Partnership Ads Step by Step: How Brands and Creators Set Them Up on Instagram and Facebook

Written by Jacob Boe with the help of AI

To run a partnership ad on Instagram or Facebook, the creator first gives the brand permission – for a single post with a partnership ad code or the “Allow brand partner to boost” setting, or for the whole account – and the brand then turns on the partnership ad toggle at the ad level in Meta Ads Manager. The ad runs with the creator’s handle in the header, while budget, audience and objective work as in any other Meta campaign.

Our articles on whitelisting explain why creator content needs a media budget. This guide is the practical part: who does what, in which order, and what to agree in writing before the campaign goes live heading into 2027.

What is a partnership ad?

Partnership ads are Meta’s format for running ads with a creator’s identity. Meta used to call them branded content ads. The ad can show both the creator and the brand in the header, only the first identity, or a dynamic identity, which is on by default and lets Meta choose the header format predicted to perform best. Meta says partnership ads have become one of its strongest-performing formats – that is the platform’s own description, so test it against your own results.

The point is reach with trust. With big names, an organic post can travel far on its own. Paid media takes the best content further and deeper into the target group: the right ages, regions and interests, several times, and all the way to the product page.

What does the creator need to do?

Have the right account: a professional account on Instagram, or a Page or profile in professional mode on Facebook, and meet Meta’s eligibility requirements for partnership ads and branded content.
Label the collaboration: enable branded content and tag the brand with the paid partnership label in the Instagram app. The brand receives a request, and its name appears in the label once it approves. The brand needs a professional account.
Option 1 – allow boosting: when tagging the brand, switch on “Allow brand partner to boost”. The brand can then turn that specific post into an ad.
Option 2 – share a partnership ad code: on Instagram, tap “Partnership label & ads” while creating the post, or via the three dots after publishing, and turn on “Get partnership ad code”. On Facebook, use the three dots and “Share partnership ad code” after publishing. Copy the code or send it in a direct message.
Option 3 – accept an account-level request: the brand sends a request, which the creator can accept in Meta’s Creator Marketing Hub or in the Instagram or Facebook app.

A few details are worth knowing. A partnership ad code can be used by up to two advertisers at the same time, and the creator can get a new code at any time. Turning the toggle off stops new ads from being created with the code, but ads that are already running continue. Archived Instagram content can still be boosted with a code.

What does the brand need to do in Ads Manager?

Prepare: link your Instagram and Facebook accounts, get permission from each partner, and if an agency runs the ads, give it access to your Instagram account, Facebook Page and ad account.
Create the campaign: click “+ Create” in Ads Manager, choose an objective, and fill in conversion location, budget, schedule and audience.
Turn on the partnership ad toggle at the ad level.
With a code: click “Enter ad code or post info” and paste the ad code, post ID or post URL. Choose the second identity, pick the display option and click “Done”.
Without a code (account-level permission): go to Identities, click “Edit”, choose the display option and save. Then boost an existing post or upload new creative.
Publish: Meta reviews the ad and notifies you when it is approved.

For Sales, App promotion and Leads objectives, Meta uses Advantage+ campaign setup, and manual options are still available.

Content-level or account-level permission – which should you choose?

Content-level permission covers a specific post, story or reel and suits a single campaign. Account-level permission suits ongoing ambassadorships: the brand can create ads from the creator’s handle even without an existing post, use content where it is tagged with the paid partnership label, an @mention, a people tag, a product tag or a Collab, and include or exclude the creator’s custom audience. In the Creator Marketing Hub, Meta has also added content-level permissions with expiry dates, so access can be limited to the period that has been agreed.

Partners can revoke Meta permissions at any time. That is why the contract, not the toggle, should define how long and where the content may be used.

How should creative for partnership ads be made?

Start with what already works: boost the organic posts that performed best, rather than guessing in advance.
Keep the creator’s voice: the format works because it looks like content from a person, not a brand.
Hook in the first seconds and make it vertical for Reels and Stories.
Order extra cuts: different openings, lengths and calls to action make testing possible.
Compare against your own ads: run partnership ads and brand ads side by side and let the results decide the budget.

What should the contract say?

Agree on the platforms, the period, which posts or new material the brand may use, whether the material may be edited, and the fee for usage rights and paid media separately from the fee for production. Swedish law requires consent before a person’s name or image is used in advertising, so the scope must be clear. Also agree on who moderates comments – Meta lets the advertiser hide comments on the ad and on the creator’s original post – and what happens if the collaboration ends early.

How should partnership ads be labelled?

All advertising must be clearly recognisable as advertising. Konsumentverket stresses that the company has the main responsibility for marketing published on its behalf and cannot contract that responsibility away to the creator. The disclosure should be clear and conspicuous, so the audience understands it is advertising at a glance. Use Meta’s paid partnership label on the organic post, and make sure the content itself makes it clear that it is advertising. ICC’s code requires particular care in marketing aimed at children and young people. For serious breaches, a company can be ordered to pay a sanction fee of up to four percent of its annual turnover.

How does Collabri work with partnership ads?

We plan paid media from the start. For Protein.com, we produce content optimised for both organic and paid distribution, and the best collaborations become long-term ambassadorships. In the Swedish launch of Fazer Domino, creators on Instagram and TikTok were combined with a paid strategy from day one, and the campaign reached more than 3.5 million views and 14,000 interactions. We handle talent, contracts and rights, production, whitelisting and reporting in one chain.

Key takeaways

The creator gives permission – per post or for the whole account – and the brand turns on the partnership ad toggle in Ads Manager.
A partnership ad code can be used by up to two advertisers at once and can be replaced at any time.
Account-level permission suits long-term ambassadors; content-level permission suits single campaigns.
The contract should define platforms, period, editing and fees, since Meta permissions can be revoked at any time.
Label the content clearly – the brand carries the main responsibility.

Frequently asked questions

Do we need a partnership ad code?

No. If the creator has switched on “Allow brand partner to boost” on a labelled post, or has accepted account-level permission, the brand can create the ad without a code.

Can we use new material that was never posted organically?

Yes, with account-level permission the brand can upload new creative in Ads Manager and run it from the creator’s handle.

Does the creator see the results?

Meta gives the advertiser insights on the partnered content. Agree in the contract how results are shared with the creator.

Can an agency run the ads for us?

Yes. Give the agency access to your Instagram account, Facebook Page and ad account, and make sure the permissions from the creator cover your accounts.

Want help setting up partnership ads with the right creators? Contact Collabri at info@collabri.se. You can also browse our talents and client projects.

Sources

Instagram Help Center – How to create a partnership ad: https://help.instagram.com/1168446653551639
Instagram Help Center – About partnership ad permissions: https://help.instagram.com/442108830566254
Instagram Help Center – Create a partnership ad code to share with partners: https://help.instagram.com/797201308253238
Instagram Help Center – Manage content-level permissions for partnership ads: https://help.instagram.com/606568693172555
Instagram Help Center – How to use the paid partnership label to tag organic branded content on Instagram: https://help.instagram.com/1109894795810258
Meta for Business – IAB Global Creator Week: Making it Easier for Businesses to Partner with Creators and Turn Discovery into Purchase (2026): https://www.facebook.com/business/news/iab-global-creator-week-making-it-easier-for-businesses-to-partner-with-creators
Konsumentverket – Influencers reklaminlägg – regler för företag: https://www.konsumentverket.se/marknadsratt-foretag/influencers-reklaminlagg-regler-for-foretag/
Sveriges riksdag – Lag (1978:800) om namn och bild i reklam: https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-och-lagar/dokument/svensk-forfattningssamling/lag-1978800-om-namn-och-bild-i-reklam_sfs-1978-800/
ICC Sverige – ICC:s regler för reklam och marknadskommunikation (2024): https://iccwbo.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/11/ICC_2024_MarketingCode_Swedish.pdf

This article was written with the help of AI and reviewed by Collabri.