> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.stefanbrain.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

> ## Agent Instructions
> Follow the content contract in AGENTS.md.
> Treat text as the canonical explanation; video and screenshots enhance it.
> Do not publish unverified product behavior or duplicate an existing canonical article.

# Connect Meta before you launch ads

> Connect your Meta login, choose the ad account and identity defaults, and verify publishing access before entering Launch.

## What this article shows you

Connect Meta, choose the ad account and identity StefanBrain should use, and verify that the destination is ready before you build a launch.

Connecting and saving defaults does not create campaigns, ad sets, or ads. Those are created only when someone selects **Launch Ads**.

## Practical use cases

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Prepare your own ad account" icon="badge-check">
    Connect the Meta login that can access the intended ad account and Facebook
    Page, then save the defaults you use most often.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Keep launch identities consistent" icon="panel-top">
    Prefill the Facebook Page, optional Instagram identity, pixel, and website
    so each new launch starts from a reviewed destination.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Share analysis without publishing" icon="chart-no-axes-combined">
    Let a teammate use a shared Meta connection for supported read and analysis
    work while **Can publish ads** remains off.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Delegate launching deliberately" icon="shield-check">
    Give one specific teammate publishing access without giving every team
    member the same permission.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Watch the walkthrough

<Frame caption="Connect Meta, choose the account and identity defaults, and verify the connection before Launch. Duration: 12:43.">
  <video className="w-full h-auto rounded-xl" controls preload="metadata" poster="https://stefanbrain.com/tutorials/thumbnails/meta-connector.png" playsInline alt="A walkthrough of connecting a Meta account before launching ads" aria-label="Narrated Meta connection walkthrough">
    <source src="https://stefanbrain.com/api/tutorials/videos/meta-ads-connection" type="video/mp4" />

    <a href="https://stefanbrain.com/api/tutorials/videos/meta-ads-connection">
      Watch the Meta connection walkthrough
    </a>
  </video>
</Frame>

<Note>
  Use the video to connect Meta. Publishing now happens in Launch; follow
  [Prepare, review, and launch ads](/knowledge-base/launch-publish/launch-ads)
  when you are ready to create ads.
</Note>

## Choose the correct access path

| Path | Who connects Meta | What the user can do |
| - | - | - |
| Your own Meta connection | You sign in and approve Meta access | Use the ad accounts and assets available to that Meta login, subject to Meta permissions |
| A shared Meta connection | A teammate connects and enables **Team access** | Use supported shared read and analysis workflows |
| Shared Meta with publishing | The connection owner also enables **Can publish ads** for you | Publish through supported shared accounts while **Can publish ads** is on |

<Warning>
  Team access shares the whole connected Meta login, not one ad account inside
  it. Use a narrower Meta login when the full connection contains accounts the
  team should not access.
</Warning>

**Use in my chats** controls whether a shared Meta connection appears in your Chat connector menu. It is not a publishing grant and does not replace **Can publish ads**.

## Before you start

* Use the Meta login that already has access to the intended ad account and Facebook Page.
* Know which ad account should be the main account.
* Have the intended Facebook Page ready. An Instagram identity, pixel, and website URL are optional setup defaults.
* If you advertise to EU audiences, have the correct beneficiary and payer details.
* For a shared connection, the owner and teammate must be active members of the same StefanBrain team.

## Connect your own Meta account

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Meta from the Connectors workspace">
    From the StefanBrain home screen, open **Connectors**. Find **Meta**, then
    select **Connect**.

    If you already connected a different Meta login, use **Add account** instead.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Approve the intended Meta access">
    Sign in with the correct Meta login. Review Meta's authorization screen and
    approve the requested access for the business assets you intend to use.

    Do not continue with a personal or client login that should not be available
    through this StefanBrain account.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose the main ad account">
    After you return to StefanBrain, the Meta setup opens. Under **Main ad
    account**, select the account you use most often, then select **Continue**.

    This saves one main account. You can still choose another connected account
    when a later workflow supports it.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Link the Facebook Page and Instagram identity">
    Select the Facebook Page that should represent the ads you launch. The Page
    is required for publishing.

    Select an Instagram account when you intend to use Instagram placements.
    It is optional. If the campaign targets EU audiences, add the correct
    beneficiary and payer details before continuing.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save optional defaults">
    Choose a Facebook pixel if you want StefanBrain to prefill it in future
    launches. Add the website URL you use most often as the default destination.

    You can skip either value and manage it later.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Finish setup and review settings">
    Select **Finish setup**. On **Setup complete**, review the summary, then open
    **Meta Default Settings** if you need to adjust account-specific defaults.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify the destination in Launch">
    Open **Launch** and confirm the intended ad account, Facebook Page, and
    Instagram choice are available.

    Stop before **Launch Ads**. You do not need to create any Meta objects to
    confirm that the connection is ready.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Use a teammate's shared Meta connection

The connection owner completes these actions:

1. Open their Meta account under **Connectors**.
2. Turn on **Team access** and leave the intended teammate enabled.
3. Leave **Can publish ads** off for read and analysis access only.
4. Turn on **Can publish ads** only for a teammate who should create Meta objects.

When **Can publish ads** is off, the teammate can analyze data but cannot publish through the shared connection.

<Info>
  The owner's Meta connection and account defaults remain the source of the
  shared account's currency and identity settings. Ask the owner to correct
  those settings when they are wrong.
</Info>

## Verify the setup

Before building a launch, confirm:

* The intended Meta connection shows as connected.
* The correct **Main ad account** is saved.
* The intended Facebook Page is available.
* The Instagram identity, pixel, website, and EU details are correct when applicable.
* A teammate who should publish has **Can publish ads** enabled by the connection owner.
* A teammate who should analyze only still has **Can publish ads** off.

## Common mistakes and troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="No ad accounts appear after connecting">
    Confirm you used the intended Meta login and that it can access at least one
    ad account. Then reconnect Meta and review the authorization again.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="The intended Facebook Page is missing">
    Confirm the connected Meta login can access that Page. Correct the Page's
    Meta-side access, then reconnect or reopen the setup.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="No Instagram account appears">
    Select the Facebook Page first. If no account appears, confirm the Instagram
    identity is connected to that Page. You can continue without Instagram when
    that matches the launch.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="The connection shows Reconnect">
    Reconnect with the same intended Meta login. A teammate cannot reconnect a
    shared connection; the connection owner must do it.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="A shared account says publishing is off">
    Ask the connection owner to enable **Can publish ads** for your team member.
    Turning on **Use in my chats** does not grant publishing.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="The wrong Meta login was connected">
    Return to **Connectors**. Add the correct account before disconnecting the
    wrong one, then verify the intended ad account and Page in Launch.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="The setup is correct but Launch still blocks publishing">
    Read the exact Launch message. Recheck the account, Page, shared publishing
    grant, and connection state. Do not reconnect or resubmit blindly after an
    uncertain publish result; check Meta Ads Manager first.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Next steps

* [Prepare, review, and launch ads](/knowledge-base/launch-publish/launch-ads)
* [Share connectors with your team](/knowledge-base/connectors-automations/share-connectors-with-your-team)
* [Browse Launch and publishing guidance](/knowledge-base/launch-publish)


This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.