Facebook and Instagram ad types: the six objectives, destinations, formats and placements — and which suits your store
The types of sponsored ads on Facebook and Instagram as Ads Manager presents them: six objectives, tap destinations, formats from a single image to the catalogue, and placements — then which type to start with by how you sell.
The ArabyBot teamOfficial Meta partner · written from our own platform dataOn this page 6
The short answer
Facebook and Instagram ads are sorted by four questions: the objective (six: Sales, Engagement, Leads, Traffic, Awareness and App promotion), the destination (your store, a chat on WhatsApp, Messenger or Instagram, a form inside the ad, or a call), the format (image, video, swiping cards, a collection, catalogue products automatically, or boosting an existing post) and the placement (Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp Status and Threads). A store that sells by chat usually starts with a message ad to WhatsApp, and a store with a site with the Sales objective to the product page.
Also asked as: «انواع اعلانات فيسبوك» · «أنواع إعلانات فيسبوك» · «انواع الاعلانات على الفيس بوك» · «انواع الاعلانات الممولة» · «انواع اعلانات الانستقرام» · «اهداف اعلانات فيسبوك» · «افضل نوع اعلان ممول للمتجر» · «facebook ad types» · «types of facebook ads» · «instagram ad types» · «facebook ad formats» · «types de publicité facebook»
First: the objective — six of them
The first thing Ads Manager asks is the objective, and Meta looks for people by it: those who buy, those who message, or those who click. So choose the objective by what you really want, not by what looks cheaper. What is a campaign objective?
| Objective | What Meta looks for | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Sales | People who buy in your store or inside the chat | A store with a site and a pixel, or selling by chat |
| Engagement | Chats on WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram, or engagement with a post or video | Selling by chat with cash on delivery |
| Leads | Numbers and details from a form inside the ad or from the chat | Services, bookings and real estate |
| Traffic | People who open the link | An article or page you want visited, not direct selling |
| Awareness | The most people who see the ad and remember it | A new shop, or before a big sales campaign |
| App promotion | People who install or use your app | Those with an app in the stores |
Second: where the person who taps goes
| Destination | What happens |
|---|---|
| Your store or site | The product page opens, and the pixel measures the purchase. Reporting orders to Meta |
| Messaging apps | A chat on WhatsApp, Messenger or Instagram, or Meta picks for each person. Message ads |
| A form inside the ad | The customer leaves a name and number without leaving Facebook. Lead forms |
| A call | The customer calls you directly. |
| The post or video itself | Engagement or a view without leaving. |
| Your Instagram profile | The ad opens your profile so people see your work and follow you. |
Third: the ad format
| Format | When to choose it |
|---|---|
| A single image | The simplest and fastest: one product and a clear offer. |
| Video | Stops the scroll more than a picture, and shows the product working. A video ad |
| A vertical picture or video | Fills the Stories and Reels screen. |
| Several cards that swipe | More than one product or angle in a single ad, up to ten cards. |
| A collection | A large picture or video with catalogue products beneath it. |
| Catalogue products automatically | Each person sees the product closest to their interest or what they viewed in your store. Catalogue ads |
| Boosting an existing post | A post that did well unpaid; it keeps its engagement and comments. |
| Instant experience | A full page that opens inside Facebook or Instagram without loading a site. |
Fourth: where the ad shows
- Facebook
The feed, Stories, Reels, Facebook videos, Marketplace and search results.
- Instagram
The feed, Stories, Reels and Explore.
- Messenger, WhatsApp and Threads
The Messenger inbox, WhatsApp Status and the Threads feed. Messenger Stories, though, Meta has retired.
- Partner apps and sites
Meta's network outside its own apps; it adds reach, and deserves watching if your goal is orders.
The safest choice is automatic placements, so Meta puts the ad where its result is cheapest, and then you remove a placement if you see its orders are not delivered.
Which type suits your store
| Your case | Start with |
|---|---|
| You sell by chat with cash on delivery | A message ad to WhatsApp, with a picture or video of the product and its price. WhatsApp ads |
| You have an online store and a pixel | The Sales objective to the product page, then catalogue ads for those who visited and did not buy. |
| You offer a service or bookings | Leads with a short form, or messages if your customer asks a lot before deciding. |
| A new shop in a city | Awareness around the shop, then messages for those who engaged. Local ads |
You write what you want in a sentence, and the AI ads manager picks the objective, placements, audience, budget and text, and you advertise a post from your Page, a product from your store, a new picture or video, or your whole store. The AI employee answers the ad's messages at once. Ads manager.
Frequently asked questions
Are Instagram ad types different from Facebook's?
No; the ad is built in the same Ads Manager with the same objectives and formats, and then you choose where it shows: Facebook, Instagram or both. The difference is in the placements: on Instagram, Stories, Reels and Explore matter more, so give the ad a vertical picture or video.
What is the difference between boosting a post and an Ads Manager ad?
Boosting under a post is an ad of the "boost an existing post" kind with fewer goals and options. From Ads Manager you can fund the same post too, with every objective and placement, and it keeps its likes and comments. Facebook ad cost.
Which type is cheapest?
The cheapest result is a view, then a click, then a message, then an order. But cheap is not always what you need: a cheap awareness ad does not sell, and a pricier message ad can bring cheaper orders. Count the cost per delivered order.
Does the ad show inside WhatsApp itself?
Yes, in Status: Meta added it as an ad placement. A click-to-WhatsApp ad, though, shows on Facebook or Instagram and opens a chat on your number. WhatsApp ads.
How we write these guides Figures come from our platform and Meta's actual invoices, dated with their sample; we describe what works today, not what we plan, and say what we do not do and when someone else is the better choice. Reviewed by the ArabyBot team on 21 October 2026.
Read next
Try the agent before you pay anything
The agent that will answer your customers is the one answering you now: ask it from the chat button here or on WhatsApp. Your account is free with no credit card, and the free trial on your own number or page is activated after you contact our team on customer-service WhatsApp.