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meta-ads

Full read/write integration with Meta (Facebook) Ads API for managing

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Source Code

Meta Ads API

Description

Full read/write integration with Meta (Facebook) Ads API for managing campaigns, ad sets, ads, and accessing performance insights/metrics.

Setup

Environment Variables

  • META_ACCESS_TOKEN - Meta access token (User Access Token or System User Token)
  • META_AD_ACCOUNT_ID - Your ad account ID (numeric, without act_ prefix)

Required Permissions

  • ads_read - Read access to ads data
  • ads_management - Create, edit, and delete ads

Token Types

User Access Token

  • Short-lived: ~2 hours
  • Can be extended to 60-90 days
  • Obtained via OAuth flow or Graph API Explorer

System User Token

  • No expiration
  • Recommended for production/automated access
  • Created in Business Manager

Authentication

All requests require the access token as a query parameter or header:

Authorization: Bearer $META_ACCESS_TOKEN
Content-Type: application/json

Or as query parameter:

?access_token=$META_ACCESS_TOKEN

API Reference

Base URL: https://graph.facebook.com/v25.0/

Important: Ad account IDs must be prefixed with act_ in API calls (e.g., act_123456789).

Ad Account

Get Ad Account Info

curl "https://graph.facebook.com/v25.0/act_$META_AD_ACCOUNT_ID?fields=name,account_status,currency,timezone_name,amount_spent" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $META_ACCESS_TOKEN"

Campaigns

List Campaigns

curl "https://graph.facebook.com/v25.0/act_$META_AD_ACCOUNT_ID/campaigns?fields=id,name,status,objective,daily_budget,lifetime_budget,created_time" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $META_ACCESS_TOKEN"

Get Single Campaign

curl "https://graph.facebook.com/v25.0/{CAMPAIGN_ID}?fields=id,name,status,objective,daily_budget,lifetime_budget,created_time,updated_time" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $META_ACCESS_TOKEN"

Create Campaign

curl -X POST "https://graph.facebook.com/v25.0/act_$META_AD_ACCOUNT_ID/campaigns" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $META_ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "My Campaign",
    "objective": "OUTCOME_TRAFFIC",
    "status": "PAUSED",
    "special_ad_categories": []
  }'

Update Campaign

curl -X POST "https://graph.facebook.com/v25.0/{CAMPAIGN_ID}" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $META_ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "Updated Campaign Name",
    "status": "ACTIVE"
  }'

Pause Campaign

curl -X POST "https://graph.facebook.com/v25.0/{CAMPAIGN_ID}" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $META_ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "status": "PAUSED"
  }'

Delete Campaign

curl -X DELETE "https://graph.facebook.com/v25.0/{CAMPAIGN_ID}" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $META_ACCESS_TOKEN"

Ad Sets

List Ad Sets

curl "https://graph.facebook.com/v25.0/act_$META_AD_ACCOUNT_ID/adsets?fields=id,name,status,campaign_id,daily_budget,lifetime_budget,targeting,optimization_goal" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $META_ACCESS_TOKEN"

Get Single Ad Set

curl "https://graph.facebook.com/v25.0/{ADSET_ID}?fields=id,name,status,campaign_id,daily_budget,lifetime_budget,targeting,optimization_goal,bid_amount,billing_event" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $META_ACCESS_TOKEN"

Create Ad Set

curl -X POST "https://graph.facebook.com/v25.0/act_$META_AD_ACCOUNT_ID/adsets" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $META_ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "My Ad Set",
    "campaign_id": "{CAMPAIGN_ID}",
    "daily_budget": 5000,
    "billing_event": "IMPRESSIONS",
    "optimization_goal": "LINK_CLICKS",
    "bid_amount": 200,
    "targeting": {
      "geo_locations": {
        "countries": ["US"]
      },
      "age_min": 18,
      "age_max": 65
    },
    "status": "PAUSED"
  }'

Note: Budget values are in cents (e.g., 5000 = $50.00).

Update Ad Set

curl -X POST "https://graph.facebook.com/v25.0/{ADSET_ID}" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $META_ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "Updated Ad Set Name",
    "daily_budget": 10000,
    "status": "ACTIVE"
  }'

Pause Ad Set

curl -X POST "https://graph.facebook.com/v25.0/{ADSET_ID}" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $META_ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "status": "PAUSED"
  }'

Delete Ad Set

curl -X DELETE "https://graph.facebook.com/v25.0/{ADSET_ID}" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $META_ACCESS_TOKEN"

Ads

List Ads

curl "https://graph.facebook.com/v25.0/act_$META_AD_ACCOUNT_ID/ads?fields=id,name,status,adset_id,campaign_id,creative,created_time" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $META_ACCESS_TOKEN"

Get Single Ad

curl "https://graph.facebook.com/v25.0/{AD_ID}?fields=id,name,status,adset_id,campaign_id,creative,tracking_specs,created_time,updated_time" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $META_ACCESS_TOKEN"

Create Ad

curl -X POST "https://graph.facebook.com/v25.0/act_$META_AD_ACCOUNT_ID/ads" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $META_ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "My Ad",
    "adset_id": "{ADSET_ID}",
    "creative": {
      "creative_id": "{CREATIVE_ID}"
    },
    "status": "PAUSED"
  }'

Create Ad with Inline Creative

curl -X POST "https://graph.facebook.com/v25.0/act_$META_AD_ACCOUNT_ID/ads" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $META_ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "My Ad",
    "adset_id": "{ADSET_ID}",
    "creative": {
      "object_story_spec": {
        "page_id": "{PAGE_ID}",
        "link_data": {
          "link": "https://example.com",
          "message": "Check out our website!",
          "name": "Example Site",
          "call_to_action": {
            "type": "LEARN_MORE"
          }
        }
      }
    },
    "status": "PAUSED"
  }'

Update Ad

curl -X POST "https://graph.facebook.com/v25.0/{AD_ID}" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $META_ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "Updated Ad Name",
    "status": "ACTIVE"
  }'

Pause Ad

curl -X POST "https://graph.facebook.com/v25.0/{AD_ID}" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $META_ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "status": "PAUSED"
  }'

Delete Ad

curl -X DELETE "https://graph.facebook.com/v25.0/{AD_ID}" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $META_ACCESS_TOKEN"

Ad Creatives

List Ad Creatives

curl "https://graph.facebook.com/v25.0/act_$META_AD_ACCOUNT_ID/adcreatives?fields=id,name,object_story_spec,thumbnail_url" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $META_ACCESS_TOKEN"

Create Ad Creative

curl -X POST "https://graph.facebook.com/v25.0/act_$META_AD_ACCOUNT_ID/adcreatives" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $META_ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "My Creative",
    "object_story_spec": {
      "page_id": "{PAGE_ID}",
      "link_data": {
        "link": "https://example.com",
        "message": "Ad copy text here",
        "name": "Headline",
        "description": "Description text",
        "call_to_action": {
          "type": "SHOP_NOW"
        }
      }
    }
  }'

Insights (Performance Metrics)

Get Account-Level Insights

curl "https://graph.facebook.com/v25.0/act_$META_AD_ACCOUNT_ID/insights?fields=spend,impressions,clicks,reach,cpc,cpm,ctr&date_preset=last_30d" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $META_ACCESS_TOKEN"

Get Campaign Insights

curl "https://graph.facebook.com/v25.0/{CAMPAIGN_ID}/insights?fields=spend,impressions,clicks,reach,frequency,cpc,cpm,ctr,actions&date_preset=last_7d" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $META_ACCESS_TOKEN"

Get Ad Set Insights

curl "https://graph.facebook.com/v25.0/{ADSET_ID}/insights?fields=spend,impressions,clicks,reach,cpc,cpm,ctr,actions&date_preset=last_7d" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $META_ACCESS_TOKEN"

Get Ad Insights

curl "https://graph.facebook.com/v25.0/{AD_ID}/insights?fields=spend,impressions,clicks,reach,cpc,cpm,ctr,actions&date_preset=last_7d" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $META_ACCESS_TOKEN"

Get Insights with Custom Date Range

curl "https://graph.facebook.com/v25.0/act_$META_AD_ACCOUNT_ID/insights?fields=spend,impressions,clicks,cpc,cpm,ctr&time_range={\"since\":\"2026-01-01\",\"until\":\"2026-01-31\"}" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $META_ACCESS_TOKEN"

Get Insights with Breakdowns

curl "https://graph.facebook.com/v25.0/act_$META_AD_ACCOUNT_ID/insights?fields=spend,impressions,clicks,cpc&breakdowns=age,gender&date_preset=last_7d" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $META_ACCESS_TOKEN"

Get Insights by Day

curl "https://graph.facebook.com/v25.0/act_$META_AD_ACCOUNT_ID/insights?fields=spend,impressions,clicks&time_increment=1&date_preset=last_7d" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $META_ACCESS_TOKEN"

Get Insights with Attribution Window

curl "https://graph.facebook.com/v25.0/{CAMPAIGN_ID}/insights?fields=spend,actions,action_values&action_attribution_windows=[\"7d_click\",\"1d_view\"]&date_preset=last_7d" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $META_ACCESS_TOKEN"

Campaign Objectives

Objective Description
OUTCOME_AWARENESS Brand awareness and reach
OUTCOME_ENGAGEMENT Post engagement, page likes, event responses
OUTCOME_TRAFFIC Drive traffic to website or app
OUTCOME_LEADS Lead generation
OUTCOME_APP_PROMOTION App installs and engagement
OUTCOME_SALES Conversions and catalog sales

Legacy objectives (still supported):

  • BRAND_AWARENESS, REACH, LINK_CLICKS, POST_ENGAGEMENT, VIDEO_VIEWS, LEAD_GENERATION, CONVERSIONS, APP_INSTALLS

Targeting Options

Geographic Targeting

{
  "geo_locations": {
    "countries": ["US", "CA"],
    "regions": [{"key": "4081"}],
    "cities": [{"key": "2420379", "radius": 25, "distance_unit": "mile"}],
    "zips": [{"key": "US:90210"}]
  }
}

Demographic Targeting

{
  "age_min": 25,
  "age_max": 54,
  "genders": [1, 2]
}

Gender values: 1 = Male, 2 = Female

Interest Targeting

{
  "flexible_spec": [{
    "interests": [{"id": "6003139266461", "name": "Technology"}]
  }]
}

Budget Types

Type Description
daily_budget Maximum spend per day (in cents)
lifetime_budget Total budget for campaign/ad set duration (in cents)

Important: Budget values are in the smallest currency unit (cents for USD). Example: 5000 = $50.00

Status Values

Status Description
ACTIVE Currently running
PAUSED Manually paused
DELETED Soft deleted
ARCHIVED Archived, not running

Available Metrics

Metric Description
spend Total amount spent
impressions Number of times ads were shown
clicks Number of clicks on ads
reach Number of unique people who saw ads
frequency Average number of times each person saw your ad
cpc Cost per click
cpm Cost per 1,000 impressions
ctr Click-through rate (clicks / impressions)
cpp Cost per 1,000 people reached
actions Total actions (conversions) broken down by type
action_values Value of conversions
conversions Number of conversions
cost_per_action_type Cost per action by type

Attribution Windows

Window Description
1d_click 1-day click attribution
7d_click 7-day click attribution (default)
28d_click 28-day click attribution
1d_view 1-day view-through attribution

Note: As of January 2026, 7-day view (7d_view) and 28-day view (28d_view) attribution windows have been removed. Only 1d_view remains for view-through attribution.

Breakdowns

Breakdown Description
age Age ranges (18-24, 25-34, etc.)
gender Male, Female, Unknown
placement Where ad was shown (feed, stories, etc.)
device_platform Device type (mobile, desktop)
platform_position Position within platform
publisher_platform Facebook, Instagram, Audience Network
country Country of viewer
region Region/state of viewer

Date Presets

Preset Description
today Today only
yesterday Yesterday only
this_month Current month
last_month Previous month
last_7d Last 7 days
last_14d Last 14 days
last_28d Last 28 days
last_30d Last 30 days
last_90d Last 90 days

Pagination

The API uses cursor-based pagination. Responses include a paging object with cursors.

{
  "data": [...],
  "paging": {
    "cursors": {
      "before": "abc123",
      "after": "xyz789"
    },
    "next": "https://graph.facebook.com/v25.0/..."
  }
}

To get the next page:

curl "https://graph.facebook.com/v25.0/act_$META_AD_ACCOUNT_ID/campaigns?fields=id,name&after={AFTER_CURSOR}" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $META_ACCESS_TOKEN"

Limits:

  • Default: 25 records per page
  • Maximum: 5000 records per page (use limit parameter)

Rate Limits

Rate limits are calculated per ad account using the formula:

Call Limit = 60 + (400 × Active Ads) - (0.001 × API Errors)
  • Minimum: 60 calls per hour
  • Increases with more active ads
  • Decreases with API errors

Handling Rate Limits:

  • Check X-Business-Use-Case-Usage header for current usage
  • Implement exponential backoff when receiving 429 responses
  • Start with 1 second delay, double on each retry (max 5 retries)

Token Management

Extending User Access Tokens

Short-lived user tokens (~2 hours) can be exchanged for long-lived tokens (60-90 days):

curl "https://graph.facebook.com/v25.0/oauth/access_token?grant_type=fb_exchange_token&client_id={APP_ID}&client_secret={APP_SECRET}&fb_exchange_token={SHORT_LIVED_TOKEN}"

Response:

{
  "access_token": "long_lived_token_here",
  "token_type": "bearer",
  "expires_in": 5184000
}

Debugging Tokens

Check token validity and permissions:

curl "https://graph.facebook.com/v25.0/debug_token?input_token={TOKEN_TO_CHECK}&access_token={APP_ID}|{APP_SECRET}"

Recommended: System User Tokens

For production use, create a System User in Business Manager:

  1. Go to Business Settings > Users > System Users
  2. Create a new System User with "Admin" role
  3. Assign the ad account to the System User
  4. Generate a token with ads_read and ads_management permissions

System User tokens do not expire.

Changelog

v1.0.0

  • Initial release with full read/write access
  • Ad Account: get info
  • Campaigns: list, get, create, update, pause, delete
  • Ad Sets: list, get, create, update, pause, delete with targeting
  • Ads: list, get, create, update, pause, delete
  • Ad Creatives: list, create
  • Insights: account/campaign/adset/ad level with all metrics
  • Support for breakdowns, date ranges, and attribution windows
  • Campaign objectives and targeting documentation
  • Budget types (daily/lifetime) in cents
  • Pagination documentation
  • Rate limits and token management