Meta expands Threads ads globally

Meta has officially opened the floodgates for advertisers on its Threads platform, expanding ad access to all eligible brands worldwide. This move comes after several months of limited testing in select markets such as the U.S. and Japan, signaling Meta’s growing confidence in Threads as a viable social advertising space.

The rollout, announced by Instagram head Adam Mosseri, marks a significant shift for the platform, which had until recently been free of promotional content. Ads will now appear in users’ Threads feeds between organic posts, with Meta aiming to integrate them in a way that “enhances the overall experience.”

“People come to Meta’s apps for a personalized experience that helps them discover businesses and content they love—ads are an essential part of enabling this,” Meta stated in its official blog post. The company emphasized that this broader rollout is designed to help users deepen connections with brands they care about.

All advertisers using Meta’s ad tools—whether through Advantage+ automation or manual placement selection—will now find Threads included by default as a placement option. However, those using Manual Placements can opt out of Threads if desired.

To help advertisers manage where their ads appear, Meta has extended its inventory filter controls to Threads. This feature offers three levels of placement sensitivity: Expanded, Moderate, and Limited, allowing brands to avoid association with certain types of content based on their tolerance for content adjacency.

Although initial reactions have been mixed—some users expressing concern over a cluttered feed—the slow rollout strategy suggests Meta is aware of potential backlash. The company appears to be banking on the gradual normalization of ads, as seen in other platforms under its umbrella, such as Facebook and Instagram.

Despite previous promises to delay monetization until Threads reached a billion users, Meta seems content moving forward at just 32% of that goal, citing the need to support the infrastructure and AI services driving the platform.

For marketers, the global ad expansion presents a fresh opportunity to test new placements and reach audiences in a rapidly evolving space. Whether Threads will prove a profitable investment remains to be seen, but with Meta’s backing and its expanding toolkit for advertisers, the potential is considerable.