In short
- There are three ways to get permission: the creator allows boosting on a tagged post, shares an ad code for one post, or grants account-level access that covers many posts.
- Ad codes suit a single post, work for up to two advertisers at a time and can be switched off, though running ads continue. Account-level access suits ongoing creators.
- Stories made with an organic link sticker cannot become partnership ads, and Reels over 15 minutes or with copyrighted music are not eligible. Check formats before you pay for rights.
- Menu names change. Meta renamed branded content ads to partnership ads and the Partnership Ads Hub is now the Creator Marketing Hub, so confirm each step on screen.
To run a partnership ad you need two things: the creator's permission, and an ad built in Meta Ads Manager with the Partnership ad toggle on. Permission comes in three forms. The creator can tag your brand and allow boosting, share an ad code for one post, or grant account-level access that covers many posts. The ad then runs under the creator's handle with your account as the second identity.
Our creator ads and whitelisting service page explains what partnership ads are, what the fee uplift looks like and how to test creatives. This post is the operating manual for the setup itself, one level down. For how creator ads fit a whole programme, see our guide to influencer marketing in India. Meta has renamed things repeatedly: "branded content ads" are now partnership ads, and the Partnership Ads Hub appears in Meta's pages as the Creator Marketing Hub. Menu names change, so use the steps below as a map and confirm each label on your screen.
Before you start
Meta's eligibility page says that, to post branded content or run partnership ads, accounts must be professional accounts (Instagram) or Pages and profiles in professional mode (Facebook), follow Community Standards, share accurate information and have an authentic, established presence. The content must be public and in an eligible format. Meta recommends linking your Instagram and Facebook accounts.
| Who | What they need | Common gap |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Instagram professional account, Facebook Page, an ad account, admin access to all three | The person building the ad has ad account access but not the Instagram account |
| Agency working for the brand | Permissions across the brand's Instagram account, Facebook Page and ad account, per Meta | Agency added to the ad account only |
| Creator | Professional account with branded content tools enabled | Tools not enabled, so the paid partnership screen is missing |
| Both | Public content in an eligible format | Private account, or a Story longer than 60 seconds |
Route 1: the creator tags you and allows boosting
This is the cleanest route when the creator is publishing a sponsored post anyway. In the creator's app, before sharing, they open Partnership label and ads, turn on Add paid partnership label, select your brand and switch on Allow brand partner to boost. (For Stories, Meta says to tap Tag.) Our paid partnership label guide has the full format-by-format steps, and our post on collab posts explains why a Collab counts as a tag for boosting.
Meta says that after publishing the creator can do the same from the post's options. Once the creator has done it, you can create ads from that content when you are tagged in the label. Two caveats from Meta: if a post tags more than one brand partner it cannot be boosted, and Facebook content cannot be turned into branded content after it has been posted.
Route 2: an ad code for one post
An ad code is content-level permission. Meta says it works for any Instagram or Facebook post, Story or Reel the creator chooses, whether or not it is branded content or tags you.
On Instagram, the creator can generate the code during creation (create the post, tap Partnership label and ads, turn on Get partnership ad code, share) or afterwards (open the post, tap the three dots, tap Partnership label and ads, turn on Get partnership ad code). For Stories the option sits behind the Partnership label at the top. The creator copies the code or sends it to you in a direct message. On Facebook the path is Options, then Share partnership ad code.
What Meta says about codes:
- A code can be used by up to two advertisers at a time.
- Switching the toggle off stops the code creating any new ads. Ads already running with it continue.
- On Instagram, archiving the content does not remove ad-code access. Archived Facebook content cannot be boosted.
- Meta gives no expiry date for a code on the page we read, so keep your own record of when each was issued and the agreed window.
Codes suit one-off posts and tests. For ten or more creators, collecting and tracking codes becomes admin you do not need.
Route 3: account-level permission
Account-level permission lets you work across a creator's handle for as long as the partnership lasts. In the Creator Marketing Hub, Meta says an advertiser can send a request this way: in Meta Business Suite open Creator Marketing, under Creators click Manage permissions, click Add partnership, search for the partner's username, select the account, choose the account you want to partner with, then Send request. The creator accepts in the Creator Marketing Hub, the Instagram app or the Facebook app.
Once accepted, Meta says you can:
- create partnership ads from the partner's handle without pre-existing content;
- create ads from any of the partner's existing posts, Stories or Reels that tag you, including archived content, where the tag is the paid partnership label, an @mention, a people tag, a product tag or a Collab;
- include or exclude the partner's custom audience in your campaign.
Creators can revoke permission at any time, and can unhide comments you have hidden on an ad.
| Label plus Allow boost | Ad code | Account-level | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scope | Posts that tag you | One chosen post | Any post that tags you, plus new creative |
| Creator effort | A toggle per post | A code per post | One acceptance |
| Brand effort | Pick from tagged content | Paste each code | Request once |
| Best for | Sponsored posts you commissioned | One-off tests, or a post that did not tag you | Ongoing creators, always-on programmes |
| Watch for | More than one brand tagged blocks boosting | Two-advertiser limit; toggled-off codes | Creator can revoke; keep contract in step |
Building the ad in Ads Manager
Meta's page on how to create a partnership ad lists the steps. With a code:
- In Ads Manager, click Create.
- Choose an objective that supports partnership ads.
- Complete conversion location, budget, schedule and audience, then click Next.
- At the ad level, turn on the Partnership ad toggle.
- Click Enter ad code or post info, and paste the code, the post ID or the post URL. This sets the first identity and uses the media attached to the code.
- Select the second identity that should appear in the header, then click Done.
- Finish the ad and click Publish.
Without a code, turn on the toggle, pick the second identity under Identity, then either choose Use existing post and Select post, or choose Create ad and upload new media. If you cannot find a creator's content, Meta says to add the second identity or use the Select identity filter. You can swap the order of the two identities. Meta reviews the ad and notifies you when it is approved.
A note for older guides: Meta ended support for partnership ads with "dynamic creators" from 5 September 2024, so tutorials built around that option are out of date.
Format limits that catch people out
Meta's eligible formats page is the one to check before you pay for rights.
| Placement | Supported | Not supported |
|---|---|---|
| Feed | Single image, video, carousel (up to ten cards) | Posts with reminders |
| Stories | Videos of 60 seconds or less; up to five supported stickers including @mention of the partner, one countdown, location, hashtag; royalty-free music and original audio | Videos over 60 seconds when boosting an existing Story; link stickers; copyrighted music; third-party camera effects; product tags |
| Reels | Videos of 15 minutes or less; original audio and royalty-free music; Reels published after 15 October 2021 | Reels over 15 minutes; copyrighted music unless the advertiser holds the rights; Instagram music library tracks |
The audio rows deserve a line in every brief. A Reel built on a trending track may be a fine organic post and an ineligible ad. If you intend to boost, ask for original audio or cleared music.
Meta also says a link sticker on an organic Story blocks it from becoming a partnership ad; add a call-to-action link in Ads Manager instead. Our post on Story link sticker campaigns shows how to split the organic and paid jobs, and Reels vs Stories covers which format to put money behind. Comments are another practical point. Advertisers can hide comments on the ad and on the creator's original post, and creators can unhide or delete them. Agree the moderation rule in advance.
When it does not work
| Symptom | Likely cause (from Meta's rules and our own campaigns) | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Creator's post will not appear in Ads Manager | Not tagged with your brand, or second identity not chosen | Choose the second identity or filter by identity; ask the creator to tag you or send a code |
| Pasted code is rejected | Code toggled off, two-advertiser limit reached or content ineligible | Ask for a fresh code and check the format table |
| "Allow brand partner to boost" is missing | More than one brand tagged, or content ineligible | Remove the extra brand; check eligible formats |
| Agency cannot see the account | Permissions only on the ad account | Grant across Instagram account, Page and ad account |
| Story cannot be boosted | Organic link sticker or video over 60 seconds | Re-shoot without the sticker, or build the Story ad in Ads Manager |
| Ad stops after a period | Permission withdrawn or window ended | Check account-level status; renew in writing |
After launch
To see results, use Ads Manager. In the Instagram app, Meta describes opening your business profile, then Menu, Professional dashboard, See all next to Your tools, Partnership ads, then Active ads or Inactive ads. For how to read the numbers, see our guide to measuring influencer marketing ROI.
A running ad is still advertising. The creator's own disclosure should stay in the creative, and Meta's Ad label appears on boosted content. See the ASCI influencer guidelines for placement rules. This is general information, not legal advice.
Rates for the creator posts underneath are in our influencer rates guide; we also cover Instagram influencer marketing end to end. If you want permissions, codes and ad accounts set up for you, send a brief.
Sources
- How to create a partnership ad, Instagram Help Centre (Meta) (undated, accessed 31 Oct 2026)
- About partnership ad permissions, Instagram Help Centre (Meta) (undated, accessed 31 Oct 2026)
- Manage content-level permissions for partnership ads, Instagram Help Centre (Meta) (undated, accessed 31 Oct 2026)
- Manage account-level permissions for partnership ads in Creator Marketing Hub, Instagram Help Centre (Meta) (undated, accessed 31 Oct 2026)
- Eligible formats for partnership ads, Instagram Help Centre (Meta) (undated, accessed 31 Oct 2026)
- About link sticker on Instagram Stories, Instagram Help Centre (Meta) (undated, accessed 31 Oct 2026)
- View branded content insights, Instagram Help Centre (Meta) (undated, accessed 31 Oct 2026)
- Eligibility requirements for partnership ads and branded content on Instagram and Facebook, Instagram Help Centre (Meta) (undated, accessed 31 Oct 2026)
- Influencer marketing research report, survey page, Influencer platform report page (vendor survey) (undated, accessed 31 Oct 2026)
- ASCI Code and guidelines, including the influencer advertising guidelines, Advertising Standards Council of India (undated, accessed 31 Oct 2026)
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a partnership ad code and a paid partnership label?
The label discloses that a post is sponsored and tags the brand. An ad code is a permission: it lets one advertiser run an ad from one specific post. Meta says an ad code works on any Instagram post, Story or Reel the partner shares it for, whether or not the post is branded content. Many campaigns use both. Our label guide covers the disclosure side.
How long does a partnership ad code last?
Meta's page does not give an expiry for codes. It says the creator can switch the Get partnership ad code toggle off to stop the code creating any new ads, and that ads already running continue. Creators and partners can revoke permissions at any time, so write the window you need into the contract and record each code's date.
Can I run partnership ads without the creator sending a code?
Yes, in two ways. The creator can tag your brand in the paid partnership label and switch on Allow brand partner to boost. Or the creator can accept an account-level permission request that you send, after which you can create ads from the partner's handle. Both are described in Meta's permission pages.
Can I turn a Story with a link sticker into a partnership ad?
No. Meta says you cannot create partnership ads from Stories with organic link stickers. The creator should leave the sticker out, and you add a link as a call-to-action sticker in Ads Manager. See our guide to Story link sticker campaigns for how to split the organic and paid jobs.
Who pays the creator for a partnership ad?
The brand or agency pays the creator directly. Meta says creators whose content is used in partnership ads are paid off the platform and that payments are not supported through the Instagram or Facebook apps. The media cost goes to Meta through Ads Manager. For typical uplifts and media ratios, see our creator ads and whitelisting page.
Do I need Instagram and Facebook accounts linked?
Meta recommends linking them. If you work through an agency, Meta says the agency needs permissions across your Instagram account, your Facebook Page and your ad account. Sort this before the first creator sends a code, because missing agency access is a common reason a pasted code appears not to work.