How to Delete Instagram Ad
Made a mistake on an Instagram ad and need it gone, fast? It happens to everyone. Whether you spotted a typo moments after publishing or an offer is simply outdated, you need a quick way to pull it down. This guide will show you exactly how to delete an Instagram ad in a few clicks.
We’ll cover how to do this from both the Meta Ads Manager and directly within the Instagram app. More importantly, we’ll also explain the crucial difference between deleting and pausing an ad - a distinction that can save you from losing valuable campaign data.
Before You Delete: Deleting vs. Pausing Your Ad
Before hitting that permanent delete button, it’s essential to understand your options. In most cases, pausing an ad (also known as turning it off) is a much better choice than deleting it outright.
Here’s the breakdown:
Pausing (Turning Off) an Instagram Ad
When you pause an ad, you stop it from running and spending money. The ad is no longer delivered to users, but it remains in your Meta Ads Manager along with all its performance data - impressions, clicks, conversions, cost-per-result, etc.
You should PAUSE your ad when:
The campaign is underperforming, and you want to stop the budget spend.
A product featured in the ad is temporarily out of stock.
You want to temporarily shift your budget to a better-performing campaign.
The promotion or offer has ended, but you want to reference its performance later.
You might want to restart the ad in the future.
The Golden Rule: 99% of the time, you should pause rather than delete. The historical data attached to your ad is incredibly valuable. It helps Meta’s algorithm learn what works (and what doesn’t) for your account, which can make your future campaigns smarter and more efficient. Deleting that data is like throwing away free research.
Deleting an Instagram Ad
Deleting an ad is a permanent action. When you delete it, the ad is removed from your Ads Manager, and all of its associated performance data is gone forever. You cannot undo this.
You should DELETE your ad only when:
You created it by mistake and it never ran (e.g., a duplicate draft).
The creative contains a serious error (like a pricing mistake or the wrong URL) and you want it completely removed from your account history to avoid confusion.
You are cleaning up your Ads Manager and want to get rid of old, irrelevant drafts that add clutter.
Think twice before deleting a published ad. Once that data is gone, it’s gone. If you simply want an ad to stop running, toggle it off.
How to Delete an Instagram Ad in Meta Ads Manager (Recommended Method)
The Meta Ads Manager is the central hub for all your Facebook and Instagram advertising. It gives you the most control and is the best place to manage your campaigns. Deleting an ad here is a straightforward, though permanent, process.
Understanding the Ad Campaign Structure
Before you start clicking, it's helpful to remember the structure of Meta ad campaigns. There are three levels:
Campaign: This is the top level. Here, you set the advertising objective (e.g., traffic, conversions, leads). A campaign holds one or more ad sets.
Ad Set: This is the middle level. Here, you define your audience, budget, schedule, auction bid, and placements (e.g., Instagram Feed, Stories). An ad set holds one or more ads.
Ad: This is the final level. This is the actual creative your audience sees - the image, video, headline, and copy.
Deleting something at a higher level will also delete everything beneath it. For example, deleting a campaign deletes all the ad sets and ads inside it. If you only want to remove one specific ad creative, make sure you are at the Ad level.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Step 1: Navigate to the Correct LevelLog in to Meta Ads Manager. Depending on what you want to delete, click on the appropriate tab: "Campaigns," "Ad Sets," or "Ads." To delete a single ad but keep the rest of the campaign and ad set active, make sure you click on the “Ads” tab.
Step 2: Select the Ad(s) You Want to DeleteUse the search bar and filters to find the specific ad you want to remove. Once you’ve located it, tick the checkbox to the left of the ad name to select it. You can select multiple ads at once if needed.
Step 3: Delete the AdWith the ad selected, look for the toolbar that appears above the list of ads. You will see a trash can icon labeled "Delete." Click on this icon.
Step 4: Confirm the DeletionA confirmation popup will appear, warning you that this action cannot be undone and that all associated data will be lost. If you are absolutely sure, click the “Delete” button to finalize the process.
Your ad has now been permanently removed from your account. Keep in mind it may take a few minutes for this change to be fully processed across Meta’s systems.
How to Delete a Boosted Post from the Instagram App
If you didn't create a formal campaign in Ads Manager and instead simply "boosted" a post directly through the Instagram app, the process is different. You can delete these promotions right from your phone.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Step 1: Go to Your Promoted PostOpen the Instagram app and navigate to your profile. Find the post that you promoted.
Step 2: Access Ad InsightsTap on the post to view it. Below the image or video, you will see a button labeled “View Insights." Tap it.
Step 3: 'Delete Promotion' OptionOn the performance insights screen, scroll all the way to the bottom. You will see a small trash can icon next to the option “Delete Promotion.” Tap this.
Step 4: Confirm Your ChoiceA popup will ask you to confirm that you want to delete the promotion. Tap “Delete” to confirm. This will stop the ad from running and remove the promotion. Note that deleting the promotion does not delete the original organic post from your profile.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Sometimes things don't go as planned. Here are a few common problems you might run into and how to solve them.
"I can't see the delete button in Ads Manager."
This is almost always a permissions issue. To delete campaigns, ad sets, or ads, you need to have Admin-level access to the ad account. If you only have "Analyst" or "Advertiser" permissions, you can typically only view or edit campaigns, not delete them. Check with the administrator of the ad account to get your permissions updated.
"I deleted the ad, but it still shows up in my billing."
When you delete an ad, you are still liable for any money that was spent up until the moment of deletion. For example, if the ad spent $10 before you deleted it, that $10 charge will still appear on your next bill. Deleting an ad simply prevents it from spending any more money.
"I deleted my ad by accident! Can I get it back?"
Unfortunately, no. Deletion is permanent, and neither you nor Meta support can restore a deleted ad or its performance data. This is the single biggest reason why we recommend pausing over deleting. However, if the ad was created from an existing post, that original post will remain on your profile. You can always create a new ad using that same creative, but it will start with zero performance history.
Final Thoughts
Deleting an Instagram ad is a simple but permanent action. While the steps are easy, it's crucial to understand the implications of losing valuable historical data. In most situations, pausing the ad by turning it off in Ads Manager is the far wiser choice, preserving your data for future analysis and helping the algorithm optimize future campaigns.
Smart ad management isn't just about launching or deleting campaigns - it's about understanding their performance quickly and easily. Knowing which ads to pause, scale, or cut can feel overwhelming when your data is spread across multiple platforms. Instead of spending hours digging through Ads Manager, we built Graphed to connect to all your marketing sources and deliver those insights in seconds. You can ask plain English questions like, "Which campaigns had the worst cost per result last week?" and instantly get a clear, data-backed answer, helping you make better decisions faster.