Meta Ads MCP — Operational Guide
Scope: How to create, manage, update, pause, and document Meta (Facebook/Instagram) ad campaigns using the Facebook Ads MCP. Covers account setup, campaign architecture, targeting, creative, tracking, retargeting, documentation, and safety guardrails.
How to use this skill
This file is the entrypoint. Detailed playbooks live in references/. Load only the file relevant to the current task:
| Task | Reference |
|---|---|
| Pick the right ad account, build campaign hierarchy, name entities | references/campaign-architecture.md |
| Set budgets, choose cold/warm/hot audiences, apply exclusions | references/budget-and-audience.md |
| Choose ad format, write copy frameworks, generate creative assets | references/creative-and-copy.md |
| Install Pixel/CAPI, define events, build retargeting structure | references/tracking-and-retargeting.md |
| Create campaigns via MCP, monitor KPIs, document decisions | references/campaign-operations.md |
| Run pre-campaign intake before launch | references/intake-questions.md |
| Follow hard safety rules and account-health guardrails | references/safety-guardrails.md |
Core workflow — always follow this order
- Verify the account —
ads_get_ad_accounts,ads_get_pages_for_business,ads_get_dataset_details. Never proceed with an unverified pixel or unlinked page. - Run intake — gather goal, audience, creative, budget, timeline, and landing page. Do not invent answers.
- Plan structure — pick objective, decide CBO vs ABO, draft 3–5 ad sets and 3–5 ads per set with consistent names.
- Create everything PAUSED — campaign → ad set → ad, all with
status: PAUSED. - Preview + verify — check pixel attachment, destination URL, ad preview, and naming in Ads Manager UI before activation.
- Activate only after approval — flip status to
ACTIVEonly after the full review is signed off. - Document — log the campaign brief, audiences, creatives, performance, and decisions in the campaign documentation folder.
Non-negotiable safety rules
These are summarized here; full list in references/safety-guardrails.md.
- PAUSE, never delete. Deletes destroy historical learning and cannot be reversed.
- Always create in PAUSED status. No exceptions.
- Never edit budget by more than 20% at once — larger jumps reset the Learning Phase.
- Never run a campaign without a verified pixel.
- Never touch a campaign in Learning Phase — first 7 days / ~50 events.
- Special ad categories must be declared — housing, credit, employment, political/social issues.
- Detailed interest targeting was deprecated January 2026. Use Advantage+ Audience or broad targeting + strong creative.
Key MCP tools — quick reference
Account & assets:
ads_get_ad_accounts list accessible ad accounts
ads_get_pages_for_business list pages under a Business Manager
ads_catalog_get_catalogs check product catalogs for dynamic ads
ads_get_dataset_details verify Pixel/dataset installation
ads_get_dataset_quality check Event Match Quality (target 7+/10)
Creation:
ads_create_campaign create campaign (always status: PAUSED)
ads_create_ad_set create ad set under a campaign
ads_create_ad create ad under an ad set
ads_activate_entity flip status; use PAUSED to disable, never delete
Reporting:
ads_get_ad_entities pull campaign/ad set/ad performance
ads_insights_performance_trend analyze trends over time
ads_insights_anomaly_signal detect unusual patterns
ads_get_opportunity_score review Meta recommendations
Related skills
- facebook-ads — full ad copy generation: copy variations, headlines, CTA options, and visual concepts.
- image generation skills — generate ad creatives in 1:1, 4:5, and 9:16 formats.