When did Stories ads start on Facebook and Instagram?
Meta gives no single start date. An undated Meta post unveils full-screen ads in Instagram Stories five months after Instagram Stories launched in August 2016. On 25 July 2018 Meta said ads in stories on Facebook were coming soon. Its help page now lists ads in stories for Facebook, Messenger and Instagram.
The pages Meta published give no single day for the start of Stories ads. An undated Meta post unveils full-screen ads in Instagram Stories, five months after Instagram Stories launched in August 2016. On 25 July 2018 Meta said ads in stories on Facebook were coming soon. Today its Help Center lists ads in stories for Facebook, Messenger and Instagram.
When did Instagram Stories ads start?
Meta’s post of 25 July 2018 says: “We launched Instagram Stories back in August 2016”. A second post, “Bringing Business Insights and Ads to Instagram Stories”, carries no date in its page. It says: “In the five months since it launched, Instagram stories has grown considerably”, and that “today we’re unveiling” two tools, “stories insights in Business Tools, and full screen ads in stories”.
Counting five months from August 2016 points to around January 2017. That is arithmetic across two pages, not a date Meta states. If you quote a date in a deck or a brief, cite the two Meta pages and say the launch day is not given.
When did Facebook Stories ads start?
The 25 July 2018 post says Meta rolled out stories in Messenger in 2017, “and on Facebook and WhatsApp soon after”. On ads it says: “Through ads in Instagram Stories, businesses can promote products, build brand awareness and drive sales”. Then: “Soon, you’ll also be able to run ads in stories on Facebook”.
That statement looks ahead, and none of the pages read for this entry gives the day Facebook Stories ads went live. By 16 October 2019 Meta’s post on customizable templates refers to “stories ads across Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger”.
What did Meta say about earning from Stories?
Meta’s annual reports to the SEC show how it described the format.
| Report | What it says |
|---|---|
| Fiscal 2017 | “the Stories format is becoming increasingly popular for sharing content across our products, and we do not currently monetize Stories at the same rate as News Feed” |
| Fiscal 2018 | “our advertising efforts with this format are still under development and we do not currently monetize Stories at the same rate as News Feed” |
Neither says what Stories ads cost you or how they perform for an advertiser. Judge Stories on your own numbers by breaking your results down by placement in Ads Manager.
How did Stories creative change after launch?
On 16 October 2019 Meta wrote: “we’ve had automatic default templates that take any creative asset and render it for the fullscreen vertical space. Now, we are introducing new customizable templates for stories ads across Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger”. It also wrote that “we always recommend creating unique assets for different placements when possible”.
On 12 November 2019 it defined a “Stories-first” asset as “a fullscreen vertical asset designed specifically for Stories”, and a “Stories-optimized” asset as one “originally a non-fullscreen vertical asset that was repurposed from other placements”. If you have a vertical version of your creative, you can use it for Stories.
Where do Stories ads run today?
Meta’s Help Center page says “ads in stories are available for Facebook, Messenger and Instagram”. It lists these objectives for them:
- Awareness
- Traffic
- Engagement
- Leads
- App promotion
- Sales
It says stories are included in Meta Advantage+ placements, and that Instagram Stories is available as a standalone placement. You can add Facebook and Messenger stories as long as Instagram Stories or Facebook feed is also selected. Meta’s templates page says Stories templates are only available for image ads.
What should you do now?
Treat Stories as its own placement with its own creative. Check the Help Center page for your objective, keep a vertical version of each asset and compare Stories results with your other placements. Do not quote a launch date unless you cite where it came from.
FAQ
Can I run Stories ads on Facebook only?
Not on its own, according to Meta’s help page. It says Instagram Stories is available as a standalone placement. You can include Facebook and Messenger stories as long as Instagram Stories or Facebook feed is also selected. Check the page for the options your objective offers.
Can I turn a feed image into a Stories ad?
Meta says Stories templates automatically transform your image into an ad for stories on Facebook, Messenger and Instagram, and that they are only available for image ads. Its 2019 post still recommends unique assets for each placement when possible, so use a template when you have no time for new creative.
Is there an official launch date for Stories ads?
Not in the Meta pages read for this entry. They give August 2016 for Instagram Stories itself, an undated post unveiling Instagram Stories ads, and 25 July 2018 for Facebook Stories ads being “soon”. Cite those pages instead of a single date.
Sources
- Stories: They're Where Your Customers Share and Discover Things They Love (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- Bringing Business Insights and Ads to Instagram Stories (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- Meta (Facebook) Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2017 (Meta filing with the SEC, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- Meta (Facebook) Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2018 (Meta filing with the SEC, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- Making it Easier to Create Custom Stories Ads (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- New Considerations for Creating Effective Stories Ads (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- Create ads in Stories on Facebook, Messenger and Instagram (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- Use Stories templates (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.