How do I choose which products show in a collection ad?
A collection ad's products come from its Instant Experience. Add them from a catalog product set or enter them by hand in Ads Manager, with at least four products or images. With the Storefront template, you then pick Order dynamically, which Meta recommends, or Choose a specific order to set the sequence yourself.
In a collection ad, the products under the cover aren’t picked in the ad itself. They come from the Instant Experience the ad opens. The first image or video in that Instant Experience becomes the ad’s cover, and the rest of its products or images become the small tiles at the bottom. So choosing products means building the Instant Experience the right way.
Which templates can a collection ad use?
| Template | What it does | Requirement or limit Meta lists |
|---|---|---|
| Storefront | Shows catalog products in a grid next to your creative, then sends people to your website or app to buy | Collection format and an ecommerce catalog |
| Lookbook | Features products in lifestyle images with tags linking to product details | Collection format and an ecommerce catalog; not on Instagram placements |
| Customer acquisition | Takes people from the Instant Experience to a signup, subscription or purchase page | Any objective except App promotion |
| Digital circular | Promotes offers to drive traffic to local stores | Not on Instagram Reels |
Meta says Storefront and Lookbook are available with the Traffic and Sales objectives.
How do you choose the products?
- Create a collection ad and go to the ad level.
- Select Collection as the format in Ad setup, or, if it isn’t there, under Format display options in Ad creative.
- In the Destination section, select an Instant Experience or create one from a template.
- Add your products from your catalog, or enter product details manually in Ads Manager.
- Make sure the Instant Experience holds at least 4 products or images.
- With Storefront, choose Order dynamically or Choose a specific order.
- Complete the rest of the ad and publish.
Dynamic or fixed order?
| Option | What Meta says it does |
|---|---|
| Order dynamically (recommended) | Shows products based on what the delivery system predicts people are most likely to respond to |
| Choose a specific order | Shows products in a series you choose, entered by product name or ID and color variation |
What if you build a custom Instant Experience?
A custom Instant Experience can include a Product set component. You pick a catalog and a product set, then enter the most products you want to show. Meta sets the order automatically based on performance, and each product set component holds up to 50 products. You can also create a new product set right there, by naming it and adding filters.
FAQ
Do collection ads work on desktop?
No. Meta says collection ads appear only in mobile placements, not on desktop devices. Its placement list covers Facebook Feed, Marketplace, Stories and Reels, and Instagram Feed, Stories, Reels, Explore and Explore home, or Advantage+ placements.
Can I build a collection ad without a catalog?
Yes. Meta says you can add products to the Instant Experience from your catalog or enter product details manually in Ads Manager. The Storefront and Lookbook templates do need an ecommerce catalog, so use another template if you have none.
Can I edit the Instant Experience after I finish it?
Not after clicking Finish in the builder. Meta warns that once you click Finish on a custom Instant Experience, you can’t make any more edits. Preview it on Facebook and Instagram in the builder before you finish.
Sources
- Choose products to show in a collection ad (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- About Instant Experience templates (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- Add components to your Instant Experience (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- Supported objectives and placement options for collection ads (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
Drafted with AI and checked claim by claim against the pages linked under Sources. Found a mistake? Tell us via the corrections policy.