Meta Ads Setup

    How to create a Meta advertising account

    Set up a Meta Business Portfolio, Ads Manager, and Pixel the correct way the first time. Sourced directly from Meta's Business Help Center.

    Open Meta Business Suite

    Verified against the Meta Business Help Center (facebook.com/business/help). Meta's UI text changes often — cross-check the linked articles for current wording.

    Hub URL

    business.facebook.com

    Setup time

    ~15 minutes

    Business verification

    Up to 14 business days

    2FA

    Required for admins

    Get these right the first time

    These settings are locked once your ad account is created. Changing them later means opening a new account.

    • Currency

      Cannot be changed after the ad account is created. Wrong choice means a new ad account.

    • Country

      Set during business verification; drives payment methods and VAT treatment.

    • Time Zone

      Technically changeable, but doing so closes the existing billing period and resets your cycle.

    01Make sure your prerequisites are in place

    • An established personal Facebook account in good standing (Meta requires a real person as portfolio owner).
    • Two-Factor Authentication enabled on that personal account — this is mandatory for Business Portfolio admins.
    • A Facebook Page for your business (or admin/editor/advertiser access to someone else's Page).
    • An Instagram Professional (Business or Creator) account if you plan to run Instagram ads.
    If you skip 2FA, you'll be blocked from key Business Suite features. Enable it at facebook.com/settings?tab=security before you start.

    02Create your Meta Business Portfolio

    Business Portfolio (formerly Business Manager) is the container for all your Meta business assets. You can create up to 2 personally.

    1. 1Go to business.facebook.com and log in with your personal Facebook account.
    2. 2Click the dropdown below Home in the top-left, then Create a business portfolio.
    3. 3Enter your portfolio name (use your public business or brand name — no special characters).
    4. 4Enter your first/last name and a business email address.
    5. 5Click Create, then check your email and confirm the address.
    New portfolios don't immediately have all features. Meta unlocks them progressively based on advertiser trust. Watch facebook.com/business-support-home for current feature access.

    03Connect your Facebook Page and Instagram account

    A Page can only belong to one Business Portfolio. If a former employee's portfolio owns it, you'll have to request access.

    1. 1In Business Suite: Settings → Pages → Add. Choose Add a Page you own, Request access, or Create new.
    2. 2For Instagram: Settings → Instagram accounts → Add. The account must already be Professional (Business or Creator); switch in the Instagram app first.

    04Create the ad account

    Currency and country are effectively permanent. Choose carefully.

    1. 1Settings → Ad accounts → Add → Create a new ad account.
    2. 2Set Ad Account Name (e.g., "BrandName — USD — US Market").
    3. 3Pick Time Zone (where the majority of your business operates).
    4. 4Pick Currency (must match what you'll pay in).
    5. 5Click Create ad account, then assign people and permissions.

    New accounts start with one ad account ID and $0 spend limit

    Meta unlocks more ad accounts and higher limits only after your first confirmed payment. Plan around that.

    05Add a payment method

    Required before any ad can publish. Available methods vary by country.

    • Credit/debit card: Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover — most universally accepted, supports automatic billing.
    • PayPal: available in select countries.
    • Bank account / direct debit: US and parts of the EU (SEPA).
    • Monthly invoicing: for high-spend advertisers with credit-line approval.
    • Local options: Boleto Bancário (Brazil), Meta Pay, regional wallets.
    Add it in Ads Manager → Billing & payments → Add payment method. New accounts start with a low automatic-billing threshold (around $25 USD) that grows with payment history.

    06Complete business verification

    Required to unlock higher spend limits, WhatsApp Business API, certain restricted ad categories, and to remove new-advertiser restrictions.

    1. 1Go to business.facebook.com/settings/security and click Start verification.
    2. 2Enter legal business name, address, phone, and an HTTPS website.
    3. 3Meta will try to match you to public records; if it can't, you'll upload documents.
    4. 4Pick a confirmation method: email, phone/SMS/WhatsApp, or domain verification (DNS TXT record or HTML file).
    5. 5Submit. Decision typically arrives within 14 business days.
    • Accepted docs: Articles of Incorporation, business license, government tax document, business bank statement (utility bill only for address/phone).
    • Must be unexpired, in a supported language, and not self-filed.
    • Cover personal data (e.g., SSNs) before uploading.

    07Verify your domain (separate from business verification)

    Needed for ad attribution accuracy after Apple's iOS privacy changes.

    1. 1Business Suite → Settings → Brand Safety → Domains → Add a Domain.
    2. 2Add a DNS TXT record (recommended) or upload an HTML file to your site root.
    3. 3Confirm verification in Business Suite.

    08Add people and partners with the right roles

    Never share your personal login. Give agencies Partner Access instead.

    • Full control: all settings, people, assets, billing.
    • Partial access: only assigned assets, with granular task permissions.
    • Per-ad-account roles: Manage ads, Advertiser, Analyst.
    • Partner access: Settings → Partners → Add → enter the agency's Business Portfolio ID and assign assets.

    09Conversion tracking is handled by GhostEngine

    Once you connect your Meta ad account to GhostEngine, the Meta Pixel and Conversions API are managed for you. There is no code to install and no access token to generate.

    • No Meta Pixel install on your site. GhostEngine's single pixel handles browser-side events across every connected platform.
    • No Conversions API setup. Server-side conversions are sent through your Meta OAuth connection, deduplicated with browser events via event_id.
    • Already have a Meta Pixel installed? Leave it as-is. GhostEngine detects it and piggybacks so events don't double-count. Do not also wire up a separate CAPI / GTM server-side / Segment feed — that will inflate conversion counts.

    One small thing on Meta's side

    If your Business Portfolio has only one ad account and one Page, GhostEngine will auto-create a Pixel for you on connect. If you have multiple ad accounts, make sure the one you'll connect already has a Pixel (dataset) in Events Manager so you can select it during connection — you don't need to install any code.

    Watch outs

    Common pitfalls to avoid

    Accounts get disabled for payment failures

    A single declined charge can pause your account immediately. Keep your card current and monitor billing.

    $0 starting spend limit

    Every new advertiser has one ad account and a zero-dollar limit until the first payment is confirmed. Add and clear a payment method before connecting to GhostEngine.

    2FA is mandatory for admins

    Without it, you'll be locked out of key Business Suite features and OAuth handoffs to GhostEngine may fail.

    Currency is permanent

    Want to switch? You'll have to create an entirely new ad account.

    Pages can only belong to one portfolio

    If the Page is already claimed elsewhere, you must request access. You can't just add it.

    Verification document mismatches

    Even small differences ('Inc.' vs 'Incorporated') cause rejection. Match exactly.

    Personal logins shared with agencies

    Always grant Partner Access from Business Settings. Sharing a personal login is insecure and can get the account flagged.

    Connecting from a personal ad account

    Make sure the ad account you connect to GhostEngine sits inside a Business Portfolio. Personal ad accounts have fewer permissions and limited asset sharing.

    Best practices

    Set up the right way from day one

    • Always run ads through a Business Portfolio, never a personal ad account.
    • Use your real legal business name and accurate info. Mismatched info is the #1 cause of verification rejection.
    • Add a payment method and let the first charge clear before connecting to GhostEngine, so launch isn't blocked by billing.
    • Enable 2FA on every admin account immediately.
    • Verify your domain via DNS TXT record for attribution accuracy.
    • Name ad accounts clearly, for example 'BrandName USD US Market'.
    • Keep at least two Full Control admins on the Business Portfolio so you never lose access.
    • Connect your Meta ad account to GhostEngine before launching. Pixel and Conversions API are wired up automatically through OAuth.

    Official references

    Straight from Meta

    Bookmark these. Platforms update their flows often, so always cross-check the latest help-center pages.

    Skip the setup

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