Meta Partnership Ads are Facebook and Instagram ads that run with both a creator's handle and a brand's handle in the header, so the ad looks and feels like the creator's content while the brand controls targeting, budget and delivery. They were previously called branded content ads, and they are Meta's main format for turning creator content into paid ads.
Partnership Ads are a common way to scale UGC and influencer content on Meta. This guide covers how they work, what permissions you need, how to set them up and how to test them.
How Meta Partnership Ads work
- Dual identity: the ad header shows the creator and the brand, labeled as a paid partnership.
- Brand-controlled delivery: the brand runs the ad from its own ad account and sets budget, audience, placements and optimization.
- Creator permission: the creator must grant the brand permission to run ads with their identity, either per post or through a partnership ad code.
- Placements: Partnership Ads can run across Facebook and Instagram placements such as Feed, Stories and Reels.
Partnership Ads vs. regular ads vs. Spark Ads
- Regular Meta ad: runs only from the brand's page or account. Creator videos can still be used, but they appear as brand content.
- Meta Partnership Ad: runs from both identities, which can make creator content feel more native.
- TikTok Spark Ads: TikTok's equivalent, where brands boost a creator's organic post with an authorization code. Read what Spark Ads are and how Spark codes work.
- Whitelisting: the older industry term for running ads through a creator's account. See influencer whitelisting explained.
What you need before you start
- A Meta business account with an ad account, plus a Facebook Page and Instagram professional account for the brand.
- A creator with an Instagram professional account or a Facebook profile or page that is eligible for branded content.
- Partnership ad permission from the creator, granted for a specific post or through a partnership ad code.
- A written agreement covering fees, usage rights, duration and approvals. Ad permission and content usage rights are separate: a creator can grant one without the other.
How to set up Meta Partnership Ads
- Agree the terms with the creator, including how long the brand may run the ad and whether the brand may edit the content.
- Get permission. The creator either tags the brand as a paid partner on the post and allows ads, or shares a partnership ad code from the post's settings.
- Create the campaign in Ads Manager and choose your objective, budget and audience as usual.
- Enable the partnership ad option at the ad level and select the creator's identity, or enter the partnership ad code to use an existing post.
- Add the creative: use the creator's existing post, or upload a new asset if your permission allows it.
- Review the paid partnership label, then publish and monitor results.
Meta updates the Ads Manager flow regularly, including the Partnership Ads hub where brands can find creator posts that mention or tag them. Check Meta's Business Help Center for the current steps.
Best practices for Partnership Ads
- Test against your brand-only ads. Run the same video as a Partnership Ad and as a regular ad to measure the lift in your own account.
- Brief for the first three seconds. The hook still decides whether people watch. See video ad production best practices.
- Use several creators. Different faces and angles reduce creative fatigue.
- Measure on CPA and ROAS, not just CTR. Our ROAS formula guide explains the math.
- Disclose properly. Meta's paid partnership label covers platform disclosure, but advertising rules such as the FTC's guidance also expect clear disclosure in the content itself.
- Secure usage rights for the full flight. Read our guide to usage rights for paid ads.
Where to get creator content for Partnership Ads
Partnership Ads need a steady supply of creator videos. Brands can recruit influencers directly, use a UGC platform, or hire an agency. NugVerse lets brands order UGC videos per video with no subscription, and the MediaNug UGC ad agency produces and tests creator-led ads for Meta and TikTok end to end.
Frequently asked questions
What are Meta Partnership Ads?
Facebook and Instagram ads that display both a creator's and a brand's identity, run from the brand's ad account with the creator's permission.
Are Partnership Ads the same as branded content ads?
Yes. Meta renamed branded content ads to Partnership Ads.
What is a partnership ad code?
A code the creator generates for a post so a brand can run it as a Partnership Ad without the creator managing tags or settings each time.
Does the creator have to post the content organically?
Not always. Depending on the permission set up, brands can run existing creator posts or new assets with the creator's identity. Confirm this in your agreement.
Do Partnership Ads cost more than regular ads?
Media costs are set by the same auction. The extra cost is usually the creator's fee for content, usage rights and ad permissions.
Are Partnership Ads available on TikTok?
No. TikTok's equivalent format is Spark Ads.
