What is a collection ad?
A collection ad pairs one large cover image or video with a grid of smaller product images below it. Tapping the cover opens a full-screen Instant Experience for browsing; tapping a product opens its product page on your website. Collection ads run only on mobile placements and need at least four products or product images.
Collection is Meta’s format for moving someone from browsing to buying inside one ad. The top of the ad is a big cover image or video; under it sits a small grid of products. The cover opens a full-screen Instant Experience on the phone, while each product tile leads to that product’s page on your site. Meta says what happens on tap can vary by placement.
What is a collection ad used for?
Meta names four jobs for the format:
- Drive product discovery by pairing video or imagery with relevant products
- Give people a full-screen browsing experience on mobile
- Turn interest into sales on your website or app
- Show off your catalog, using Advantage+ catalog to include multiple products
Which objectives and placements support collection ads?
You can create a collection ad with the Awareness, Traffic, Engagement, Leads or Sales objective. Meta lists these placements, or you can choose Advantage+ placements:
| Platform | Placements Meta lists |
|---|---|
| Feed, Marketplace, Stories, Reels | |
| Feed, Stories, Reels, Explore, Explore home |
Collection ads appear only on mobile placements, not on desktop. Meta also notes that the Lookbook Instant Experience template does not work on Instagram placements, and the Digital Circular template does not work on Instagram Reels.
What do you need before you start?
Meta lists two requirements: a cover image or video, and at least four product images or products from your catalog. You can use an existing catalog from Commerce Manager or upload products by hand.
How do you create a collection ad in Ads Manager?
Ads Manager is rolling out a new ad setup experience. If Collection no longer appears in ad setup, Meta says you can still pick it in the ad creative section, under format display options. For the Awareness, Traffic or Engagement objectives, Meta’s steps are:
- Go to Meta Ads Manager and click + Create.
- Select Awareness, Traffic or Engagement, then click Continue.
- Set the conversion location or performance goal at the ad set level, such as Website or App for Traffic.
- Select Single image or video, or Carousel, as the format in ad setup.
- Choose an existing Instant Experience in the destination section, or click + Create new and pick a template.
- Open format display options in the ad creative section, click Edit and select Collection.
- Preview the ad across placements, then publish.
If you start from Carousel, Meta says to add at least 5 cards before switching the display to Collection.
Which Instant Experience templates can you use?
| Template | What Meta says it does |
|---|---|
| Storefront | Features products in a mobile shopping experience |
| Customer acquisition | Mobile landing page to help people discover your brand |
| Lookbook | Shows products in lifestyle images with product tagging |
| Digital circular | Promotes current offers to drive store visits |
FAQ
Why can’t I find Collection in ad setup?
Meta is rolling out a new ad setup and ad creative experience in Ads Manager. Collection may no longer appear as a format in ad setup, but Meta says you can still select it in the ad creative section, under format display options. Start with Single image or video, or Carousel, then switch the display.
Will my product images be cropped?
They may be. Meta says the product images below your cover media may be automatically adjusted to a 1:1 or 4:5 aspect ratio. In Stories and Reels, the collection layout can also differ depending on whether your cover image or video is 1:1 or 16:9, so check each placement in preview.
Does a collection ad show my website URL?
Not in every case. Meta says that starting in March 2026, single media and Advantage+ catalog collection ads on Facebook Feed no longer display a URL in the ad footer. People still reach your site by tapping the product images, which open the product pages you provide.
Sources
- About collection ads (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- Supported objectives and placement options for collection ads (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- Create a collection ad from Meta 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.