What is Meta Ad Manager?
Meta Ads is a powerful platform that allows businesses to reach their ideal audience through targeted advertising on Facebook and Instagram.
This guide walks you through the steps to set up your Meta Ad account, add a payment method, and understand Meta’s ad review process and why setting up tracking is important for the performance of your ads.
How to get started with Meta Ads
To connect with Meta Ad Manager, you first need to set up your Meta Ad Account. This entails creating a Facebook Page, setting up a Meta Ads Manager account, and adding a valid payment method. Let’s take a look at each action in detail.
Step 1: How to create a Facebook Page
A Facebook Page is required to run ads on Meta. If you don’t have a Facebook page yet, please follow these steps to create one:
Go to the Facebook Pages section.
Click on Create new Page.
Enter your Page name and category.
Add a Page bio and click Create.
(Optional) Add details such as contact information, location, and business hours, then click Next.
(Optional) Upload a profile picture and cover photo, then click Next.
(Optional) Invite people to follow your Page, then click Next.
Click Done to finish creating your Page.
Your Facebook Page will now be linked to a default ad account, which you can manage in Meta Ad Manager.
Step 2: How to create a Meta Ads Manager Account
To run ads, you need a Meta Ad Account within Meta Ads Manager. After you have created your Facebook page, please follow these steps:
Ensure you have admin, editor, or advertiser access to a Facebook Page. If you don’t, please send a request to the page admin and ask to be granted an admin, editor or advertiser role.
Go to Meta Ads Manager.
Click Create Ad Account.
Enter your business details, including your business name and email.
Assign the account to your Facebook Business Manager.
Click Create to finalize the setup.
❗Please note: Once a Meta Ad account is created under a business portfolio, it cannot be transferred to another portfolio.
Step 3: How to add a payment method in Meta Ads
To start running ads, you must also add a valid payment method to your Meta Ad Account. Here’s what you need to do:
Open Payment Settings in Meta Ads Manager.
Select your Meta Ad account from the dropdown menu under Ad accounts.
Click on Add Payment Methods.
Verify your location and currency .
Choose a payment method:
Enter your billing details and click Next.
Confirm the updates and select whether to pause or continue running ads.
Click Confirm, then Done to finalize the setup.
Your payment method is now linked to your ad account. Meta will charge your default payment method for ad spend as needed.
What is Meta Ad Review, and how does it work?
Before your ads go live, Meta reviews them to ensure they comply with Meta Advertising Standards. This review begins automatically when you publish an ad via Meta Ads Manager. Meta relies on automated systems as well as human reviewers to check ads for compliance.
The review process typically takes into account:
Images, videos, and copy in the ad.
Targeting details (audience selection).
Ad destination (landing page quality and relevance).
Advertiser permissions and special ad categories (e.g., employment ads).
❗ It usually takes minutes for ads to be reviewed, but it can take up to 24 hours. If your ad is scheduled for a future start date, it will only begin running once approved.
What happens if you edit an approved Ad?
If you edit a running ad, Meta may re-review it. Changes that trigger a new review include:
Targeting updates (e.g., target audience’s location)
Changes to creative elements (e.g., Ad copy, Ad image, links, videos)
Billing event updates
💡Changes to the budget, bid amount, or campaign schedule do not trigger a new review.
💬 If your ad is incorrectly rejected, you can request a manual review through Meta Business Support.