Meta

Agents create Meta campaigns, ad sets and ads in the ad account you selected for Meta in Sources. Everything starts paused. This page lists every option an agent can set.

Before you start

Requirement	Detail
Meta connection	Connected in Sources after agent ads existed. An older connection lacks the permission to create ads: select Reconnect.
A Facebook Page	Every ad runs as a Page, with an optional Instagram account
A pixel	Only for ad sets that optimize for website conversions or value
EU audiences	If an ad set targets an EU country, set the beneficiary and payer once in Meta Ads Manager’s ad account settings

Campaigns

Objective	The ad set optimizes for (`goal.optimize_for`)	Also needs
`sales`	`conversions` or `value`	A pixel and event. Event default `PURCHASE`.
`traffic`	`landing_page_views` or `link_clicks`
`leads`	`conversions` (website) or `instant_form`	Website: a pixel, event default `LEAD`. Instant form: a Page, and each ad names a form.
`awareness`	`reach` or `impressions`
`engagement`	`post_engagement` or `video_views`	Post engagement: a Page. Its ads are existing posts.
`app_promotion`	`app_installs`	The app and its App Store or Google Play link

Pixel events an ad set can optimize for: PURCHASE, ADD_TO_CART, INITIATED_CHECKOUT, ADD_PAYMENT_INFO, LEAD, COMPLETE_REGISTRATION, SUBSCRIBE, START_TRIAL, CONTACT, CONTENT_VIEW, SEARCH. Every campaign is created with no special ad category. Housing, credit, employment and political ads aren’t available to agents.

Budgets and bidding

Put the budget on the campaign (Advantage+ campaign budget, shared by its ad sets) or on each ad set. Never both.

Field	Values
`daily`	A daily budget in the ad account’s currency. `50` means 50.00 per day.
`lifetime`	A total for the whole run. Needs `end_time`, at least one hour from now.
`bid_strategy`	`lowest_cost` (default), `cost_cap` or `bid_cap` with `amount`, or `roas_floor` with `roas_floor`
`roas_floor`	The lowest return to aim for. `2` means 200%. Needs the `sales` objective and a `value` goal.
`spend_cap`	Optional, campaigns only. A lifetime spending limit where Meta stops delivery.

Under a campaign budget with a cost cap, bid cap or ROAS floor, each ad set brings its own bid.amount or bid.roas_floor. Under a lifetime campaign budget, each ad set needs an end_time unless the campaign has one. This applies to new ad sets in your existing campaigns too: list_ad_campaigns shows which campaigns can take them.

Ad sets: targeting and placements

Field	Values
`locations`	`countries` (2-letter codes), `regions`, `cities` with an optional radius of 10 to 50 miles, `zips` like `US:78701`, and `places` (map pins with a radius of 1 to 80 km)
`exclude_locations`	The same shapes, for places to leave out
`age_min`, `age_max`	18 to 65
`genders`	`all` (default), `men` or `women`
`languages`, `interests`, `behaviors`	Ids from `search_targeting`
`custom_audiences`, `excluded_custom_audiences`	Custom and lookalike audience ids from `list_ad_audiences`
`advantage_audience`	On by default. Meta treats age as a suggestion, so it needs `age_min` 25 or lower and `age_max` 65. Set it to `false` for a strict range.
`placements`	`automatic` (default), or positions per network. See the accordion below.
`start_time`, `end_time`	Optional. `end_time` is required with a lifetime budget.

search_targeting finds ids by type: interest (search a topic, such as yoga), behavior, location (a country, region or city), zip, and language.

Placement positions

Network	Positions
`facebook`	`feed`, `right_hand_column`, `marketplace`, `video_feeds`, `story`, `search`, `instream_video`, `facebook_reels`, `facebook_reels_overlay`, `profile_feed`, `notification`
`instagram`	`stream`, `story`, `explore`, `explore_home`, `reels`, `profile_feed`, `ig_search`, `profile_reels`
`messenger`	`messenger_home`, `sponsored_messages`, `story`
`audience_network`	`classic`, `rewarded_video`

An agent adds up to 50 ads per call to one ad set. Meta allows 50 ads per ad set.

Format	Files	Text
`single_image`	One image: 1:1 (at least 600×600), 4:5 (600×750), 1.91:1 (600×314) or 9:16 (500×889)	1 primary text, 1 headline, 1 description
`single_video`	One video: 1:1, 4:5, 9:16 or 16:9. An optional thumbnail image.	1 primary text, 1 headline, 1 description
`carousel`	2 to 10 cards, each a 1:1 image (at least 600×600). Each card can have its own headline, description, link and call to action.	1 primary text
`multi_asset`	One feed file, 1:1 or 4:5, plus an optional 9:16 file for Stories and Reels. Images or videos.	Up to 5 primary texts, 5 headlines and 5 descriptions. Meta rotates them.
`existing_post`	None: an existing Facebook or Instagram post	The post’s own

Text	Limit	Shown before Meta cuts it
Primary text	2,200 characters. 1,024 in `multi_asset`.	About 125
Headline	255 characters	About 40
Description	255 characters	About 30

Ad rule	Detail
Identity	A Page from `list_ad_identities`, with an optional Instagram account. When the agent doesn’t pick one, DATALYR uses what the ad set’s ads run as, then the last one used on this ad account, then the only Page.
Call to action	Required, except on existing posts. For example `SHOP_NOW`, `LEARN_MORE`, `SIGN_UP`, or any Meta value as `meta:VALUE`.
Link	Required, except on existing posts. Up to 1,000 characters.
Instant forms	In an `instant_form` ad set, each ad names its form: `platform_options.lead_form_id` from `list_ad_lead_forms`.
Dynamic creative ad sets	Take one ad. `multi_asset` needs an ad set that isn’t dynamic creative.

What agents can’t do on Meta

Not available	What happens
Special ad categories: housing, credit, employment, politics	Campaigns in these categories show `can_add_ads: false`
Catalog ads	Catalog ad sets show `can_add_ads: false`
Ad sets that send people to a chat: Messenger, WhatsApp, Instagram Direct	Shown with `can_add_ads: false`
Campaigns with an objective outside the six above	Refused as an unsupported objective
A second ad in a dynamic creative ad set	Refused

Changes after launch

Meta has every change: turn on, pause, daily and lifetime budgets, new content for an ad, archive and delete. See Change ads after launch.

Previews

A ready preview includes Meta’s preview links and DATALYR’s page with every placement. See See every placement.

Create your first agent ad: a first paused Meta ad.
Add ad files: get images and videos to the agent.
Meta Ads: connect Meta and send conversions.

Agents and MCP

Agent ads

API Reference

Analytics

Events and users

Attribution and revenue

Cohorts and funnels

Metrics

Query

Workspace

Keys and approvals

Conversion rules

Trackable links

Saved reports

Dashboards, analyses and share links

Session replay

Exports

Before you start

Campaigns

Budgets and bidding

Ad sets: targeting and placements

Ads

What agents can’t do on Meta

Changes after launch

Previews

Next

​Before you start

​Campaigns

​Budgets and bidding

​Ad sets: targeting and placements

​Ads

​What agents can’t do on Meta

​Changes after launch

​Previews

​Next

Before you start

Campaigns

Budgets and bidding

Ad sets: targeting and placements

Ads

What agents can’t do on Meta

Changes after launch

Previews

Next