Facebook and Instagram UGC ads by the numbers
- Winning ads
- 1,922from 130 brands
- Median run
- 85 daysall winners: 85
- Median copies
- 4all winners: 4
- Proven (90+ days)
- 46%38% still live
1,922 ads. 42% link to an app store, 58% to a website. Median video length 22 seconds (699 ads with a length). Data as of 9 November 2026: 1,922 winning ads from 130 brands, first started 8 April 2021.
What the winning Facebook and Instagram ads have in common
- They run for months, not days. The median winner ran 85 days. 46% passed 90 days and 12% passed 180.
- Brands make more than one version. The median winner exists as 4 copies in the Ad Library, and 46% reached 5 or more: new cuts, captions or sizes of the same video.
- The copy stays, the creator changes. 69% of these ads share their exact ad copy with another ad from the same brand. Brands keep a line that works and run it under several creators' videos.
- Talking head leads. 42% are talking head videos and 28% POV text.
- A person is on screen. 90% show at least one person; 55% feature a woman and 30% a man.
- The ad copy is plain. The median caption is 126 characters, 24% mention an offer (free, % off, gift, sale), 14% cite social proof (stars, reviews, "#1", "viral") and 46% use emoji.
- They are not only in English. 22% are in another language, led by Spanish, Dutch and French.
How long winning Facebook and Instagram ads run
Every ad here passed 45 days, but most went far past it. Half ran longer than 85 days; 12% ran 180 days or more.
How far brands scaled them, counted as near-identical copies in the Ad Library:
What the ad copy above the video says
On Facebook and Instagram the primary text sits above the video and the headline below it. Across the 1,903 winners with copy, the median is 126 characters: two short lines, often a hook and a reason to tap. How often each pattern shows up:
69% of winners share their exact copy with another ad from the same brand. That is the most useful pattern for a buyer: brands write one caption that works, then test it under many creators' videos.
Partnership ad examples
317 of the winners (16%) are partnership ads: the ad runs with both the creator's and the brand's names on it. The niches that use them most are supplements, food and drink, and beauty. A sample:
-
Proven
387days15 copies · top 1%1:10
What does he do for a living? / #whatdoyoudoforaliving #breeze #datingapp #nyc #dating #founder #sponsored
Ran Sep 2025 to Oct 2026 · Meta Ad Library
-
ProvenLive
264days1 copy · top 7%
Reading.comFirst Time Home Schooler here and reading & phonics has been our biggest challenge. / Until we started @_readingcom / After 8 lessons, 15 min a day, Zyon has b...
Live since Feb 2026 · Meta Ad Library
-
Proven
225days12 copies · top 2%
Making a song with @sunomusic 4.5-all version 🫶🏾 Link in my bio! / . / . / . / #guitarist #guitarplayer #guitar #fyp #musician #guitarsolo #music
Ran Jan 2026 to Sep 2026 · Meta Ad Library
-
ProvenLive
237days3 copies · top 2%0:39
Lightweight bamboo PJs that keep you cool and cozy all night.
Live since Mar 2026 · Meta Ad Library
-
Proven
197days14 copies · top 2%
Stop letting your cortisol control you! Comment cortisol for the trio #cortisollevels #cortisolcontrol #acv #probiotics #ashwagandha #SuperBrandDay #dealsforda...
Ran Oct 2025 to Apr 2026 · Meta Ad Library
-
ProvenLive
202days3 copies · top 1%
Ladder keeps Hilary consistent. Strength training changed how she feels, moves, and performs. / Start your 7-day free trial today! No credit card required. / S...
Live since Apr 2026 · Meta Ad Library
-
ProvenLive
133days13 copies · top 3%1:21
Coffee Meets BagelReady to find something real? Over 91% of CMB Daters are looking for a serious relationship, so you'll be in good company.
Live since Jun 2026 · Meta Ad Library
-
ProvenLive
161days1 copy · top 1%
PolsiaIf you’ve been thinking about starting a business in 2026, head to Polsia and see what it builds for you 💸 / Follow @shesthelife for more tips on how to make...
Live since Jun 2026 · Meta Ad Library
Brands behind these ads
| Brand | Winning ads | Median run | Longest run | Median copies | Top format |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breeze | 253 | 91 days | 454 days | 6 | Talking head |
| Praktika | 113 | 80 days | 199 days | 5 | Talking head |
| Halara | 110 | 103 days | 588 days | 5 | Demo |
| Canva: AI Video & Photo Editor | 90 | 83 days | 139 days | 4 | Talking head |
| Goli | 81 | 80 days | 239 days | 5 | Talking head |
| Wispr Flow | 72 | 74 days | 133 days | 5 | Talking head |
| AiApply | 69 | 87 days | 168 days | 5 | POV text |
| Cal AI | 56 | 64 days | 186 days | 11 | POV text |
| Brilliant | 54 | 110 days | 210 days | 18 | Talking head |
| Hello Nancy | 51 | 156 days | 410 days | 4 | Demo |
| Liftoff - Ranked Gym Workouts | 50 | 63 days | 231 days | 7 | POV text |
| Hinge | 50 | 81 days | 127 days | 4 | Talking head |
| Hallow | 48 | 83 days | 349 days | 2 | Talking head |
| Suno | 47 | 98 days | 289 days | 6 | Talking head |
Download this table as a CSV file (CC BY 4.0, link to this page). Brands with a linked name have a full UGC Brands page on how they run their creator program.
How we picked these ads
A winning ad here is a UGC-style video ad from the Meta Ad Library (Facebook and Instagram) that the brand ran for at least 45 days, that sits in the top 10% of that brand's video ads by impressions, and that the brand either scaled to 3 or more copies or kept running past 60 days. Proven winners ran 90 days or more. Each ad is checked as the brand's own: run by its verified page and linking to its site or app.
The Ad Library shows no spend, clicks or sales, so the signal is behaviour: a brand that keeps paying to run a video for months, and copies it into new versions, is telling you it works. "Copies" counts the near-identical ads the library groups under the same creative. Format (talking head, demo, POV text and so on), who is on camera and language are labelled from each ad's poster frame and copy by a model, then spot-checked; treat them as approximate.
Data as of 9 November 2026: 1,922 winning ads from 130 brands, first started 8 April 2021. Run days for live ads are counted to the export date, so they will grow. This page shows a sample picked for variety (the brand's longest-running ads first, a cap per brand and one version per line of copy). We never show the creator's name or handle; each card links to the public Ad Library entry.
These are observations about ads brands kept running, not proof that a format causes results. A brand that runs talking heads will have talking-head winners. Compare shares with the "all winners" figures before drawing conclusions.