Partnership ads
- Also called Branded content ads
- Updated October 31, 2026
Partnership ads are Meta ads an advertiser runs with a partner, such as a creator, a brand or another business, with the partner's account, the advertiser's or both in the header. They run on Instagram, Facebook and, since September 2026, WhatsApp Status. Meta used to call them branded content ads. The partner grants permission for one post, often with an ad code, or for the whole account.
How does Meta define partnership ads?
Meta's page About Partnership Ads on Instagram and Facebook opens with the rename, "Branded content ads are now called partnership ads", and defines the format:
Partnership ads allow advertisers to run ads with partners: creators, brands and other businesses. The partner and/or advertiser accounts are featured in the ad's header and the ads leverage signals from both accounts for improved ranking and incremental performance.
The header is a setting. Meta's how-to article offers "both identities, the first identity only in the header, or dynamic identity", and adds: "Note: Dynamic identity is turned on by default." WhatsApp Status is the exception, since it "does not support dynamic identity or a single identity, so both identities are always displayed in the header."
Partnership ads have their own placement list, per Instagram's placements page: Instagram Feed, Web Feed, Explore Feed, Explore Grid, Stories and Reels; Facebook Feed, Stories, Reels and Marketplace; and WhatsApp Status. The ad doesn't show on the creator's profile, but "The ad will be listed in the Ad Library" (see Meta Ad Library).
What permission does an advertiser need?
Permission from the partner whose account appears on the ad. Meta's page About Partnership Ad Permissions says "There are 2 types of partnership ad permissions: content-level and account-level."
| Permission | What Meta says it covers |
|---|---|
| Content-level | "an individual post, story or reel", shared with a partnership ad code or the "Allow brand partner to boost" toggle |
| Account-level | Ads "from a partner's handle without pre-existing content", the partner's posts that tag the advertiser, and the partner's custom audience |
A creator makes a code under "Partnership label & ads" on Instagram, and "Ad codes can be used by up to 2 partners at a time." Meta gives the code no expiry date. Turning the toggle off stops new ads, while "Any active ads using the code will continue running." Meta partnership ads and TikTok Spark Ads has the steps, the eligibility rules and how these codes compare with TikTok's.
Are partnership ads the same as branded content?
Not the organic kind. Meta's how-to says "Partnership ads are not the same as organic branded content." For a creator to tag a brand with the paid partnership label on an ordinary post, the brand grants a second permission: "you'll need to grant them permission separately from partnership ads permissions." Branded content ads, the paid version, are what Meta now calls partnership ads. Instagram's eligibility page applies the same rules to both, and partnership ads need "public content" on a professional account.
What it means for your ads
- Check the creator's post before asking for a code. Meta's eligible formats page rules out reels with "Music from the Instagram music library", "Product tags" or a "Face/camera effect", and reels published "before October 15, 2021."
- Agree the usage window in writing. Meta's advertiser page says permissions "don't set compensation or transfer ownership of content," and that "Separate agreements may define the scope, duration, exclusivity, compensation or other terms of the relationship."
- For an ongoing partnership, ask for account-level permission so new posts don't each need a code. Advertisers send the request from Creator Marketing Hub, which some Meta pages still call Partnership Ads Hub.
- Plan for ad review. Meta says the ad "will be reviewed by Meta and you'll be notified when it's been approved."
Common mistakes
- Treating the code as a time limit. Meta sets none: the creator ends it, and live ads keep running until someone stops them.
- Mixing it up with TikTok's Spark Ads code, which lasts 7, 30, 60 or 365 days.
- Expecting both names in every header. Dynamic identity is on by default, and Meta says it picks "what is predicted to perform best."
Sources
- About Partnership Ads on Instagram and Facebook — Meta Business Help Center (accessed October 31, 2026)
- How to Create a Partnership Ad: Error #2446986 — Meta Business Help Center (accessed October 31, 2026)
- About Partnership Ad Permissions — Meta Business Help Center (accessed October 31, 2026)
- About partnership ad permissions for advertisers — Meta Business Help Center (accessed October 31, 2026)
- Manage account-level permissions for partnership ads in Partnership Ads Hub — Meta Business Help Center (accessed October 31, 2026)
- Create a partnership ad code to share with partners — Instagram Help Center (accessed October 31, 2026)
- Supported objectives and placements for partnership ads — Instagram Help Center (accessed October 31, 2026)
- Eligible formats for partnership ads — Instagram Help Center (accessed October 31, 2026)
- Eligibility requirements for partnership ads and branded content on Instagram and Facebook — Instagram Help Center (accessed October 31, 2026)
Meta revises these pages without notice, so check the source before relying on a quote.
Terrads makes video ads where a person you make once talks to camera, to run from your brand's own account.