Advertiser method. Meta does not publish this as a rule. The mechanics below come from Meta’s documentation; the method itself is common advertiser practice, and results vary.
How do you use offers and discounts in Meta ads?
You choose an offer, state it clearly in the ad and make sure the landing page shows the same one. Meta documents three tools: the Offers feature for showing a discount on an ad component, promo codes that can auto-apply at checkout, and shop offers in Commerce Manager. Whether to discount at all is a business decision.
You use an offer in Meta ads by picking one clear promotion, showing it in the ad, and making sure your landing page and checkout show the same thing. Meta documents three tools for this, covered below. Whether to discount, and by how much, is a business decision.
This approach fits time-limited promotions and products where price is the main hesitation. It fits less well when the discount would cut into margin, when you cannot honor the same offer on the website, or when your account does not have the tools. Meta says the Offers feature and shop offers may not be available to you yet.
Which offer tools does Meta document?
| Tool | What it does | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Offers feature | Shows offer details, such as 20% off, on an ad component such as the call to action button | Traffic, engagement, leads and sales objectives; website conversion location; single image or video format |
| Promo codes | Finds your active promotions and shows relevant ones on Facebook and Instagram ads | Sales objective; website or website and app conversion location; a Meta pixel and events |
| Shop offers | Offers managed in Commerce Manager, such as amount off, sale, free shipping, buy x get y and free gift | For sellers who manage promotions in Commerce Manager |
What you can do: check which of these appear in your Ads Manager before you plan a promotion around one.
How does the Offers feature work?
Meta says offer details are dynamically sourced from the website you enter as the source URL. You can confirm or remove the suggested offers and add your own, up to 20. Manual offer types are percent discount (fixed or up to an amount) and cash discount (fixed or up to an amount), with an optional promo code label and optional dates. Meta says the cash discount type currently supports only US dollars.
If several offers are available, Meta says the one shown is based on what it predicts people are most likely to respond to. The call to action button with offer details appears only on single-media ads in Instagram Stories.
How do promo codes work?
Meta says promo codes can be sourced automatically from your ad creative, existing ad inventory, your website and synced offers in Commerce Manager, or chosen manually. When auto-apply is available, the code is applied when the shopper checks out on your website in the in-app browser. Otherwise, shoppers see the code highlighted and can copy and paste it. On Instagram Stories, Meta may change the call to action to see offer. You keep control through the offer management tool, where you can exclude codes.
What you can do: confirm your pixel is active and your events fire before you rely on promo codes, because Meta lists both as requirements.
How do you choose the offer?
The choice is yours. You can weigh these:
- Percent versus cash. A percentage scales with basket size. A fixed cash amount can be easier to read on a small item.
- Free shipping, gift or discount. Each costs you differently, so compare against your margin.
- Dates. A visible end date can give people a reason to act now, and Meta’s tools accept start and end dates.
- One offer at a time. Several offers can make the message harder to read.
Whichever you choose, make sure the landing page shows the same offer in the same words.
How do you judge whether the offer helped?
Compare against a baseline. The simplest version is two ads that differ only in the offer, run as a split test. The entry on testing offers and landing pages covers the setup, and the entry on A/B tests explains the controls. Promotions can coincide with busy seasons, so a good week may not be the offer’s doing. What you can do: write down the start date, the offer and the comparison before the promotion begins.
What are the trade-offs?
- Margin. A discount lowers revenue on every sale, including sales that would have happened anyway.
- Expectations. Frequent discounts can teach people to wait for the next one.
- Availability. Features may not be available to every account, and the cash discount type is limited to USD.
- Consistency. An ad offer that the site does not honor can create a poor first experience.
FAQ
Does Meta apply my discount automatically?
Meta describes the Offers feature as showing offer details on an ad component. Meta says the promo codes feature can automatically apply a code at checkout on your website in the in-app browser, when auto-apply is available. Otherwise, shoppers copy and paste the code. Shop offers set to automatic are applied at checkout in your shop.
Can I show a discount on the ad button?
Meta says the Offers feature can show offer details, such as 20% off, on a component of the ad such as the call to action button. The call to action with offer details appears only on single-media ads in Instagram Stories, and the feature may not be available to you yet.
Do I need a pixel to use promo codes?
Yes. Meta’s promo codes page lists setting up a Meta pixel on your website, setting up standard or custom events and checking that the pixel is active as steps before you begin. Promo codes are set up in a campaign with the sales objective and a website conversion location.
Sources
- Showcase your offer details in ads created from Meta Ads Manager (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- About promo codes in Meta Ads Manager (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- Set up offers managed in Commerce Manager and Ads Manager (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.