To create a Meta ads account, log in at business.facebook.com, create a business portfolio if you don't have one, then go to Settings, Accounts, Ad accounts and click + Add, Create a new ad account. Enter the name, time zone and currency, pick My business, accept the terms and click Create ad account. Then add a payment method in Billing & payments and give your team or agency access.
- Business Manager is now called a business portfolio, and Business settings is now Settings inside Meta Business Suite. Same idea, new names.
- A new business portfolio can create one ad account. Meta raises that to three once a campaign delivers and a payment goes through.
- An ad account you create inside a portfolio stays there for good. It can't be deleted or moved to another portfolio, so create it in the right one.
- Never let a freelancer or agency create your portfolio under their own login. You should own it and share access out.
What you need before you start
Meta's ad tools sit on top of a few pieces that have to exist first. If one is missing, the ad account steps won't show up or won't work. Here's the short list.
Your personal login. Meta uses it to prove who you are. Nobody sees your personal posts in the business tools.
Ads run from a Page. Meta says you need a Page, or an admin, editor or advertiser role on someone else's Page.
The container that holds your Page, Instagram, ad accounts and the people who work on them. It used to be called Business Manager.
A card or bank method that's turned on for online purchases, with access to the phone that gets the security code.
Meta asks for two-factor authentication before you can share assets with partners. Turn it on now and save yourself a detour.
It's not hard. It's just easy to click the wrong menu when Meta moves things around. Go slow the first time.
Step 1: Create your business portfolio
Skip this step if you already have a portfolio. You'll see it in the dropdown in the top left of Meta Business Suite.
Go to business.facebook.com and log in
Use your own Facebook profile, the one tied to your business Page.
Open the dropdown under Home and click Create a business portfolio
The dropdown in the top left lists every portfolio you belong to. The create option sits at the bottom of that list.
Enter the business name, your name and your business email
Use the public name of your business, with no special characters. Meta sends a confirmation email to the business email, so use one you check.
Confirm your email
Click the link in Meta's email. You now have full control of the portfolio.
Step 2: Create the ad account
This is the part the old version of this post covered. The path is still Settings, then Accounts, then Ad accounts. Here's every click as of November 2026.
Click Settings
It's in the left menu of Meta Business Suite, near the bottom.
Go to Accounts, then Ad accounts
Accounts is a section in the left menu. Ad accounts is the first item under it.
Click the + Add dropdown and pick Create a new ad account
The other two options are for claiming an ad account you already own, or requesting access to one in another business's portfolio.
Enter the name, time zone and currency, then click Next
Name it so you'll recognize it in a year, like "Smith Roofing, Meta ads." Match the time zone your business runs on and the currency your card bills in.
Choose My business
Pick Another business or client only if you're an agency running ads for someone else.
Check the terms box and click Create ad account
You're agreeing to Meta's terms and advertising standards on behalf of your portfolio.
Click Add payment info, or Done to do it later
We'd add the card now while you're here. Step 3 covers it.
| What it's for | Watch out for | |
|---|---|---|
| Create a new ad account | You need a brand new account for your business | It's permanent. It can't be deleted or moved out of the portfolio. |
| Add an ad account | Claiming an account you already own into your portfolio | Claiming can move it into the portfolio for good too. |
| Request access | An agency using a client's account | The owner has to approve it. The account stays in their portfolio. |
Step 3: Add a payment method
You can't publish an ad without a payment method. If you skipped it during setup, here's where it lives now.
Open Billing & payments
From Settings, click Billing & payments in the left menu. Pick the right ad account if you have more than one.
Click Payment settings, then Add payment method
Some accounts label this tab Payment methods. Same place.
Pick the method, click Next and follow the prompts
Have your phone handy. Many banks send a one-time code to confirm the card.
Step 4: Add your people and your agency
There are two different ways to give access, and mixing them up is the most common setup mistake. People are individuals at your company. Partners are other businesses, like your marketing agency.
Invite a person on your team
Go to Settings, then Users, then People
Only people with full control of the portfolio see this.
Click + Invite people and enter their email
Use the email they'll actually log in with.
Choose their access, then assign assets
Give the least access they need. Pick the ad account and Page they'll work on and the tasks they can do, then send the invite. They accept it from their email.
Give your agency partner access
Ask your agency for their business portfolio ID
It's a long number. They'll find it in their own Settings, under Business info.
Go to Settings, then Users, then Partners
If you don't see Partners, you don't have full control of the portfolio.
Click Add, then Give a partner access to your assets
Enter the partner's business portfolio ID and click Next.
Pick the assets and the access level, then click Assign assets
Usually that's your ad account, Page, Instagram account and dataset (your pixel). Someone else with full control may need to approve it.
| Access level | What they can do | Give it to |
|---|---|---|
| Full control | Everything, including adding and removing people, assets and partners | Owners and one trusted backup |
| Partial access (basic) | Only the assets and tasks you assign them | Most staff and contractors |
| Finance access | View or manage invoices, spend and payment methods | Your bookkeeper or office manager |
| Partner access | A whole business works on the assets you share | Your marketing agency |
Step 5: Connect your Page, Instagram and pixel
An ad account on its own can't do much. It needs your Page to run ads from, your Instagram account if you want Instagram placements and a dataset (the pixel) to track leads.
What lives inside a healthy business portfolio
- In Settings, go to Accounts, then Pages, and add your Facebook Page if it isn't there yet.
- Under Accounts, add your Instagram account so ads can run there too.
- Under Data sources, set up or connect your dataset. That's what Meta now calls the pixel.
- Open each asset and assign the people and partners who need it.
Tracking is where most small business ad accounts fall apart. If your pixel isn't firing on the thank-you page, Meta can't tell which ads bring in leads. Our team sets this up as part of our ads and tracking work.
Common errors and how to fix them
| What you see | Why it happens | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| Can't create a new ad account | You hit the portfolio's ad account limit, an existing ad account is in bad standing, or you don't have full control | Check the limit in Settings under Business info. Use an existing account that has no active campaigns, or ask someone with full control. |
| Only one ad account allowed | Every advertiser gets one ad account until a confirmed payment goes through | Run a campaign, make a payment, then try again. Closed accounts still count toward the limit. |
| No People, Partners or Requests menu | You have partial access, not full control | Ask the person with full control to upgrade you, or to make the change for you. |
| Ad account is in another portfolio | An ad account can only live in one portfolio | Use Request access instead, or ask the owner to share it with your portfolio ID. |
| Some ad features are missing | Meta limits features on new portfolios and ad accounts until you meet its requirements | Open Business support home to see what's limited and what Meta wants you to do. |
| Payment won't go through | Card isn't turned on for online purchases, details don't match or the bank code didn't arrive | Fix the card settings with your bank, then refresh and check Payment settings before retrying. |
You have an ad account. Now make it pay.
The setup is the easy part. The hard part is spending money only where it brings in real customers. Most businesses waste 30 to 80 percent of their marketing spend, usually because nobody connects the ad to the lead to the paid job.
That's the kind of thing we look for when we run Meta and Google ads for owner-operated service businesses. If you want a second set of eyes on your setup, see our ads and tracking service or book a call.
Questions people ask
Is Meta Business Suite the same as Business Manager?
Mostly, yes. Meta Business Suite is the tool you log into at business.facebook.com. What used to be called Business Manager is now called a business portfolio, and its settings live in the Settings area of Meta Business Suite.
Do I need a Facebook Page to run Meta ads?
Yes. Meta says you need a Facebook Page, or an admin, editor or advertiser role on someone else's Page, plus a valid payment method before you can advertise in Ads Manager.
How many ad accounts can I create?
A new business portfolio can create one ad account. Meta raises that to three once a campaign delivers and a payment is made, and adjusts the limit over time based on your spend. You can see your limit in Settings under Business info.
Why can't I create an ad account in Meta Business Suite?
The usual causes are hitting your ad account limit, having an existing ad account in bad standing or not having full control of the business portfolio. Ad accounts Meta disables for 60 days without use also count toward the limit.
How do I give my marketing agency access to my ad account?
Get your agency's business portfolio ID. Then go to Settings, Users, Partners, click Add, choose Give a partner access to your assets, enter the ID, pick the ad account and other assets and click Assign assets.
Can I delete an ad account I created by mistake?
Not from the portfolio. Meta says an ad account created in a business portfolio stays part of it permanently. You can close it, but a closed account still counts toward your ad account limit.
Rob built Feedbackwrench and Nuance Financial Tax & Accounting. Since 2015, our team has helped transform 550+ small businesses with marketing, strategy and systems.
