How to Enable Ads on Facebook Reels

Turning your engaging Facebook Reels into a revenue stream is a powerful next step for any creator or marketer. Making it happen involves meeting specific requirements and knowing exactly which settings to toggle within your dashboard. This guide walks you through every step of enabling ads on your Facebook Reels and offers best practices for creating ad-ready content that performs.

Understanding Ads on Facebook Reels: Two Key Types

First, it's important to clarify what "enabling ads" actually means because there are two distinct ways ads appear in the Reels ecosystem. Understanding the difference will help you focus on the right strategy, whether you're a creator looking to monetize your own content or a brand looking to advertise.

• Overlay Ads on Your Reels (Creator Monetization): These are the ads you can enable to appear directly on the content you create. They are non-intrusive and show up as either a semi-transparent banner ad at the bottom of your Reel or as a small sticker ad placed somewhere on the screen. As a creator, you earn a share of the revenue generated from viewers and engagement with these ads. This is Meta's primary monetization tool for creators directly within the Reels feature.
• Ads Between Reels (Advertising): These are standalone, full-screen video ads that appear in the Reels feed between other users' organic Reels. Brands and businesses create these ads through Facebook Ads Manager. While you can’t control these ads appearing between your videos specifically, your performance as a creator contributes to the overall strength of the Reels platform, making it a valuable ad placement for businesses. As a marketer, this is how you'll leverage Reels to reach a highly engaged audience.

This article covers both: how creators can enable overlay ads on their content and how advertisers can place their ads in the Reels feed.

Who is Eligible to Monetize Facebook Reels?

Before you can start earning, Meta needs to make sure you and your content meet their guidelines. While specific requirements can change, the eligibility criteria generally fall into a few core categories. It's best to approach this like a checklist before you go looking for the settings.

1. Professional Mode or a Facebook Page

Monetization tools are not available for standard personal profiles. You must be operating your presence through either:

• A Facebook Page: This is the traditional option for businesses, brands, and public figures.
• Professional Mode for Profiles: This newer feature allows creators to access professional tools, including monetization, directly from their personal profile without needing to create a separate Page.

2. Content and Partner Monetization Policies

This is non-negotiable. Your Page or profile must be in good standing and adhere to a strict set of rules that govern content, behavior, and transactions. You need to follow:

• Facebook's Community Standards: The basic rules for acceptable content on the platform (no hate speech, graphic violence, etc.).
• Partner Monetization Policies: These rules are for pages, groups, and events using monetization features. They cover things like creating original content, authenticity, and following payment terms.
• Content Monetization Policies: These go even deeper, outlining specific rules for the content itself. Prohibited formats include static images, content with looping video, or text montages. They also outline restricted categories like controversial social issues that might not be eligible for ads.

3. Account and Viewership Requirements (Invite-Only Program)

Ads on Facebook Reels are an invitation-only program for now. This means you can't just turn it on, you must be invited by Facebook to participate. Invitations are extended to creators who meet certain performance thresholds, though Meta keeps the exact numbers under wraps and they can vary by region. The goal is to invite creators who are consistently producing high-quality, engaging content.

While explicit numbers aren't always published for Reels ads invites, other similar programs like In-Stream Ads traditionally require benchmarks like:

• At least 10,000 followers.
• 600,000 total minutes viewed in the last 60 days from a combination of on-demand videos, live videos, and Shorts.
• At least 5 active videos on your page.

Meeting these benchmarks is a good signal that your page is on the right track to receive an invitation for Reels monetization when it becomes more widely available.

4. Country Eligibility

Monetization features are rolled out to different countries at different times. You must be located in one of the eligible countries to participate. You can check the official list of supported countries for Ads on Reels in the Meta Business Help Center to confirm your location is supported.

How to Check Your Eligibility

Instead of guessing, you can check your status directly:

1. Navigate to Meta Business Suite or Creator Studio.
2. Click on the "Monetization" tab in the left-hand menu.
3. Here, you'll see an overview of your Page or profile's eligibility status for various monetization tools. If you are eligible (and invited) for Ads on Reels, it will appear here as a tool you can set up.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Turn On Ads on Reels (Overlay Ads for Creators)

If you've received your invitation and meet all the eligibility criteria, congratulations! Turning on the feature is fairly straightforward. Here’s how to get it done.

Step 1: Go to Your Professional Dashboard

On your Facebook Page or profile in Professional Mode, navigate to your Professional Dashboard. This is your central hub for insights, tools, and monetization.

Step 2: Access the Monetization Tools

Within the dashboard, find the section for "Monetization." Here, you'll see a list of monetization products you are eligible for, such as Stars, Subscriptions, and - if you’ve been invited - "Ads on Reels."

Step 3: Begin the Setup Process

Click on "Ads on Reels" and select "Get Started." You will be guided through a series of setup screens.

Step 4: Agree to the Terms and Conditions

The first step is to review and agree to the terms of service for the program. Make sure you read through them carefully before proceeding.

Step 5: Set Up Your Payout Account

This is where you'll provide your financial information so Facebook can pay you. If you’ve already set up another monetization tool (like Stars), you might be able to use your existing payout account. If not, you will need to set up a new one by providing:

• Your legal name and business information.
• Your banking information (either bank account or PayPal details for a direct deposit).
• A completed tax form (such as a W-9 for U.S.-based creators).

Be meticulous here - incorrect information can lead to significant payment delays. Once you submit this information, the setup is complete. Ads will then begin to be shown on your eligible public Reels automatically.

How to Run Your Own Ads in the Reels Feed (For Advertisers)

If your goal is to grow your brand, drive traffic, or make sales, you’ll want to run your own video ads that appear between organic Reels. This is done through the Facebook Ads Manager.

Step 1: Open Facebook Ads Manager

Navigate to Ads Manager and click the green "+Create" button to start a new campaign.

Step 2: Choose a Supporting Campaign Objective

Reels ads are available for several marketing objectives. Some of the most common ones that support the Reels placement include:

• Brand Awareness
• Reach
• Traffic
• Engagement
• App Promotions
• Leads
• Sales

Select the one that aligns with your business goals.

Step 3: Define Your Audience, Budget, and Schedule

This is where you set your targeting parameters. Define your target audience based on location, demographics, interests, and behaviors. You'll also set your daily or lifetime budget and a schedule for how long your ads will run.

Step 4: Select Your Ad Placements

You'll eventually reach the "Placements" section. Choose "Manual Placements." This gives you control over exactly where your ads are shown.

Under Placements, scroll down until you see "Feeds" and then find "Facebook Reels." You can also choose to select "Instagram Reels" to run your ad across both platforms for maximum reach. Uncheck other placements if you only want your ad to appear in Reels.

Step 5: Create Your Ad Creative

Now, it’s time to design the ad itself. For Reels ads, your creative must be:

• A full-screen vertical video (9:16 aspect ratio).
• Preferably with sound. Though it’s wise to use on-screen text or captions, as many users browse with devices on silent.
• Short and engaging. Aim for 15-30 seconds to capture attention quickly before people swipe away.

You can upload a video you’ve created or build one using Ads Manager's templates.

Step 6: Write Your Ad Copy and Set a CTA

Add your primary text and choose a call-to-action (CTA) button like "Shop Now," "Learn More," or "Sign Up." Make your copy concise and relevant to what a user sees in the video.

Step 7: Publish Your Campaign

Once you’ve reviewed everything, hit the "Publish" button. Your ad will be sent for review and, once approved, will start appearing in the Facebook Reels feed for your target audience.

Final Thoughts

Monetizing your content with Facebook Reels ads presents a powerful opportunity for creators to earn from their creativity, and for advertisers, it’s a direct line to a highly engaged audience. Following these setup steps and adhering to Meta's policies is the foundation for successfully integrating ads into your Reels strategy.

Once you have your content strategy locked down for monetization, keeping your Reels feed publishing consistently can feel like another full-time job. I've found that using a visual platform like Postbase is the best way to plan and schedule all our short-form video content - not just for Reels, but for TikTok and Shorts too - all from one calendar. It makes our workflow so much simpler and ensures we never miss a beat in our content plan when life gets busy.