Basic Ad Creation

Updated: Jun 24, 2026

To create ads with the Marketing API, set up campaigns, ad sets, and ad creatives. This document covers each component with code samples.

Ad creation endpoints

The Marketing API provides several endpoints to create and manage advertising campaigns. The primary creation endpoints include campaigns, adsets, and ads. This document describes these endpoints and what they do.

The campaigns endpoint

Use the campaigns endpoint to create and manage campaigns. Use this endpoint to set the overall objectives for your marketing efforts, such as brand awareness or conversions.

Example API request:

curl -X POST \
  https://graph.facebook.com/v25.0/act_<AD_ACCOUNT_ID>/campaigns \
  -F 'name=My Campaign' \
  -F 'objective=LINK_CLICKS' \
  -F 'status=PAUSED' \
  -F 'access_token=<ACCESS_TOKEN>'

The adsets endpoint

The adsets endpoint organizes ads within campaigns based on specific targeting criteria and budget allocation. Ad sets allow for more granular control over audience targeting and spending.

Example API request:

curl -X POST \
  https://graph.facebook.com/v25.0/act_<AD_ACCOUNT_ID>/adsets \
  -F 'name=My Ad Set' \
  -F 'campaign_id=<CAMPAIGN_ID>' \
  -F 'daily_budget=1000' \
  -F 'targeting={"geo_locations":{"countries":["US"]}​}' \
  -F 'access_token=<ACCESS_TOKEN>'

The ads endpoint

Use the ads endpoint to create advertisements, defining ad creatives and linking them to the appropriate ad set.

Example API request:

curl -X POST \
  https://graph.facebook.com/v25.0/act_<AD_ACCOUNT_ID>/ads \
  -F 'name=My Ad' \
  -F 'adset_id=<AD_SET_ID>' \
  -F 'creative={"creative_id": "<CREATIVE_ID>"}' \
  -F 'status=ACTIVE' \
  -F 'access_token=<ACCESS_TOKEN>'