Partnership ads are Meta ads that run from a creator's and a brand's handles together on Instagram and Facebook. Meta renamed branded content ads to partnership ads. The creator turns on "Get partnership ad code" on an Instagram post, or "Share partnership ad code" on Facebook, and sends the code. The brand turns on Partnership ad in Ads Manager and pastes the code. Meta says adding partnership ads to usual campaigns gave 19% lower cost per acquisition and 13% higher click-through rates on average.
What are Meta partnership ads?
Meta says "Branded content ads are now called partnership ads" (Meta Help Center). The difference from organic branded content is ad spend: a creator's post with a Paid partnership label is branded content, and a partnership ad is when a brand puts budget behind it (Meta for Creators). Partnership ads carry the "Ad" label. Since May 2025, the ad header can show one partner instead of both (Meta).
How does a creator share a partnership ad code?
- Instagram, while posting: open the partnership label and ads options, turn on Get partnership ad code, share the post, then copy the code or send it by direct message.
- Instagram, after posting: open the post, story, or reel, tap the three dots, open partnership label and ads options, and turn on Get partnership ad code.
- Facebook: open the post, tap the three dots, select Share partnership ad code, and turn it on.
- Without a code: tag the brand with the paid partnership label and turn on Allow brand partner to boost.
The creator needs a professional account on Instagram, and since December 2025 Facebook profiles in professional mode qualify too (Meta Help Center; Meta). A code can be used by up to two partners at a time. Turning the code off stops new ads, but ads already running keep running.
How does a brand run a partnership ad in Ads Manager?
- Click + Create in Ads Manager and choose the objective, budget, and audience.
- At the ad level, turn on Partnership ad.
- Click Enter ad code or post info and paste the ad code, the post ID, or the post link.
- Pick the identity for the ad header, finish the ad, and publish (Meta Help Center).
What is the difference between content-level and account-level permission?
| Permission | What it allows | How to give or remove it |
|---|---|---|
| Content-level | Ads from one post, story, or reel. Meta calls it the more restrictive option, for specific promotions. | The creator shares an ad code or turns on Allow brand partner to boost. Turning the code off removes it for new ads. |
| Account-level | Ads from the creator's tagged content without a new code each time. Meta suggests it for ongoing partnerships. | The brand sends a request from the Creator Marketing Hub; the creator accepts in the Hub or the app, and can turn it off there. |
From the Meta Help Center pages on partnership ads, account-level permissions, and removing permissions, checked October 24, 2026.
What is the Creator Marketing Hub?
It is Meta's tool in Business Suite and Ads Manager for finding creators, requesting permissions, and running partnership ads (Meta Help Center). It merges the Partnership Ads Hub and Creator Marketplace, and Meta announced its global launch in September 2026 (Marketing Dive). Some Meta help pages still say Partnership Ads Hub.
Partnership ads vs whitelisting: what changed?
Whitelisting used to mean a creator gave a brand access to their account or Page so the brand could run ads from the creator's handle. Partnership ads replace that with permissions inside Meta's tools: no shared logins, the creator can revoke access, and the ad shows both names or the one partner chosen. The old word has stuck, though: Gigapay's 2026 fee guide, listed in the sources, still says whitelisting.
What rules apply to partnership ads?
- Creators and publishers must have an authentic, established presence on Instagram or Facebook and follow Meta's branded content policies (Meta Help Center).
- Archived Facebook content cannot be boosted as a partnership ad.
- Partnership ads with dynamic creators ended on September 5, 2024 (Meta Help Center).
- Organic posts about a paid deal still need the Paid partnership label.
Do partnership ads perform better?
Meta's December 2025 announcement says "Adding partnership ads to business as usual campaigns delivers 19% lower CPAs and 13% higher click through rates, on average" (Meta). Meta did not publish the method on that page, so treat it as Meta's own figure. It is a good reason to test partnership ads in your account. It does not prove they will beat your brand ads. If you see a 53% click-through figure quoted next to it, we could not find that number on a Meta page.
@benputzer's summary of Meta's Agency Summit words it as a cut in cost per incremental action. Meta's own page says 19% lower CPA: To see how long app ads keep running, read which apps run Meta ads the longest.
What do creators charge for partnership ads access?
Rate cards put ad access at about $100 to $150 a month (Insense), and one 2026 guide puts it at 50% to 100% on top of the base rate for Meta partnership ads (Gigapay, citing InfluencerFee). Both are benchmarks. See how much UGC ads cost, and agree the price and the term in writing before the ad runs.
Some brands skip the flat fee and pay creators a share of what the ads earn:
How we use partnership ads at ugcMaxx
We make the videos with AI, and our team writes, edits and posts them. We set up partnership ad access on the accounts we run or post on, agree its length with you before launch, and cut every winner for the Reels and Meta ads safe zone. Book a call to plan a round.
Sources
- Meta Help Center: about partnership ads, partnership ad codes, creating partnership ads, account-level permissions, removing permissions, Creator Marketing Hub, and requirements
- Meta: new tools for creator and brand partnerships (December 11, 2025) and IAB NewFronts 2025 (May 8, 2025)
- Meta for Creators: earn from brands
- Marketing Dive: Meta launches Creator Marketing Hub (September 17, 2026)
- Insense rate card and Gigapay: usage rights and whitelisting fees in 2026
