Everything You Need to Set Up Meta Ads

You don't need to install any special software to start running Meta ads. Instead, you'll need to create and connect several Meta accounts and advertising tools, including a Meta Business account, Meta Ad account, Facebook Page.

If you're advertising a website, you'll also need to set up website tracking so Meta can measure conversions and optimize your campaigns. This includes setting up the Meta Pixel and, depending on how you connect your website, the Conversions API to improve tracking accuracy.

This guide will walk you through each step, so you'll have everything in place before launching your first Meta ad campaign.

What do you need to set up Meta Ads?

* These steps apply if you're advertising a website. If you're promoting a mobile app, you'll need to set up app event tracking instead.

#1. Create a Meta Business account, Business Suite & Business Portfolio

To run Meta ads, you first need a Meta Business account. Creating one gives you access to Meta Business Suite, where you manage your advertising assets, and allows you to create a Meta Business Portfolio, which stores your Facebook Pages, Instagram accounts, ad accounts, Meta Pixel, and other business assets.

How to create a Meta Business account

1. Go to business.facebook.com
2. Sign in with your personal Facebook account
3. Click “Create account”
4. Enter your business name, your name, and your business email address
5. Verify your email address to finish setup

Once your Meta Business account has been created, you'll be able to access Meta Business Suite, create a Business Portfolio, and continue setting up the assets needed to run ads.

❗You may still see the term Meta Business Manager in older guides. Meta renamed Business Manager to Business Portfolio, but many people still use the old name interchangeably.

👉 Need step-by-step screenshots? Follow our complete guide to creating a Meta Business account, Business Suite, and Business Portfolio.

‍

#2. Create a Meta Ad account

A Meta Ad account is where you create, manage, and pay for your Facebook and Instagram advertising campaigns. If you created a Meta Business account, you'll usually be prompted to create an ad account during setup. 

If not, you can create one at any time from Meta Business Suite.

How to create a Meta Ad account

1. Open Meta Business Suite and go to Settings
2. Select Accounts > Ad accounts
3. Click Add, then “Create a new ad account”
4. Enter an ad account name, choose your time zone and currency, then follow the on-screen prompts
5. Assign the ad account to your Business Portfolio and add a payment method

Once your ad account has been created, you'll be able to open Meta Ads Manager, where you'll create, manage, and monitor your advertising campaigns.

❗ Important: Your ad account's currency can't be changed after it's created, so choose it carefully. If you need a different currency later, you'll have to create a new ad account.

‍

#3. Connect your Facebook Page to your Meta Business Portfolio

To run Meta Ads, you need to connect a Facebook Page to your Business Portfolio. Your Facebook Page serves as the identity behind your ads, including ads shown on Instagram, allowing people to recognize and interact with your business.

How to connect a Facebook Page

1. Open Meta Business Suite and go to Settings > Accounts > Pages
2. Click “Add” and choose one of the following:
   
   • Add an existing Facebook Page if you own it
   • Request access to a Facebook Page if it belongs to a client or another business
   • Create a new Facebook Page if you don't have one yet
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup
   
   

#4. Connect your Instagram Professional account to your Meta Business Portfolio

To run ads on Instagram, you'll need to connect an Instagram Professional account to your Business Portfolio. Connecting your account lets you run ads across Instagram, use your Instagram profile as the ad identity, and manage messages and notifications from Meta Business Suite.

If you only plan to advertise on Facebook, this step is optional. 

However, connecting Instagram gives you access to more placements and lets Meta optimize your ads across both Facebook and Instagram.

How to connect an Instagram Professional account

1. Open Meta Business Suite and go to Settings > Accounts > Instagram accounts
2. Click “Add”
3. Sign in to your Instagram Professional account
4. Follow the prompts to authorize the connection

🔗 Related article: How to Change Your Instagram Personal Profile to a Professional Account

#5. Set up the Meta Pixel (website tracking) 

If you're advertising a website, you'll need to set up website tracking before launching your first campaign. This allows Meta to measure actions people take on your website after interacting with your ads, such as purchases, form submissions, and sign-ups.

Today, website tracking is managed through a Meta Dataset in Meta Events Manager. During setup, you'll create (or select) a Dataset before choosing how you'd like to connect your website.

💡Good to know: Although Meta's interface now uses the term Dataset, you're still setting up the Meta Pixel to track activity on your website. If supported, your setup may also include the Conversions API, which sends additional server-side data to improve tracking.

How to set up website tracking

1. Open Meta Events Manager
2. Click Connect data and select "Web"
3. Create a new Dataset (or select an existing one if you've already set up website tracking)
4. Choose how you'd like to connect your website:
   
   • Partner integration (recommended for most Shopify, WordPress, and other supported websites)
   • Conversions API Gateway (for advanced server-side tracking)
   • Manual setup (for custom or unsupported websites)
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to connect your website and configure your tracking events

💡 With partner integrations like Shopify and WordPress, the Meta Pixel is installed automatically and the Conversions API is often enabled as part of the setup. 

‍

#6. Verify your website domain

If you're sending traffic to your website, you should verify your domain in Meta Business Suite before launching conversion campaigns. Domain verification proves that you own your website and allows you to configure web events, improve conversion tracking, and manage how your links appear across Meta's platforms.

While you can create campaigns without verifying your domain, some advertising features and event configuration may be limited.

How to verify your domain

1. Open Meta Business Suite and go to Settings > Brand safety and suitability > Domains
2. Click “Add” and enter your domain name
3. Choose one of Meta's verification methods:
   
   • Add a DNS TXT record (recommended)
   • Upload an HTML file to your website
   • Add a meta-tag to your website's <head> section
4. Complete the verification and wait for Meta to confirm ownership

💡 Tip: Verify your root domain (for example, example.com) rather than individual subdomains whenever possible.

#7. Configure your conversion events

Before launching your first Meta ad campaign, decide which actions you want Meta to measure and optimize for. These actions are called events and are configured in Meta Events Manager.

Common standard events include:

• Purchase
• Lead
• Add to Cart
• Initiate Checkout
• Complete Registration
• Subscribe

Meta uses these events to understand whether your campaigns are driving real business outcomes, optimize delivery to people most likely to convert, and report on your campaign performance.

If Meta's standard events don't match your business goals, you can also create custom events or custom conversions for more specific actions.

#8. Test your Meta Ads setup before launching

Before spending money on your first campaign, take a few minutes to confirm that everything is connected and working correctly. Catching setup issues early can help you avoid inaccurate tracking, missing conversions, and wasted ad spend.

Use this checklist before you publish your first ad:

✅ Your Meta Business account, Business Portfolio, and Meta Ad account are set up.

✅ A valid payment method has been added to your ad account.

✅ Your Facebook Page and Instagram Professional account (if applicable) are connected.

✅ Your website tracking has been set up (Meta Pixel and, where applicable, the Conversions API).

✅ Your website domain has been verified (if you're advertising a website).

✅ Your conversion events are configured and firing correctly in Meta Events Manager.

Once everything is in place, you're ready to launch your first Meta ad campaign with confidence.

💡 Tip: Use the Test Events tool in Meta Events Manager to confirm that your website events are being recorded correctly before your campaign goes live.

Optional: Give your marketing agency access to your Meta assets

If you're working with a marketing agency, freelancer, or consultant, you'll need to give them access to your Meta assets so they can manage your campaigns without sharing passwords or transferring ownership.

You can do this manually in Meta Business Suite by going to Settings > Users > Partners > Add, entering your agency's Business ID, and assigning access to the relevant assets, such as your ad account, Facebook Page, Instagram account, or Dataset.

Alternatively, you can use a client onboarding tool such as Leadsie to grant access to your Meta assets. Your agency sends you a secure access request link, and you review and approve the permissions being requested instead of manually assigning access to each Meta asset.

The same request can also include access to other marketing platforms such as Google Ads, Google Analytics, Shopify, LinkedIn, and TikTok.

‍

⚡ Pro tip: Get marketing projects started faster

Hiring a marketing agency, freelancer, or consultant? Giving them access to your business accounts shouldn't require endless emails, confusing permission settings, or sharing login credentials.

Leadsie is a client onboarding platform that helps businesses securely grant access to marketing, advertising, and social media accounts through a single approval link. Your agency sends the link, you review the permissions they've requested, and approve only the access you're comfortable giving.

With Leadsie, you can securely share access to Meta, Google, LinkedIn, TikTok, Shopify, and 14+ other marketing platforms in just a few clicks.

Why businesses use Leadsie:

✅ Approve only the permissions your agency actually needs

✅ Avoid sharing passwords or sensitive login information

✅ Get campaigns, ads, and marketing projects started faster

✅ Keep account access secure with 100% GDPR and CCPA-compliant workflows

Trusted by 189,077+ businesses that have securely shared access to more than 498,634 accounts, Leadsie is used by 1,500+ agencies and brands worldwide.

💬 "I never want to do onboarding without Leadsie!" -Alyssa, Meta Ads Manager

🎁 If your agency isn't using Leadsie yet, send them this page and encourage them to start an unlimited 14-day trial—no credit card required.