There's no separate Instagram Ads Manager. Instagram ads are built in Meta Ads Manager, the same tool that runs Facebook ads, at adsmanager.facebook.com or in the Meta Ads Manager app. You can also make simpler Instagram ads with the Boost button in the Instagram app or in Meta Business Suite.
Every step and rule on this page comes from Meta's own Help Center pages, read as of October 2026. Menus move around, so if a label looks slightly different on your screen, look for the nearest match.
The part most people miss: you don't need an Instagram account to show an ad on Instagram. Meta says your Facebook Page can act as the voice of the ad on Instagram. If you do have an Instagram professional account, you pick it in the Identity step so the ad shows your Instagram name and photo instead.
The three places Instagram ads are made
Meta gives you three doors into the same ad system. They share one ad account and one bill, but they're built for very different jobs.
| Tool | Where you find it | Best for | What it can't do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boost in the Instagram app | The Boost button under one of your own posts | Promoting a post that's already doing well, from your phone | Multiple ad sets, A/B tests, retargeting |
| Meta Business Suite | business.facebook.com, or the Business Suite app | Simple ads alongside your scheduled posts, inbox and insights | The advanced targeting and testing Meta keeps for Ads Manager |
| Meta Ads Manager | adsmanager.facebook.com, or the Meta Ads Manager app | Full campaigns: several ad sets, custom audiences, A/B tests, retargeting, Shops ads | Saving drafts in the mobile app (Meta says the app can't save ad drafts) |
Meta's own split is clear. Business Suite is for scheduling organic content, managing messages in one inbox and creating ads through a streamlined setup. Ads Manager is for campaigns with multiple ad sets, custom audience targeting, detailed analytics, ad scheduling, A/B tests and retargeting.
How Instagram fits inside Meta Ads Manager
Every ad in Ads Manager sits in three levels, and Instagram shows up at two of them.
- Campaign: you choose the objective, such as traffic, leads or awareness. Nothing here is Instagram-specific.
- Ad set: you set the audience, budget, schedule and placements. Placements are where Instagram lives: Instagram Feed, Stories, Reels and more sit alongside Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp, Threads and Audience Network. Every ad in an ad set shares its audience, placements, budget and schedule, so to test Instagram Stories against Reels you build two ad sets.
- Ad: you choose the format and creative, and under Identity you choose which Facebook Page and Instagram account represent your business.
Advantage+ placements is switched on by default, which lets Meta spread your budget across every placement it thinks will work, Instagram included. If you only want Instagram, open the Placements section of the ad set, choose Manual placements and untick the Facebook, Messenger and other boxes you don't want.
One catch with manual placements: for the traffic and engagement objectives there's an option called Allow limited spend to excluded placements. Leave it ticked and Meta can still spend a small slice of your budget on the placements you removed. Untick it if you want Instagram and nothing else.
What you need before Ads Manager will run an Instagram ad
- A Facebook account. Meta gives every Facebook account an ad account and ad account ID by default, so you probably have one already.
- A Facebook Page, or an admin, editor or advertiser role on someone else's Page.
- A valid payment method on the ad account.
- An Instagram professional account (business or creator) if you want the ad to come from your Instagram handle. A personal Instagram account can't run ads, and Meta warns that switching a professional account back to personal removes your access to ads and disconnects any linked Facebook Page.
New advertisers are held to one ad account ID until Meta processes a confirmed payment. After that first payment, Meta may let you open more, and agencies are pointed to a business portfolio for several ad accounts.
Ads Manager on your phone
The Meta Ads Manager app runs the same three levels on mobile: tap +, pick an objective, set the budget, schedule and audience, then use Identity to choose your Facebook Page and Instagram account. It's handy for checking results and pausing ads. I'd still build anything with more than one ad set at a desk, because the app can't save drafts and a slip means starting again. For the app itself, see how the Meta Ads Manager app works on a phone.
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Which one should you use?
If you're a small business putting a modest budget behind a post that's already working, the Boost button is fine, and it's the quickest way to learn what Instagram ads do. The moment you want to compare two audiences, show ads only on Instagram Reels or target people who've visited your website, move to Ads Manager. Boosting can't do those jobs.
My advice: open Ads Manager once now, even if you keep boosting. Check that your Instagram account is connected under Identity and that your payment method works. That way you aren't sorting out access on the day you need a campaign live. If you've never found it before, this walk-through of finding and setting up Ads Manager covers the first login.
Frequently asked questions
Does Instagram have its own Ads Manager?
No. Instagram ads are created in Meta Ads Manager, the same tool used for Facebook ads, or with the Boost button in the Instagram app and Meta Business Suite.
Can I run Instagram ads without an Instagram account?
Yes. Meta says your Facebook Page can serve as the voice of your ad on Instagram, so you can choose the Instagram placement without an Instagram account.
How do I show my ad only on Instagram?
In the ad set, change Advantage+ placements to Manual placements and untick every platform except Instagram. For traffic and engagement ads, also untick Allow limited spend to excluded placements.
Is Meta Business Suite the same as Ads Manager?
No. Business Suite handles posts, messages, insights and simple ads. Ads Manager is for campaigns with several ad sets, custom audiences, A/B tests and retargeting.
Do I need a professional Instagram account to advertise?
You need a business or creator account to run ads from your Instagram handle. Personal accounts can't, though a Facebook Page can still put ads on Instagram.
