A Facebook collection ad shows one large cover image or video with smaller product images from your catalog underneath. Tapping the cover opens a full-screen Instant Experience where people can browse and buy, and tapping a product image takes them to that product's page on your website. It's built to move people from discovery to purchase, mostly on mobile.
If you can't find it in Ads Manager, you're not imagining it. Meta is rolling out a new Ad setup and Ad creative experience, and the collection format may no longer appear under Ad setup. You can still choose it under Ad creative, in Format display options. Meta also says that from March 2026, single media and catalog collection ads on Facebook Feed no longer show a URL in the ad footer.
How a collection ad works
| Part of the ad | What happens when someone taps it |
|---|---|
| Cover image or video | Opens a full-screen Instant Experience to browse and buy |
| Smaller product images | Go to the product detail page on your website |
| Product set | Pulled from your catalog, and the number shown varies by placement |
Meta says the exact behaviour may vary by placement, and collection ads can run across Facebook and Instagram Feeds, Stories and Reels.
What Meta says collection ads are for
- Product discovery: pairing a video or image with relevant products.
- Mobile browsing: using the full-screen Instant Experience so people can look around without leaving the app.
- Turning interest into sales on your website or app.
- Showing off your catalog, with several products in one ad to prompt multiple purchases.
The two templates built for collection
Two Instant Experience templates only work with the collection format and an ecommerce catalog, and both are available with the traffic and sales objectives:
| Template | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Storefront | Your products in a grid alongside your ad creative, sending people to your site or app to buy |
| Lookbook | Lifestyle images with tagged products that open product details and a purchase link |
Meta's troubleshooting notes add two requirements people miss. Products in a Storefront must be available in the catalog, or the experience may not display them correctly. And Instant Experience only supports ecommerce catalogs: choosing an auto, real estate or travel catalog brings up an error.
How to create a collection ad with Format display options
- In Ads Manager, select + Create, pick an objective and select Continue.
- If you want to use products, set up the catalog requirements first: a catalog with your products and a Meta Pixel or app SDK tracking product activity.
- Work through to Ad setup, choose Manual upload, then Single media or Carousel.
- In Ad creative, set up your image or video and turn on Products as an ad source, choosing your catalog and product set.
- Go to Format display options, select Edit and review the formats, including Collection.
- Choose which media source each format shows, such as uploaded media or products, then select Done and publish.
Format display options is a creative automation, so once a format is selected Meta applies it to every eligible placement you've opted into. If formats come pre-selected and you don't want them, deselect them before publishing. Meta notes this feature may not be available to every advertiser yet.
Where collection ads with an Instant Experience appear
For collection ads that open an Instant Experience, Meta lists Facebook Feed, Facebook Marketplace, Instagram Feed and Instagram Explore. Instant Experiences only appear on mobile, and some components, such as product tagging and the store locator, aren't compatible with Instagram.
Collection ads sit inside a wider family of formats. If you're choosing between them, my guide to the Facebook ad formats that perform best for small businesses compares the options.
Collection ads and product media
Collection ads often draw on catalog products, and Meta has renamed Advantage+ catalog ads to ads showing product media. Those ads show each person the most relevant products from your catalog based on their interests and activity, using events from your Meta Pixel, app SDK or on-platform signals. So if your pixel isn't sending product events, the product grid in your collection ad has less to work with.
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My verdict
Use collection ads when you sell several products that look good side by side and most of your buyers are on phones. Get the catalog and pixel right first, use Storefront if you want a simple grid and Lookbook if you've got good lifestyle photography, and don't panic when the format isn't under Ad setup: it's in Format display options. For tracking, see my guide to conversion tracking for Meta ads.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the collection ad format in Ads Manager?
Meta says the collection format may no longer appear in Ad setup in the new experience, but you can still select it in Ad creative under Format display options.
Do collection ads need a catalog?
The Storefront and Lookbook templates need the collection format and an ecommerce catalog. To show products in format display options, Meta asks for a catalog and a Meta Pixel or app SDK.
What happens when someone taps a collection ad?
Tapping the cover image or video opens a full-screen Instant Experience. Tapping a smaller product image takes them to that product's page on your website.
Where do collection ads appear?
Meta says collection ads run across Facebook and Instagram Feeds, Stories and Reels, and the number of products shown varies by placement.
Do collection ads still show a URL?
Meta says that starting in March 2026, single media and catalog collection ads on Facebook Feed no longer display a URL in the ad footer.
