Instagram advertising is managed through Meta Ads Manager — the same platform used for Facebook ads. To run Instagram ads, you need an active Meta ad account connected to your Business Manager. You do not create a separate "Instagram ad account" — instead, you create a Meta ad account that can serve ads on both Facebook and Instagram (and across other Meta properties). This guide explains how to create that ad account and configure it correctly for Instagram advertising.
Why It Matters
Without an ad account, you are limited to boosting individual posts from within the Instagram app — a simplified and less powerful option that gives you minimal control over targeting, creative, and optimization. A full Meta ad account, accessible through Ads Manager, unlocks professional-level campaign tools: custom audiences, lookalike audiences, detailed placement controls, A/B testing, conversion tracking, and much more.
Creating and properly configuring your ad account from the start also prevents common problems like mismatched currency settings (which cannot be changed later), billing issues, and access permission problems that slow down campaign launches.
What You Need Before You Start
You need a Meta Business Manager account. If you have not created one yet, follow the steps at /en/blog/create-facebook-business-manager. You must be an Admin of the Business Manager to create a new ad account. Have your business name, country, currency, and time zone ready — these are set during ad account creation and cannot be changed later. You will also need a valid payment method to run ads (credit card, debit card, or PayPal, depending on your country).
Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1: Log Into Meta Business Manager
Go to business.facebook.com and log in with the Facebook account that is an Admin of your Business Manager.
Step 2: Open Business Settings
Click the gear icon in the lower left sidebar to open Business Settings.
Step 3: Navigate to Ad Accounts
In the Business Settings left sidebar, under Accounts, click Ad accounts. You will see a list of any ad accounts already connected to your Business Manager.
Step 4: Click "Add" and Choose "Create a New Ad Account"
Click the blue Add button. A dropdown will appear with three options:
- Add an ad account — to add an existing ad account using its ID
- Request access to an ad account — to request management access to someone else's account
- Create a new ad account — to start fresh
Click Create a new ad account.
Step 5: Enter the Ad Account Name
Type a descriptive name for your ad account. Use something clear that identifies the business and purpose, such as "Acme Corp — Instagram Ads" or "Brand Name — Main Ad Account". A clear name becomes important if you ever manage multiple ad accounts.
Step 6: Choose Your Time Zone
Select the time zone for your business. This affects when your daily ad budget resets and how your campaign scheduling is interpreted. Choose your local time zone or the time zone where your primary target audience is located. This setting cannot be changed after the ad account is created.
Step 7: Choose Your Currency
Select the currency for billing. Your ad account will be billed in this currency for all campaigns. Choose carefully — this setting cannot be changed after creation. If you are unsure, use the currency that matches your primary bank account or credit card to avoid conversion fees.
Step 8: Click "Create Ad Account"
Click the Create or Create ad account button to finalize the account. The ad account will be created immediately and added to your Business Manager.
Step 9: Assign People to the Ad Account
After creation, Business Manager will prompt you to assign people to the new ad account. Add yourself (if not already included as the creator) and any team members who need access. Assign each person an appropriate role:
- Admin: Full control of the ad account, including billing
- Advertiser: Can create and manage campaigns but cannot access billing
- Analyst: Read-only access to view ad performance data
Step 10: Add a Payment Method
Go to Ads Manager (adsmanager.facebook.com), click the account menu in the top left to select your new ad account, then go to Billing and payment (accessible from the left menu). Click Add payment method and enter your credit card, debit card, or PayPal details. Your ads will not run until a valid payment method is on file.
Step 11: Connect Your Instagram Account
To run ads on Instagram specifically, make sure your Instagram account is added to your Business Manager and connected to a Facebook Page. When you create campaigns in Ads Manager, you will select your Instagram account as the ad identity in the Ad level.
Common Issues and How to Fix Them
I reached the ad account creation limit. Meta limits the number of ad accounts each Business Manager can create, and new Business Managers typically start with a limit of one or two. To increase your limit, you need to have an active, spending ad account in good standing. Contact Meta Business Support if you need more ad accounts than your current limit allows.
My new ad account is disabled immediately after creation. This can happen if Meta's automated systems flag the account due to suspicious activity signals. Often this is related to a new Business Manager or Facebook account with limited history. Contact Meta Business Support to request a review of the account.
I cannot find the ad account in Ads Manager after creating it. Make sure you are looking in the correct Business Manager. In Ads Manager, click the account name in the top left to see all accounts you have access to. The new account may take a few minutes to appear.
I set the wrong currency. Unfortunately, currency cannot be changed after an ad account is created. If you set the wrong currency, you have two options: create a new ad account with the correct currency (and abandon the old one), or contact Meta Business Support to request a currency correction (this is not always possible and may not be supported).
Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Ad Account
Use one ad account per business entity. Keep your business finances and ad accounts organized by using one ad account per legal entity or brand. Mixing multiple brands or clients into a single ad account makes reporting and billing management complicated.
Set a spending limit as a safety net. In Ads Manager → Billing, you can set an account spending limit — a cap on the total amount the ad account can spend before campaigns are paused automatically. This prevents accidental overspending if a campaign settings error leads to higher-than-expected delivery.
Create campaigns as soon as the account is set up. Meta's systems learn and optimize faster when an ad account has active campaigns. Even starting with a small test campaign early helps build the account's learning history, which improves the performance of larger campaigns later.
Enable two-factor authentication on your Facebook account. Since your Facebook account controls your Business Manager and ad accounts, protecting it with 2FA is critical. A compromised Facebook account means a compromised ad account.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a Facebook Page to create an ad account?
No, you can create an ad account without a Facebook Page. However, to run most types of ads (especially those appearing on Facebook and Instagram feeds), you will need a Page to use as the ad identity. It is best to create both together.
Can I have multiple ad accounts in one Business Manager?
Yes, though there are limits on how many ad accounts you can create, especially with a new Business Manager. As your spending history builds and your account is verified, these limits typically increase.
Is there a minimum budget required to create an ad account?
No. Creating an ad account is free. You only spend money when you run active campaigns. Meta does have minimum daily budget requirements when creating campaigns (these vary by objective and country), but there is no cost just to have an account.
Can I transfer my ad account to a different Business Manager?
Ad accounts can be transferred between Business Managers in some circumstances. Go to Business Settings → Ad accounts, select the account, and look for a transfer option. Note that some ad account types and statuses may not be transferable, and transfers cannot be undone.