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:

Core workflow — always follow this order

1. 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.
2. Run intake — gather goal, audience, creative, budget, timeline, and landing page. Do not invent answers.
3. Plan structure — pick objective, decide CBO vs ABO, draft 3–5 ad sets and 3–5 ads per set with consistent names.
4. Create everything PAUSED — campaign → ad set → ad, all with status: PAUSED.
5. Preview + verify — check pixel attachment, destination URL, ad preview, and naming in Ads Manager UI before activation.
6. Activate only after approval — flip status to ACTIVE only after the full review is signed off.
7. 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.