Meta integrates Threads Ads into Marketing API

Meta has officially extended its Marketing API to support ad placements in Threads, marking a significant move to bring its newest text-based social app deeper into its broader advertising ecosystem. The change enables third-party platforms and social media management tools to incorporate Threads feed ads into existing workflows, offering advertisers expanded reach within Meta’s growing product suite.

With Threads now exceeding 350 million monthly active users, Meta’s latest integration allows advertisers to include Threads feed placements in campaigns targeting objectives such as Reach, Traffic, and Website Conversions. These ads appear within the Threads home feed, placed between organic content.

However, Threads feed ads cannot be run in isolation. Advertisers are required to bundle them within the broader “Feeds” placement group, which includes Instagram Feed as a mandatory pairing. This limitation means marketers must opt into both Instagram and Threads placements simultaneously, limiting the flexibility of campaign segmentation across platforms.

Meta emphasized that the volume of ads within Threads will remain intentionally limited during the initial rollout as part of a test-and-learn approach. Consequently, advertisers may observe lower delivery rates to Threads, which will be visible in placement breakdown reports.

Ads on Threads currently support single image formats with aspect ratios ranging from 16:9 to 9:16. Taller aspect ratios are automatically center-cropped. Advanced creative features such as Placement Asset Customization (PAC) are not yet supported, and third-party moderation tools are unavailable, although advertisers can manually manage replies directly through the Threads app.

To run Threads ads, businesses must maintain a Threads profile connected via Instagram, and developers need to secure specific permissions — including threads_business_basic, instagram_basic, and pages_read_engagement — through Meta’s App Review process. Additional ad management permissions may be required depending on account roles set in Meta’s Business Manager.

Meta assures advertisers that brand safety measures are in place from the outset. Ads in Threads are governed by Meta’s Community Standards and Monetization Policies, along with sensitivity filters that help brands control adjacency to organic content.

While the platform’s ad volume remains low for now, the integration with the Marketing API positions Threads as a scalable advertising option. As Meta continues refining the product and gauging user tolerance for commercial content, advertisers can start testing performance and insights using the standard Meta reporting tools, including platform-specific breakdowns via the Insights API.