - by creating the bots for themselves to provide useful features for users or developing custom bots for customers and by using referral systems in those projects.
But what if you don't know how to code and don't have an audience to earn from referrals? In this article, we'll answer these questions!
We'll explore the extensive infrastructure of one of the oldest Telegram chatbot builders, present 7 ways to earn money within the project, and, as a bonus, 3 ways to generate lifetime passive income through referrals if you don't have a loyal audience!
Previously, creating a bot required programming knowledge or a monthly subscription to expensive constructors. However, you can launch your own project completely free, without any development experience, and with huge monetization potential.
The powerful no-code constructor @MenuBuilderBot will help with this .
❖ Contents
❖ How to make money with a bot?
❖ How to make money without a bot?
❖ How can I make money with a referral system if I don't have a loyal audience?
❖ List of User-Generated Content (UGC) resources for publishing articles and guides
❖ Why choose MenuBuilderBot?
A distinctive feature of bots created with the @MenuBuilderBot constructor is that it doesn't advertise itself in your bots, doesn't force ads, doesn't force subscriptions to third-party channels, and has no hidden fees. All bots are hosted on servers - absolutely free and with no time limits. This is not a temporary measure, but a principled stance taken by the developers for many years (the constructor has been around since 2018).
And so:
● Launch in 2-3 minutes: you create a full-fledged bot right inside the Telegram interface, without leaving the messenger.
● A bot for 0 USD: basic functionality is completely free and has no time limits! This is the ideal solution for testing ideas and launching a startup without initial capital.
● International scale: the project has been operating since 2018. The built-in Advertisement Market supports messages in 11 languages.
● Maximum support: for beginners there is a huge knowledge base in @MenuBuilderHelpBot, detailed video tutorials on YouTube, there is a documentation website and almost 24/7 technical support, where admins are always in touch.
All you need to get started is an interesting idea, and there are no technical limitations to earning money. Moreover, @MenuBuilderBot's infrastructure allows you to earn income not only from the bots themselves, but also without using bots at all. Furthermore, below we'll look at the ways to earn money using the constructor's referral system - even if you don't yet have a loyal audience!
Now you know where and how to create a bot. It's time to get started. Below, we'll explore 7 ways to start earning real income - with or without your own bot!
This article is about making money, but we still want to emphasize the importance of creating interesting and useful projects that engage you personally and simultaneously help others to simplify their own daily tasks. Making money as a main goal itself is not the best foundation for activity.
❖ How to make money with a bot?
Method 1. Placing ads inside the bot.
If your bot is filled with interesting content and, consequently, a large number of users, people will naturally contact you to place ads. It's all clear and simple.
Method 2. Custom bot creation.
If you master the constructor's functionality, you can create custom no-code bots. And that's a whole new level. The constructor doesn't advertise itself in your bot (this is a matter of principle for the developers), meaning the bot you create can be completely unique, and no one will ever know it was created with no-code constructor. Post ads on freelance portals or other job boards, and encourage your clients to recommend you as a developer to their friends.
Method 3. Optimizing your business.
The bot you create will help to simplify your business's routine tasks. For example, your bot can answer standard user questions and provide necessary information, thereby relieving your operator's workload. Or, using feedback forms, it can provide a user-friendly interface for interacting with clients. While this may not directly generate revenue, it does save time, which can be converted into profit!
Method 4. Earning money on the Shop.
Starting in 2023, the «Shop» feature for online commerce was added to the constructor. The Shop functionality allows you to create your own online stores. If you don't have your own store and don't sell anything, you can earn money by creating stores for others who need them. A "Free Plan" has been added to the Shop, allowing you to master all the necessary features. The Free Plan offers full functionality and no time limits. Come and explore the features.
With this knowledge you can:
● create Shops for both - online and offline businesses.
There are probably small shops in your neighborhood whose owners would like to showcase their products on Telegram. Go to them and tell them about the business opportunities that online commerce offers and the ease of using bots for users.
● You can assist with the creation and train staff (or the owner) to use the Shop's functionality.
● After creation, you can also maintain the Shop you've created, continuing to interact with the customer - adding products or updating data.
Method 5. Earning money on the Advertisement Market (receiving advertisement in a bot).
Passive income in its purest form. We'll tell you more about it...
The MenuBuilderBot constructor system has an Advertisement Market, which allows you to automatically send and receive advertisements in bots created on this platform.
Don't worry - participation in the Advertisement Market is COMPLETELY VOLUNTARY; you won't receive any advertisement unless you choose to. To receive advertising, you must to apply to the Advertisement Market yourself. Receiving advertisement here is more of a privilege that allows you to earn money, than an intrusive necessity like in other projects. 😀
Users will see these ads, and you'll earn a commission. Your only task is to fill the bot with engaging content and attract the first 500 users to connect your bot to the Advertisement Market. That's it - from there, pure passive profit begins! Messages are sent automatically to all bots connected to the Advertisement Market, according to your AD delivery settings.
The Advertisement Market has a flexible ratings system from R1 to R5, so your bot will only receive the ads you believe appropriate.
Furthermore, the creators of the Advertisement Market aren't looking to make money themselves, so up to 80% of the proceeds from orders are distributed to the admins - that's you.
So connect your bot to Advertisement Market and make money from it.
❖ How to make money without a bot?
Method 6. Selling third-party advertising.
Due to the Advertisement Market's enormous size and the almost complete absence of any fee from its creators, advertising prices in the system are very low. Therefore, even by adding 50% to the Market's price, you can still be competitive in the Telegram advertising market. Simply accept orders from groups and freelance platforms and send your own posts through the Advertisement Market, profiting from the price difference! Millions of audiences are at your disposal!
And now the most voluminous topic...
Method 7. Earn money using the Constructor's Global Referral System!
You can earn money with the constructor's referral system, both with and without a bot. You earn income both - from orders placed by advertisers you have invited to the Advertisement Market and from payments made by bot creators within the constructor itself. The constructor's referral system is lifetime. This means there are no time limits - all your referrals remain with you forever (Evergreen referrals) and only accumulate over time.
Go to the Head Bot @MenuBuilderBot, section «Ref. System» to find out your referral link.
Earn money without a bot by promoting the Advertisement Market itself
This is your option if you are not interested in creating bots, but still want to earn passive income.
Let us remind you once again, because this is important - bot owners VOLUNTARILY enable advertising and receive a reward for it (the constructor gives up to 80% of the advertising cost as a reward), that means, the advertisement is NOT forced into the bots and does not irritate the bot owners.
With the Advertisement Market referral program, you receive 10% of all orders in the first week and 5% for life - as long as your account exists.
Advertisers receive a 5% discount on all orders in the first week if they click your link (the discount starts from the first order, not the click).
For a detailed «Advertisement Market Referral Program Guide», click the link.
Earnings (with or without a bot) - by promoting the @MenuBuilderBot constructor itself
You receive a lifetime percentage of your referrals' transactions. Current reward amounts and specific terms can be found in the Referrals section of the constructor's Head Bot or in the «Guide to the Global Referral System of Constructor». At the time of writing, referral system rewards are already quite generous – starting at 5% and reaching 25% (on a regular basis) and 10% to 30% (during various promotions, such as the Constructor's Birthday).
If you have a loyal audience:
If you have a bot, you can simply tell your users about the constructor by posting your referral link. It's simple.
If you are a blogger on Telegram, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, or you have a large audience on other social networks, you already know what you can do:
● a brief analysis of users' "pain" + a solution in the form of a created product
● a project test, a description of real pros/cons and showing screenshots of the interface
● integration into the collection: a post in the style of "TOP-5 tools for a no-code developer this year"
We're planning some exciting offers for bloggers with an audience ("Influencers"). If you want to speed up the process, have your own suggestions, or even experience in this area, please contact the Constructor's support team: @MenuBuilderSupportBot.
What if you don't have an audience? We'll cover this huge topic in the following bonus chapter.
❖ How can I make money with a referral system if I don't have a loyal audience?
What are the ways to promote referral system and generate lifetime passive income if you're not a media personality, a well-known blogger, and don't have a dedicated audience, but have some free time? You too have a huge field of activity! Here, we won't discuss options that require investment, such as direct ads broadcasts with your referral link (although this is also possible, including through the Advertisement Market itself). In this chapter, we'll look at free promotion methods that utilize the basic mechanics of search engines and the automated promotion algorithms of media platforms.
WARNING: It's important to understand that some media platforms prohibit direct advertising and the publication of referral links. This is because spammers will otherwise turn these platforms into useless junk. When working with these platforms, there are specific rules and conditions that must be followed. Before publishing, be sure to familiarize yourself with the rules and restrictions of each platform. Do not violate the rules of the platforms on which you publish your materials.
Short video creation (Shorts, Reels, TikToks)
TikTok posts or short videos on YouTube, Instagram, etc., with short guides on how to create a bot in 5 minutes or specific case studies related to your industry, with your referral link. These platforms have their own promotion algorithms and do some of the work for you.
IMPORTANT: These platforms are moderating links. For Instagram, the legal way to provide a clickable link is only in your profile bio: you can add one or more active links in your account description. In videos itself (Reels) or posts, you can include a call-to-action: "Link to the bot in the profile bio". On TikTok, a clickable link to a video is only available from 1000 subscribers; links in comments are automatically converted to text.
It's best not to place direct referral links in TikTok and Instagram video descriptions. Instead, include them in the QR code within the video itself. You should also have a "business card page", your own Telegram bot, or a simple "landing page", such as one on an Open Text Platform (see below), where you can officially post examples of your work, additional instructions, and bonus materials with referral links.
Here's an example video on:
● YouTube https://youtube.com/shorts/BjgkwAtK6Rw
● TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@menubuilderbottiktok/video/7669869564796194068
● Instagram https://www.instagram.com/reel/DbuwEmrx214/
And here are the materials from the constructor itself - videos, audio tracks, and texts:
https://t.me/MenuBuilderHelpBot?start=mb11216
You can simply overlay captions (titles) in your language and a QR-Code with your referral link in the video itself, add your description, and you already have ready-made content for publication!
Publishing on Open Text Platforms
The easiest way is to post your materials on Open Text Platforms. They come in both anonymous and non-anonymous varieties. Here, you can post any of your materials; they don't moderate content, and advertising and referral links are allowed.
It's IMPORTANT to understand that such pages, on their own, are less indexed by search engines and carry less weight in search results. Therefore, it's best to have at least one external link pointing to the page containing your publication (including from TikTok, Instagram, or a full-fledged article (see below)), to make it easier for search engines to find your page. Such pages are best used as "landing pages" or "business card pages" (as in the example above), as well as an external source for the links in publications on large UGC resources with strict moderation (see below).
To summarize, in videos and full articles, you provide basic information with a standard external link to additional materials, while in articles on Open Text Platforms, you include examples of your work, instructions, and those additional materials with referral links.
Anonymous text platforms
● Telegraph (https://telegra.ph/) (may not be directly accessible) The service is completely loyal to any links. It is indexed well by search engines.
● Graph (https://graph.org/) is a complete copy of the original Telegraph. It has the same indexing properties and does not prohibit the placement of referral links.
● Write As (https://write.as/) is a minimalist platform for confidential blogging. You can write texts without creating an account, links are published without restrictions. It is indexed by search engines, but has weak search weight compared to Telegraph.
Micro-blog, Notepad platforms
● Teletype (https://teletype.in/) - a Telegraph analogue with an advanced visual editor. It allows you to publish articles for free, supports responsive layout, and does not block links unless they violate the law.
● Rentry (https://rentry.org/) - an ultra-lightweight service for publishing notes with Markdown support. Registration is not required.
● Notion (https://www.notion.com/) - you can write an article in Notion and share the page on the web. Search robots index Notion public pages.
Publishing an article or review on UGC (User-Generated Content) resources
A text-based review post or article on relevant User-Generated Content (UGC) resources (see lists below) in the "no-code/low-code" sections of the topic, featuring functionality analysis or case studies (with your referral link). These articles have been around for years and are indexed by search engines, which will then direct to you a relevant audience through your referral link.
Your advantage is your language!
Write articles in your native language, on your local social media and technical blogs covering no-code and low-code topics. Competing for an audience in the English-language internet can be challenging, but in regional sectors, your article has a high chance of making it to the top of search engine rankings!
Lengthy articles aren't necessary - the key is to make them useful and understandable!
Writing your own review.
Even if you're not yet fully familiar with the Constructor, you can always write an article or review on the following topics:
● "My First Experience Creating a Bot"
● "My First Bot"
● "My First Experience Developing a No-Code Telegram Bot".
In your post, you can describe how you got started with the Constructor and bot creation in general, what was difficult, what was easy, how you solved the problems that arose, and the final result. This type of topic is sure to resonate with the audience, as there are always newcomers to no-code development who are interested in other people's experiences and new development tools.
If you're already familiar and comfortable using the Constructor, you can even write your own guide on a particular topic (what problem you solved and how) and build a relevant audience.
Translation of existing articles or manuals.
Not everyone is ready to write article from scratch... For such cases, there is a huge amount of ready-made materials! Create translations of existing manuals and articles into your native language. Post them on search-indexed User-Generated Content (UGC) text platforms in YOUR region (see the list below).
Let's reiterate the point: there's a lot of competition in the English-language internet, while in the regional sectors - in your native language - your article is highly likely to be promoted in search engines!
● For example, you can simply translate THIS article into your native language (adding the necessary specifics for your region or cutting out what you consider irrelevant).
● You can split this article into several thematic notes, expand on each point in more details, and publish them separately.
● Here's another good example of articles («Bot in 3 Minutes - Quick Start») for beginners that can be translated directly on the website, corrected translation inaccuracies, and you already have ready-made material!
User-Generated Content (UGC) publishing - where authors can register and submit their articles for free - is available on a variety of international platforms (see below).
❖ List of User-Generated Content (UGC) resources for publishing articles and guides
REMINDER: Large media platforms often prohibit direct advertising and the publication of referral links. Therefore, when working with them, there are specific rules and regulations that must be followed, so be sure to familiarize yourself with the rules and restrictions of each platform before publishing. Furthermore, publishing on Asian and African resources (in addition to the language) may require knowledge of local moderation practices and registration using local phone numbers. Do not violate the rules of the platforms on which you publish your materials.
Below is a fairly large list of UGC resources, divided by geographic region, with links. Some have language restrictions (perhaps due to audience preferences) or regional phone number restrictions. You can select a region (other than English) that is more familiar to you in terms of language and culture.
1. English-language resources (US / EU / Global)
Global platforms with huge reach, where you can publish longreads for free.
● Medium (https://medium.com/) - international blogging platform. Referral links are allowed. For IT topics, it is best to send your text to large internal medium communities (Publications), for example, "Towards Data Science" or "Plain English".
● HackerNoon (https://hackernoon.com/) - a huge IT resource. Accepts high-quality technical reviews, guides and software analytics from independent authors after pre-moderation.
● DEV Community (https://dev.to/) - an open community of developers (similar to Habr, but without strict moderation). Articles about design and automation.
● Indie Hackers (https://www.indiehackers.com/) - a forum and blogging platform for creators of independent IT projects and no-code solutions. Reviews of business tools.
● Product Hunt (Discussions) (https://www.producthunt.com/) - in addition to launching the products themselves, the platform has a section for discussions and stories where you can post selections of the best tools.
2. Russian-language resources (CIS / RU)
In addition to the well-known Habr and VC, reviews of bots and automation are doing well on marketing and webmaster platforms.
● Habr (https://habr.com/) is the main IT platform. Reviews of bot constructors are popular here.
● VC.ru (https://vc.ru/) is an ideal place for business-oriented reviews (marketing, autofunnels, integrating bots into CRM).
● Cyberleninka / Scientific Articles (https://cyberleninka.ru/) - (conditionally specialized) if the review is designed as a full-fledged study of the market or technologies.
● Tproger (https://tproger.ru/) is a publication about development. They have an "Experience" section or guest publications, where materials about no-code/low-code bots do well.
● Cossa (https://www.cossa.ru/) is a specialized resource about digital marketing. Creating autofunnels in Telegram.
● Pikabu (https://pikabu.ru/) - referral links are allowed, but the post must be original, unique, and provide real value (for example, an honest review or a detailed guide).
● Boosty (https://boosty.to/) - if you make a post open (free for everyone), it becomes available for reading from the internet. There are no restrictions on referral links for open posts.
3. Asian resources (China, South Korea, Japan)
Local platforms that replace the global Medium are popular in Asia. Publishing there often requires translation into the local language.
● Qiita (https://qiita.com/) (Japan) is the largest Japanese platform for engineers and programmers. Translating your article into Japanese will attract excellent targeted traffic.
● Zenn (https://zenn.dev/) (Japan) is a modern and very popular analogue of Qiita for publishing IT guides, no-code manuals, and software reviews.
● CSDN (https://www.csdn.net/) (China) is a giant Chinese network for developers (the Chinese Habr). Articles about bots and AI automation are extremely relevant here.
● Juejin / GoldX (https://juejin.cn/) (China) is a community popular among young Chinese developers and no-code specialists for publishing technology articles and reviews.
● Velog (https://velog.io/) (South Korea) - a minimalist blogging platform for Korean developers and IT enthusiasts. Suitable for publishing reviews in Korean.
4. Middle East (MENA)
The region is actively digitalizing, but there are still few purely content-based UGC platforms here; IT communities more often communicate in English or use Linkedin. Nevertheless, there are key media outlets:
● Wamda (https://www.wamda.com/) is a leading platform for IT startups and entrepreneurs in the Middle East (operates in Arabic and English). It accepts guest expert reviews of business automation tools.
● Arabnet (https://www.arabnet.me/) is a large hub covering web technologies and the digital market in the MENA region. It is suitable for publishing analytical reviews of the bot market.
5. Far East / Southeast Asia
Countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam tend to use English for IT coverage and are aggregated on major regional media outlets.
● Tech in Asia (https://www.techinasia.com/) is the leading technology media outlet in Southeast Asia. They have a blog platform (UGC) where registered users can post their reviews and thoughts on technology.
● e27 (https://e27.co/) is Asia's most powerful IT platform (based in Singapore). It allows authors to write columns and review business optimization services.
● Kaskus (https://www.kaskus.co.id/) (Indonesia) is the oldest, largest, and iconic online forum in Indonesia. It is often called the "Indonesian Reddit".
● Blockdit (https://www.blockdit.com) (Thailand) - in the Thai segment of the Internet, it has a reputation as a high-quality blogging platform for longreads.
● Viblo (https://viblo.asia) (Vietnam) - the main IT platform in Vietnam. It is an absolute analogue of Habr or Dev.to for Vietnamese developers. Good for publishing analyses of automation platforms and no-code bots.
● Tinhte (https://tinhte.vn/) (Vietnam) - the largest technology social network and forum in Vietnam. Real-life cases are more successful here: "How I automated my business without code" or "Instructions for creating a bot for Telegram/Zalo in 15 minutes".
● Lowyat.NET (https://www.lowyat.net/) (Malaysia) - Malaysia's largest digital ecosystem. The Lowyat Forum is the main platform for discussing the internet, technology, software, and business in the country.
● Amanz (https://amanz.my) - the leading technology media in the Malay language. It started as a blog with tutorials and has now grown into a large portal.
6. Africa
Most African IT specialists, no-code developers, and marketers use Medium and LinkedIn Articles, but promote their articles through local communities. To get published here, you need to send a finished text or pitch to the editors. They readily accept reviews of no-code tools for business automation.
● TechCabal (https://techcabal.com/) (Nigeria / Pan-Africa) is the main and most influential IT media on the continent. They write about technology, startups, and digital business. They have sections for expert opinions and guest software reviews.
● Disrupt Africa (https://disrupt-africa.com/) (South Africa / Pan-Africa) is a powerful resource covering the ecosystem of startups and IT solutions across the continent. An ideal place to review tools that help small and medium businesses (SMEs) automate processes.
● Ventureburn (https://ventureburn.com/) (South Africa) - a large portal about the digital economy and IT innovations. Accepts high-quality guest articles from developers and marketers.
● Techpoint Africa (https://techpoint.africa/) (Nigeria) - one of the largest media outlets about technology in West Africa. Focuses on how IT tools are changing life and business on the continent. Bot constructors are a very clear and relevant topic for them.
More open platforms for developers and a no-code community aimed directly at product creators.
● Devcenter Square (https://www.devcenter.co/) (Nigeria) - a large community of African developers. Initially, this is a hub for finding talent and communicating, but they also maintain their own blog and publish guides on automation and no-code solutions.
● Smarter Communities / iHub (https://ihub.co.ke/) (Kenya) - a legendary tech hub in Nairobi, Kenya, often referred to as the "Silicon Savannah". Their ecosystem and media resources regularly publish reviews of technology trends and automation tools.