Can’t run an Instagram partnership ad? Check the permissions

If Ads Manager stops showing your organization’s identity when you select a creator’s content, check each permission separately. Confirm what the creator authorized, whether the content is eligible, and whether your agency can access the assets it uses to set up ads. The notice alone does not show which layer needs attention.

Identify the permission you need

Meta distinguishes between permission for one piece of content and permission for a broader relationship. The creator can revoke either one. Read Meta’s overview of partnership ad permissions.

Meta also lists an exception: if two Instagram or Facebook accounts belong to the same business and the employee already has ad access to both assets, they can run partnership ads without separate partnership ad permission.

• For one post, story, or Reel: the creator can share a partnership ad code. The other route is to turn on Allow brand partner to boost for eligible existing content where the advertiser is tagged in the paid partnership label. A code can authorize a piece without that label. Meta’s help separates the steps for content being created from content that is already published. Follow the relevant section in Meta’s guide to content-level permissions.
• For an ongoing partnership: the advertiser can request account-level permissions. Meta describes this as broader access for that relationship. If the creator has accepted the request, confirm that the selected identity matches the account they authorized.

Coauthor status, labels, and ad permission are separate authorizations. Meta includes tagged Instagram Collabs as eligible existing content for certain ads when the advertiser has account-level permission and the other requirements are met.

Send and approve an account-level request

Meta documents the advertiser’s request in Creator Marketing Hub:

1. In Meta Business Suite, open Creator Marketing in the left navigation.
2. Under the Creators tab, choose Manage permissions.
3. Select Add partnership, search for the creator’s username, and select their account.
4. Choose Next, select the advertiser account, then choose Done.
5. Send the request with Send request. While it is pending, Meta shows Request sent under Manage permissions.

The creator must accept the request. One option is the Instagram app: they should open their profile and menu, choose Professional dashboard, then Partnership ads, Ad partners, and Pending requests. From there, they can approve or decline it. Meta also allows acceptance through Partnership Ads Hub or the Facebook app. Meta requires an Instagram professional account and eligible, approved content; Instagram web does not support this flow. If the creator’s Instagram and Facebook accounts are linked, accepting can grant account-level permission for both. Read the advertiser steps and the creator steps.

Check your agency’s asset access

Creator permission and your team’s access to the assets used in the campaign are separate. Meta says an agency needs permissions for the Instagram account, Facebook Page, and ad account involved in the campaign. Ask the person who manages those assets to check the access of the person setting up the ad on each one. If a partner shared the asset, only the permissions that partner granted can be assigned. Request any missing level from the asset’s administrator. Read how Meta manages asset permissions.

Meta requires full control of the business portfolio for people who edit other people’s permissions in Meta Business Suite. Full control of a Page and full control of the portfolio are separate access levels. To set up the ad, check the specific access for each relevant asset and request only the permissions needed.

Check eligibility and continue in Ads Manager

Meta evaluates content eligibility separately from permission and access. Its published requirements include a professional Instagram account, public content that meets its rules, and an authentic, established presence. Meta does not give a numerical threshold for that presence. Formats and setup steps can also vary by campaign objective and the experience you see. Check Meta’s eligibility requirements before setting up the campaign.

Once you have the relevant permission and access, Meta’s general setup starts in Ads Manager: turn on Partnership ad at the ad level and add the content code, post ID, or URL if you are using content-level permission. Then select the second identity. Read Meta’s current guide to creating a partnership ad. Meta provides different steps for existing posts and new creative, and notes that some options vary by objective.

If the request is approved, you chose the right identity, and the content is eligible, but Ads Manager still removes the identity or shows the same notice, keep the exact error text and use the support options shown in your account. Do not expand portfolio permissions as a test.

For a Collab post that you cannot promote through the usual boost flow, see what to check when Instagram will not let you boost a post. The Instagram Collabs guide covers organic coauthoring.