How to Turn Off a Facebook Ad, Pause or Delete It

Stopping an ad takes one click, but you have two choices that behave differently. Turning an ad off pauses delivery and keeps everything in place so you can switch it back on later. Deleting removes it from your normal view for good, although its data can still be found. Pick the one that matches whether you’ll want the ad again.

Should you turn it off or delete it?

Compared on	Turn off	Delete
What it does	Tells the delivery system to stop showing it	Removes it from the default view in Ads Manager, Ads Reporting and the app
Can you undo it?	Yes, switch the toggle back on	No, but you can duplicate it
Effect on items below	Turning off a campaign turns off its ad sets and ads	Not applicable
When Meta suggests it	You plan to use it again	Keeping your account tidy, or campaigns with over 200 ads loading slowly

How do you turn an ad off or on?

1. Go to Meta Ads Manager on a computer.
2. Select the Campaigns, Ad sets or Ads tab at the top.
3. Click the toggle next to each item you want to turn off or on.

Meta says it may take a few minutes for delivery to stop. A blue toggle means on and gray means off. Meta’s self-serve ad terms explain what happens after you turn off a campaign.

How do you delete an ad?

1. Go to Meta Ads Manager on a computer.
2. Click Campaigns, Ad sets or Ads and select the item.
3. Click Delete in the action bar, or More then Delete if it isn’t visible.
4. Click Delete again on the confirmation screen.

How do you find ads you’ve deleted?

1. Click the search bar labelled “Search by name, ID or metrics”.
2. Click Delivery, then choose campaign, ad set or ad delivery.
3. Select Is, then Deleted and archived from the values menu.
4. Click Apply.

Meta keeps a maximum 37-month reporting window, so ads deleted longer ago still appear but without reporting data.

FAQ

Why can’t I turn my ad back on?

Meta suggests resetting the amount spent toward your account spending limit or updating your payment method. If an ad stopped running and you didn’t turn it off, Meta has a separate troubleshooting guide for ads that aren’t running in Ads Manager.

Does turning off a campaign stop every ad inside it?

Yes. Meta says turning off a campaign turns off every ad set and ad in that campaign. To stop only one ad, use the toggle on the Ads tab instead, so the rest of the campaign keeps delivering.

Can I turn ads off from my phone?

The steps here are for Ads Manager on a computer. Meta has separate instructions for turning campaigns off or on in the Meta Ads Manager app, so look for the toggle there if you’re on mobile.