Meta catalog ads show each person the products from your catalog they're most likely to want, based on their interests and what they've done on your website, app or Meta's apps. Meta now calls them ads showing product media. They were previously Advantage+ catalog ads, and plenty of advertisers still search for them as dynamic product ads or dynamic ads. To run them you need a catalog and a Meta Pixel or app SDK sending product events.
The setup detail that breaks most catalog campaigns is the pixel. Meta requires three standard events, ViewContent, AddToCart and Purchase, and each must carry the product ID from your catalog in a content_ids or contents parameter. Without that match, Meta can't tell which product someone looked at, so it can't show it back to them.
What changed in the name and the setup
| Then | Now |
|---|---|
| Advantage+ catalog ads | Ads showing product media |
| Catalog chosen as a campaign type | In Sales campaigns, Product data is on by default if you have a catalog |
| Product ads in sales campaigns only | Product media can run with Sales, Traffic, Engagement, Leads or App promotion objectives |
In a Sales campaign with Product data switched on, your catalog powers the whole campaign. You still choose your creative source at ad setup: either Product media or your own uploaded media. Meta says ads that don't show product media can still benefit from your product data.
The pixel events you need
| Event | What it records |
|---|---|
| ViewContent | Someone viewed a product on your website |
| AddToCart | Someone added a product to their cart |
| Purchase | Someone bought a product |
Each event needs either content_ids, which is the product id or item_group_id from your catalog (Meta reminds you to include the s at the end), or contents, a list with each product id and the quantity. In Meta's own example, the AddToCart event code simply lists the IDs of the products added, so Meta can match the action to items in your catalog.
Once the events are live, connect the pixel to your catalog and check your catalog match rate to confirm events are being matched to products. These events cover product, streaming, app, publication, professional services and activities catalogs. Hotels, flights, destinations, autos and real estate catalogs need different events and parameters.
If your pixel isn't in place yet, start with my guide to setting up conversion tracking for Meta ads.
Three ways to use catalog ads
| Use | What Meta suggests |
|---|---|
| Retargeting | Remind people of products they viewed or added to cart but didn't buy, or show similar ones |
| Prospecting | Reach people who haven't visited or bought but have shown interest in products like yours |
| Cross-sell and upsell | Show related products, or higher margin ones, to people who've already bought |
Retargeting best practices from Meta
- Include a catalog custom audience of people who viewed or added products to cart, and exclude people who bought recently.
- Segment by time since the last action, with an ad set per segment, because someone who viewed yesterday may be more likely to convert than someone who viewed 14 days ago.
- Grow the audience by extending the retention window to 30 or 90 days.
- Target all devices and use cross-device reports to see conversions along the whole path.
Prospecting best practices from Meta
- Use location and demographics, and avoid stacking too many interest and behaviour filters that limit reach.
- Exclude a catalog custom audience of people who bought in the last 10 days.
- Don't exclude all your website visitors: Meta says keeping some helps your ads reach relevant people.
- Use creative that suits newcomers. In a carousel, an intro card introduces your brand before the products.
- Optimise for standard events like purchase, add to cart and complete registration.
Creative options for catalog ads
Meta can show people either product images or product videos depending on what they're likely to engage with. You can also apply Advantage+ creative enhancements for catalog, which Meta lists as dynamic overlays, image touch-ups, standard labels and image background generation, or design an image template for a branded layout. Catalog products can also feed collection ads, which put a cover image above a product grid.
Collection ads show products in a more visual layout, and our Facebook collection ads guide explains when to use them.
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My verdict
Catalog ads are the closest thing Meta has to a set-and-forget sales engine for an online shop, but only when the plumbing is right. Get the three pixel events firing with matching product IDs, check the match rate, then run one retargeting ad set and one prospecting ad set with the exclusions Meta recommends. Read my ecommerce KPIs guide for the numbers worth watching once it's running.
Frequently asked questions
What are Meta catalog ads called now?
Meta calls them ads showing product media. They were previously called Advantage+ catalog ads.
What pixel events do catalog ads need?
Meta requires ViewContent, AddToCart and Purchase, each with a content_ids or contents parameter that matches product IDs in your catalog.
Can catalog ads run outside sales campaigns?
Yes. Meta says you can run ads with product media using the Sales, Traffic, Engagement, Leads or App promotion objectives by choosing Product media as the creative source.
Who should I exclude from catalog prospecting ads?
Meta recommends excluding a catalog custom audience of people who bought in the last 10 days, but not excluding all of your website visitors.
Are dynamic product ads the same as catalog ads?
Many advertisers still use dynamic product ads to mean ads that show catalog products to each person. In Meta's help pages today the format is called ads showing product media.
