Quick answer: To create a lead campaign, open Meta Ads Manager, click Create and choose the Leads objective. At the ad set level, set the conversion location to Instant forms. Set your audience and placements, then build the form in the ad step: add your questions, a privacy policy link and a thank-you screen. Publish, and download your leads from Meta Business Suite.
Instant Forms let people send you their details without leaving Facebook or Instagram, so you don’t need a landing page. Forms pre-fill name, email and phone from the person’s profile, which makes them one of the highest-converting lead options for service businesses, education, real estate and fitness.
Prefer to watch? The 6-minute video above shows every step on screen.
What do you need before creating a lead ad?
- A Meta ad account with billing set up. See how to create a Meta ad account.
- A Facebook Page for your business.
- A privacy policy URL. This is required for every Instant Form.
- A plan for following up quickly, by phone, email or WhatsApp.
How to create a lead generation campaign (step by step)
Step 1: Choose the Leads objective
In Ads Manager, click + Create, select Leads, and click Continue. Choose Manual setup.
Step 2: Set the conversion location to Instant forms
At the ad set level, set Conversion location to Instant forms and select your Facebook Page. Accept the lead ads terms if Meta asks.
Step 3: Set audience, budget and placements
Choose your locations, age range and interests, set a daily budget, and keep Advantage+ placements on.
Step 4: Create the ad creative
Add an image or video, primary text and a headline that make the offer clear, such as “Book a free consultation”. Choose a button like Sign up or Get quote.
Step 5: Build the Instant Form
Under Instant form, click Create form and set it up:
- Form type: More volume for quick sign-ups, or Higher intent to add a review step and get better-quality leads.
- Intro: a headline and a short description of the offer.
- Questions: pre-filled contact fields, plus 1–2 qualifying questions.
- Privacy policy: a link to your website’s privacy policy.
- Completion screen: a thank-you message and a button, such as visiting your website or calling you.
Step 6: Publish and access your leads
Click Publish. Leads appear in Meta Business Suite → All tools → Leads Center, or you can download them as a CSV from the form. You can also connect a CRM, or Google Sheets through an integration, so leads arrive automatically.
Tips for better-quality leads
- Use the Higher intent form type if you’re getting fake or low-quality leads.
- Add one qualifying question, such as budget, location or timeline.
- Contact leads within an hour. Response speed matters more than anything else.
- Say exactly what happens next on the completion screen.
Lead ads not working? Common problems and fixes
“Add a privacy policy” error
Every Instant Form needs a privacy policy URL. Add a privacy policy page to your website and paste its link into the form.
Getting leads, but they’re low quality
Switch to the Higher intent form type, add a qualifying question, and make the offer more specific.
Can’t find the leads
Open Meta Business Suite → Leads Center. If they aren’t there, check that you have lead access permission for the Page under Settings → Integrations → Leads access.
What should you do next?
- Prefer chats over forms? Try a WhatsApp message campaign.
- Retarget website visitors: create a website visitor retargeting audience.
- Track conversions on your site: install the Meta Pixel.
Frequently asked questions
No. Instant Forms collect leads inside Facebook and Instagram. You only need a privacy policy URL, which can be a simple page on any website you control.
In Meta Business Suite, open All tools and then Leads Center, or download a CSV from the Instant Form. You can also connect a CRM to receive leads automatically.
More volume forms are faster to submit. Higher intent forms add a review step before submission, which usually gives fewer but better-quality leads.
Pre-filled forms make it easy to submit by accident. Use the Higher intent form type, add a qualifying question, and target more specific locations.
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