Threads begins global ad rollout

Meta has announced that advertising on Threads will begin rolling out to all users worldwide starting in the first week of February, marking a new phase in the platform’s monetisation strategy nearly two years after its launch.

The rollout will take place gradually and may take several months to complete. During the early stages, ad delivery is expected to remain limited as Meta scales availability across regions. The expansion follows last year’s move to open Threads ads to all eligible advertisers globally, extending access from earlier pilot markets including the US and Japan.

Threads currently reports more than 400 million monthly active users, with Meta stating that the app has continued to add users steadily since its debut in mid-2023. While Meta has not disclosed updated daily active user figures, third-party data has suggested that Threads has surpassed X in daily mobile usage, positioning it as a growing destination for real-time discussion and commentary.

Ads on Threads will be powered by Meta’s AI-driven advertising system, delivering personalised placements similar to those seen across Facebook and Instagram. Advertisers can extend existing campaigns to Threads through Advantage+ and manual campaigns without requiring a dedicated Threads profile, managing placements alongside Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp through Meta’s Business Settings.

Supported ad formats include image, video, and carousel ads, with recent additions such as 4:5 aspect ratio creatives, Advantage+ catalog ads, and app promotion campaigns. Brands can also repurpose existing posts from Facebook or Instagram directly into Threads ads via Meta Ads Manager.

To address advertiser concerns around placement and transparency, Meta has integrated third-party verification services into the Threads feed, including tools from Integral Ad Science, DoubleVerify, and Scope3. These integrations allow brands to apply safety and suitability controls, including inventory filters that adjust the sensitivity of adjacent content.

Meta has not specified how frequently ads will appear in users’ feeds once the rollout is complete. The company has stated only that ad load will increase cautiously as global availability expands.