What partnership ads are
Partnership ads are Meta ads on Instagram and Facebook that show both the creator's and the brand's names in the ad header, with the creator's content as the creative. The creator grants permission inside the apps, and the brand runs and pays for the ad from its own ads manager. Meta renamed them from branded content ads in 2023.
They are the paid version of a collab post, which is organic and co-authored. They also differ from the paid partnership label, the disclosure tag on a creator's own post. Partnership ads are Meta's built-in route for what the industry calls whitelisting, without the creator handing over account access.
How brands set them up
The creator connects with the brand through the partnership permission settings, then either shares an existing post's partnership ad code or approves the brand to use their handle. The brand builds the ad in ads manager, picks the post or uploads new creative, and sets targeting and budget as with any other campaign.
The practical value is identity. The ad reads as coming from a person the viewer may recognise, and an existing post can keep its likes and comments. The agreement still has to cover the paid window: platform permission is a technical switch, not a license, so pair it with the clauses in the UGC usage rights guide.
A worked example
A haircare brand has a creator whose before and after Reel is doing well on her own profile. The contract already includes three months of paid usage. She shares the partnership ad code for that Reel, and the brand runs it to a cold audience under both names.
In the same campaign the brand runs the identical video as a standard ad from its own page. Comparing the two tells the team whether the creator's name in the header earns the extra fee she charges for handle access when the deal renews next quarter.
Common mistakes
Treating the in-app permission as the deal. A creator can grant access in a minute and revoke it just as fast; the terms, the dates and the fee belong in a signed agreement. Note when the permission expires and stop the ads before it does.
Putting words in the creator's mouth is the other risk. The ad text appears beside their name, so new copy, offers or comparisons should go to the creator for approval first. That keeps trust intact and keeps the endorsement honest under FTC disclosure rules.
How it's used
Can you send the partnership ad code for the Reel? We want to run it under both handles from Monday.
Partnership ad permission ends on the 30th, so the ad set needs to be off by the 29th.