History
How Facebook and Instagram advertising got here: every format, tool and rule change, in order.
- 2004 to 2009: the first ads
- 2010 to 2014: mobile and the news feed
- 2015 to 2018: pixel, Instagram and the reset
- 2019 to 2021: budgets, limits and iOS 14.5
- 2022 to 2026: Advantage+ and automation
2004 to 2009: the first ads (2)
Facebook starts selling ads.
2010 to 2014: mobile and the news feed (7)
Sponsored Stories, mobile ads, Custom Audiences and Lookalikes.
2011Sponsored StoriesWhat were Facebook Sponsored Stories?2012Custom Audiences launchWhen did Custom Audiences launch on Facebook?2012Facebook IPOWhen did Facebook go public and what did it say about ads?2012Instagram acquisitionWhen did Facebook buy Instagram?2013Atlas by FacebookWhat was Atlas by Facebook?2013Video ads in News FeedWhen did video ads come to the News Feed?2014Audience Network launchWhen did the Audience Network launch?
2015 to 2018: pixel, Instagram and the reset (7)
The pixel, Instagram ads, dynamic ads, and the 2018 privacy reset.
2016Messenger ads historyWhen did Messenger ads launch for advertisers?20182018 News Feed changeWhat was the 2018 News Feed change for brands?2018Ad Library launchWhen did the Meta Ad Library launch?2018Cambridge Analytica and ad targetingHow did the Cambridge Analytica case change Meta ads?2018Partner CategoriesWhat were Partner Categories in Facebook ad targeting?2018Stories adsWhen did Stories ads start on Facebook and Instagram?2018View ads and ad transparencyWhen did Meta let people see all ads a Page runs?
2019 to 2021: budgets, limits and iOS 14.5 (7)
Campaign budgets, targeting limits and the attribution shock.
20192019 housing, job and credit ad changesWhat changed for housing, job and credit ads in 2019?2019Relevance score endWhen did Meta end the relevance score?20202020 Facebook ad boycottWhat was the 2020 ad boycott of Facebook?2020Facebook Shops launchWhen did Facebook Shops launch?2021Facebook name change to MetaWhen did Facebook change its name to Meta?2021iOS 14.5 and Meta adsWhat did iOS 14.5 change for Meta ads?2021Reels ads launchWhen did Reels ads launch?
2022 to 2026: Advantage+ and automation (10)
Reels, Advantage+, new surfaces and a changing regulatory map.
2023Meta Verified launchWhen did Meta Verified launch?2023Threads launch and adsWhen did Threads launch and get ads?2024Meta ad automation changes since 2024How has Meta ad automation changed since 2024?2024Meta AndromedaWhat is Meta's Andromeda ad system?2025Advantage+ shopping campaigns historyWhat happened to Advantage+ shopping campaigns?2025Meta ad changes in 2025What did Meta change in ads in 2025?2025Size of Meta's ad businessHow big is Meta's ad business?2025WhatsApp ads launchWhen did WhatsApp ads launch?2026Meta ad changes in 2026What has Meta changed in ads in 2026?2026Meta attribution window changesWhen did Meta change its attribution windows?
More playbooks
StrategiesHow advertisers actually run Meta ads: structure, audiences, creative, budgets, testing, and the old tactics that no longer work.Open →RegionsHow Meta ads differ around the world: payments, taxes, rules, verification, languages and local products.Open →IndustriesHow Meta ads work for each kind of business: which tools fit, which rules apply, and what to watch.Open →ReferenceEvery metric, setting and policy term, by topic.All topics →