Single image
The workhorse. Use 1080×1350 (4:5) or 1080×1080 (1:1). Great for offers, launches, and repurposing your best organic posts.
Threads ads now reach users in every market, run through Meta Ads Manager, and - since September 2026 - no longer need an Instagram account. This guide covers how to set up a Threads campaign, what Threads ads cost, which formats to use, and the campaign plays that work.
Threads ads are sponsored posts that appear in the Threads home feed, labelled "Sponsored" and styled like native posts. You don't buy them in the Threads app - they run through Meta Ads Manager, alongside your Facebook and Instagram campaigns, using the same audiences, pixel, and reporting.
Meta pilots Threads ads with select brands in the US and Japan.
Any eligible advertiser can add Threads placements in Ads Manager.
Carousel ads and Advantage+ catalog ads come to Threads.
Ads begin showing to Threads users in every market.
No matching Instagram username needed; brands can advertise from a Threads-only profile.
If you've run Meta ads before, you're 90% there. Threads is a placement inside the same campaign builder - here's the full flow from zero.
Use an Instagram-linked Threads profile, or - since September 2026 - a standalone Threads profile. It must be in good standing; restricted accounts can't serve as the ad identity.
Add the profile to your Meta business portfolio. Threads now has its own task-based permissions, so you can give your ads team Threads-only access.
Pick an objective - Awareness, Traffic, Engagement, Leads, App promotion, or Sales. Available objectives can vary by account and region.
Threads is included in Advantage+ placements by default. To test Threads on its own, switch to Manual placements and tick Threads Feed.
Use Meta's full targeting stack: location, age, interests, Custom Audiences from your pixel or customer list, and Lookalikes. There's no Threads-only interest targeting yet.
Add 4:5 or 1:1 creative with short, conversational copy. Set a daily or lifetime budget, publish, and give delivery 3–7 days to exit the learning phase before judging results.
Threads supports the core Meta feed formats. Vertical 4:5 creative takes up the most screen space in the feed - and copy that sounds like a person, not a press release, performs best.
The workhorse. Use 1080×1350 (4:5) or 1080×1080 (1:1). Great for offers, launches, and repurposing your best organic posts.
Autoplays muted, so burn in captions and hook viewers in the first three seconds. Keep it vertical (4:5) and short.
Up to 10 swipeable image or video cards, each with its own headline and link. Ideal for product ranges, step-by-step stories, and before/after.
Pulls products from your Meta catalog and shows each person the items they're most likely to buy. Best for e-commerce with a product feed.
| Spec | Recommendation | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Aspect ratio | 4:5 (1080×1350) | 1:1 (1080×1080) also supported; taller assets are cropped |
| Primary text | 80–160 characters | Short, conversational copy reads as native in a text-first feed |
| Headline | Around 40 characters | Shown under the media with your call-to-action button |
| Video | MP4, captions burned in | Plays muted by default; front-load the hook |
| Carousel | Up to 10 cards | Mix images and videos; each card gets its own link |
| Placement | Threads Feed (mobile) | Included in Advantage+ placements, or select manually |
Threads ads are sold by auction, so there's no fixed price - you set a budget and pay for impressions or results. Meta doesn't publish placement-level prices, but early third-party benchmarks put Threads well below Instagram.
COST PER 1,000 IMPRESSIONS · USD · 2026 BENCHMARKS
Audience size and competition, your objective (conversion campaigns cost more per impression than awareness), creative quality, seasonality, and how relevant Meta's system judges your ad to be.
Meta's minimums are small and vary by currency - often a few dollars a day. Practically, budget enough to collect around 50 results a week per ad set so delivery can optimize.
Fewer advertisers compete for Threads inventory than for Instagram's. Expect prices to rise as more brands move in - early testers lock in learnings at lower cost.
Benchmarks come from third-party agency and tool data (see sources at the end of the page), not official Meta pricing. Your results will vary by market, industry and objective.
Estimate what a campaign might deliver. Adjust the sliders - defaults use mid-range 2026 benchmarks.
Estimates only. Real delivery depends on auction competition, audience, objective and creative.
Pick the objective that matches your goal, then use one of these proven plays. Each one leans into what makes Threads different: conversation.
Optimize for reach with a tight frequency cap. Pair a bold 4:5 image with a one-line hook that invites replies.
Watch: CPM · reach · frequencyPromote articles, guides, or landing pages. Native in-app link clicks aren't in Threads Insights, so tag every link with UTMs.
Watch: CPC · CTR · landing-page viewsDrive to a website form with a free resource or waitlist. Retarget engaged visitors with a Custom Audience.
Watch: cost per lead · form rateAdvantage+ catalog ads match products to shoppers. Start broad and let the algorithm find buyers.
Watch: CPA · ROASShow a short screen-recording video of the app in action, with a clear "Install" call to action.
Watch: cost per installAsk a genuine question in your ad copy. On Threads, replies are the signal that matters - and they're free extra reach.
Watch: replies · cost per engagementFind posts that already earned replies (your Threads Insights summary flags them), then turn them into ads. Proven copy beats guesswork.
Run one ad set on Threads Feed only and one on Advantage+ placements with the same creative. Compare cost per result after 7 days.
Build Custom Audiences from site visitors and customer lists, then follow up with a carousel that answers the questions people asked in replies.
Threads uses Meta's full targeting and reporting stack. The key is reading results by placement, not as a blended campaign average.
Location, age, gender, language, detailed interests, Custom Audiences (pixel, app events, customer lists), and Lookalikes. There's no targeting by Threads-specific behaviour such as topics or replies yet.
In Ads Manager, open Breakdown → By delivery → Placement to see Threads results separately from Facebook and Instagram.
Pair Ads Manager data with UTM-tagged links in your analytics, so you can tie Threads spend to sign-ups and revenue.
Threads ads follow Meta's advertising standards, and third-party verification for the Threads feed is available through Meta Business Partners.