How to set up Instagram conversion campaigns

Quick Answer

To set up Instagram conversion campaigns, pick the Sales objective in Meta Ads Manager, select your pixel and the specific conversion event (e.g. Purchase), set a daily budget, configure your audience and placements, and launch. Conversion campaigns are the highest-performing Instagram ad type once your pixel has data.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Pre-check your pixel

You need at least 50 of your target event per week for Meta's algorithm to learn efficiently. If not, optimise for a higher-funnel event like Add to Cart first.

2. Create the campaign

In adsmanager.facebook.com click Create > Sales. Name the campaign clearly.

3. Skip campaign budget optimisation

Turn off Advantage campaign budget for your first conversion campaign. Ad set-level budgets give more control.

4. Configure the ad set

At the ad set level set:

Conversion location: Website
Pixel: Choose your pixel
Conversion event: Purchase (or your target event)
Budget: GBP 20–50/day for testing
Audience: Advantage+ or broad targeting
Placements: Manual, Instagram only

5. Select attribution settings

Choose 7-day click or 1-day view attribution. This is Meta's default since iOS 14.

6. Build the ad

Upload 3–5 creatives, write primary text, pick a CTA, and set the destination URL. Add UTM parameters.

7. Publish and respect the learning phase

Click Publish. Do not edit anything during the 50-conversion learning phase — changes reset it.

FAQs

How many conversions do I need weekly? 50 per ad set per week for stable performance.

What if I do not have 50 conversions yet? Optimise for a higher-funnel event like Add to Cart.

Can I run conversion campaigns on a small budget? Yes, but small budgets rarely exit learning phase.

Should I use CBO or ABO? Start with ABO (ad set budget) for control, move to CBO (campaign budget) at scale.

Why are conversions so low the first week? Learning phase takes 5–7 days; be patient.

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