What is the difference between a Lottie JSON and a .tgs file?

A .tgs is a gzipped Lottie JSON carrying a tgs:1 marker, restricted to a subset of Lottie features. Renaming a JSON to .tgs does not work: it has to be compressed, tagged, and free of features Telegram does not support.

Can I convert an After Effects animation?

Export it to Lottie JSON with Bodymovin first, then convert. Telegram's limits on canvas size, frame rate and duration still apply and are reported.

Is there a size limit?

64 KB after compression, a hard limit. If the file is over it, the animation itself has to get simpler: fewer points, fewer keyframes, shorter duration.

Free · Inside Telegram

Convert Lottie JSON to TGS

Q: Why is my converted file still rejected?

Conversion alone does not remove unsupported features. Gradient strokes, alpha and track mattes and a size over 64 KB will still be refused, which is why the file is checked as well as converted.

Renaming a .json to .tgs does not work, and that is where most people start. A TGS is a gzipped Lottie carrying a tgs:1 marker — and Telegram allows a shorter list of features than Lottie does. Send the JSON, get back a file that is converted and checked.

Convert my file → What is a TGS, exactly?

What a .tgs actually is

Three things separate it from a plain Lottie export. Two are mechanical; the third is where files get refused.

1 · Gzipped

The JSON is compressed. An uncompressed file with a .tgs extension is not a TGS and will not be read.

2 · Tagged `tgs:1`

A marker at the top level saying the animation was made for Telegram. Generic exporters leave it out — the file is valid Lottie and invalid TGS at the same time.

3 · A narrower feature set

No gradient strokes, no alpha or track mattes, at most 512×512, 60 fps, three seconds, and 64 KB after compression. Anything beyond it is refused without explanation.

Converted and checked

Conversion alone gets you a valid container with invalid contents. Our bot does both: it converts, and it tells you which features would still be refused — repairing the ones that can be repaired.

Coming from After Effects

Export to Lottie JSON with Bodymovin, then convert. The usual surprise is that Bodymovin happily writes constructs Telegram does not accept — gradient strokes above all. Those are converted into filled outlines that look the same, so you do not have to redraw anything.

The limits that cannot be worked around live in your composition: canvas size, frame rate and duration. Those are reported by name, so you know exactly what to change rather than guessing at a silent rejection.

Already have a .tgs that gets refused?

Then conversion is not your problem — see why @Stickers rejects a TGS file for the four causes and which of them can be repaired automatically.

FAQ

Can I just rename my .json to .tgs?

No. It has to be gzipped and carry the tgs:1 marker, and it still has to stay inside Telegram's feature subset.

Why is my converted file still rejected?

Conversion does not remove unsupported features. Gradient strokes, mattes and anything over 64 KB will still be refused — which is why the file is checked as well.

What are the hard limits?

512×512, up to 60 fps, up to three seconds, 64 KB after compression.

Does it cost anything?

The check is free and so is your first repair. After that it is a few Telegram Stars per file.

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