How to Link Facebook Ad Account to Instagram

Connecting your Facebook and Instagram accounts is a critical first step to running more effective ads across both platforms. This guide breaks down exactly how to link your Facebook Ad Account to your Instagram profile, giving you a centralized way to manage campaigns, reach wider audiences, and unlock powerful advertising features. We'll cover the methods using Facebook Pages, Meta Business Suite, and the Instagram app itself.

Why Should You Link Your Facebook Ad Account to Instagram?

Before we get into the "how," let's quickly cover the "why." Linking these accounts isn't just a technical step, it's a strategic move that fundamentally improves your advertising capabilities. It allows you to manage everything from a single dashboard, Meta Ads Manager, which is far more efficient than trying to run ads from the Instagram app's "Boost Post" button alone.

Here are the biggest benefits:

• Unified Campaign Management: Create, manage, and analyze ad campaigns for both Facebook and Instagram from one central location - Meta Ads Manager. No more jumping between different apps.
• Access to All Ad Placements: Unlocks the ability to run ads in specific Instagram placements like Stories, Reels, and the Explore page, which have unique creative dimensions and high engagement rates.
• Advanced Targeting Options: A linked account gives you access to Meta's powerful targeting tools. You can create saved audiences, Custom Audiences from website visitors, and Lookalike Audiences based on your most valuable Instagram followers or customers.
• Better Analytics and Reporting: Move beyond basic Instagram Insights. In Ads Manager, you can track detailed performance metrics like cost-per-result, ROAS (Return On Ad Spend), and conversion rates, giving you a clear picture of what's actually driving results.
• Streamlined Engagement: Manage comments and direct messages from both Facebook and Instagram in the unified Meta Business Suite inbox, helping you respond faster and maintain better customer relationships.

Before You Start: A Quick Checklist

To make the process go smoothly, you'll need three things in place first. Make sure you have the following ready to go:

1. An Instagram Professional Account: Your Instagram account must be a Business or Creator account, not a Personal account. If you haven't switched it yet, go to your Instagram profile > Settings and privacy > Account type and tools > Switch to professional account. The app will guide you through the quick setup.
2. A Facebook Business Page: You can't run ads from a personal Facebook profile. Your brand needs its own official Facebook Page.
3. Admin Access: You must have administrative access to the Facebook Page and the Meta Business Manager or Business Suite that owns the page. Without admin permissions, you won't be able to approve the connection.

How to Link Your Instagram Account to Your Facebook Page

There are a few different ways to connect your accounts, mainly because Meta is constantly updating its interfaces. We'll walk through the most common and reliable methods so you can find the one that works best for your setup.

Method 1: Linking Through Meta Business Suite (Recommended)

Meta Business Suite is the new central hub for managing your Facebook and Instagram assets. This is the most modern and comprehensive way to link your accounts.

1. Navigate to Business Settings: Go to https://business.facebook.com/settings. If you have multiple business accounts, make sure you've selected the correct one in the top left dropdown.
2. Find Instagram Accounts: In the left-hand navigation menu, look for the "Accounts" section. Click on Instagram accounts.
3. Add Your Account: You'll see any currently connected Instagram accounts here. Click the blue "Add" button and then select Connect your Instagram account.
4. Log In to Instagram: A new window will pop up prompting you to log in with your Instagram username and password. Enter your credentials and click "Log In." This authenticates the connection securely.
5. Assign to Ad Accounts: After connecting, Business Suite may ask you which Ad Accounts and Pages should have access to this Instagram profile. Make sure to assign the primary Ad Account you use for advertising.

Once you complete these steps, your Instagram account is officially part of your Meta business assets. Now, it can be used as an ad identity in Ads Manager.

Method 2: Linking Directly From Your Facebook Page

This is the classic way to link your accounts and can be a bit easier to find if you're not used to navigating Business Suite.

1. Go to Your Facebook Page: Navigate to the Facebook Business Page you want to connect.
2. Open Settings: On your Page's left-side menu, find and click on "Settings."
3. Select "Linked Accounts": In the Settings menu, you should see an option labeled "Linked Accounts." Click on it.
4. Choose Instagram and Connect: Click on "Instagram" from the list of available platforms. Then, click the "Connect account" button.
5. Confirm and Log In: You'll be asked to confirm some permissions. Proceed, and a pop-up window will appear asking you to log into your Instagram account. Enter your username and password to complete the connection.

Method 3: Linking Within the Instagram App

You can also initiate the connection from your phone via the Instagram app. This is a great mobile-first option if you're on the go.

1. Go to Your Profile: Open the Instagram app and navigate to your profile page.
2. Tap "Edit Profile": Right below your bio, you'll see the "Edit Profile" button. Tap it.
3. Connect a Facebook Page: Under the "Public business information" section, find "Page." Tap on it.
4. Choose Your Page: Instagram will show you a list of Facebook Pages that your account has admin access to. Select the correct Facebook Page. If you don't have one, it will also give you an option to "Create a New Facebook Page."

After you select the page, the two are now linked, which solidifies the connection for use in Ads Manager.

Connecting Your Instagram Profile in Ads Manager

Once you’ve linked your accounts using one of the methods above, using it for ads is straightforward. The accounts being connected at the page or business level means the link is available for advertising.

Here’s how to ensure you’re using your Instagram profile when creating an ad:

1. Create a New Ad Campaign: Go to Meta Ads Manager and start building a new campaign as you normally would.
2. Navigate to the Ad Level: Set up your Campaign and Ad Set details. Then, proceed to the third level, the Ad itself. This is where you configure your ad creative and identity.
3. Select Your Identity: Look for the "Identity" section. First, select your Facebook Page from the dropdown menu.
4. Choose Your Instagram Account: Directly below the Facebook Page selection, you'll see an "Instagram account" dropdown. Your newly linked Instagram profile should appear here automatically. Select it.

That's it! As long as that Instagram account is selected as the identity, your ads can run on Instagram with your profile's name and picture. Any engagement (likes, comments) will be credited to your Instagram account, and users who click your profile will be sent to your Instagram grid.

Troubleshooting Common Problems

Sometimes things don't go as planned. Here are a few common issues and how to fix them.

• "You do not have permission to perform this action." This error almost always means you don't have full Admin rights over the Facebook Page or the Meta Business Manager. Check your role by going to Business Settings > People and ensure you're listed as an Admin.
• The wrong Instagram account is connected. If an old or incorrect Instagram account is linked to your Facebook Page, you need to disconnect it first. Go to Facebook Page > Settings > Linked Accounts > Instagram and click "Disconnect." Then, follow the steps again to connect the correct one.
• The connection keeps failing. First, double-check that your Instagram account is a Professional account (Business or Creator). Second, try turning off any ad-blockers in your browser, as they can sometimes interfere with the login pop-up window from Facebook. Finally, logging out and logging back into both Facebook and Instagram can often reset the connection and resolve a glitch.

Final Thoughts

Linking your Facebook Ad Account and Instagram profile is a non-negotiable step for any serious advertiser. It unites your campaign management, opens up powerful targeting features, and provides the detailed reporting you need to understand performance and scale your brand effectively on Meta's platforms.

Once you have campaigns running across both Facebook and Instagram, the next challenge is making sense of all the performance data. Instead of wasting hours manually downloading CSVs from Ads Manager and trying to build reports, we designed Graphed to do that work for you. We connect securely to your marketing platforms, and you can build dashboards and get insights simply by asking questions in plain English - like "show me my Facebook Ads ROAS vs. Instagram Ads ROAS for last month." It lets you focus on strategy, not spreadsheets.