> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://mitora.gitbook.io/mitora/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://mitora.gitbook.io/mitora/documentation/meta-ads/meta-ads-preliminary-setup-guide.md).

# Meta ads preliminary setup guide

How to make sure everything is in place in your meta business manager in order to launch ads.

## Meta Ads Setup Guide — From Zero to Launch-Ready <a href="#h_dace411c52" id="h_dace411c52"></a>

*Everything you need to do, in order, to run Facebook & Instagram ads with Dermis. No technical skills required. Total time: about 45–60 minutes (plus one small job for whoever manages your website).*

**Do all of this on a laptop or desktop browser — not the phone app.** Some settings simply don't exist on mobile.

One naming note before we start: Meta has renamed things over the years. **"Business Manager", "Meta Business Suite" and "Business Portfolio" all refer to the same system** — the portfolio is the container that holds your business assets, and Business Suite is the dashboard you manage it from. You'll see all three names around; don't let it confuse you.

***

### Before you start — have these 5 things ready <a href="#h_20c955a83b" id="h_20c955a83b"></a>

1. **Your personal Facebook login**. Your real, everyday profile. Everything below hangs off a real person's profile — Meta bans fake or duplicate profiles, and losing that profile means losing the whole setup. If you don't have one, create it now and let it sit for a few days before continuing.
2. **The Instagram login** for your clinic's account.
3. **A business email address** you actually check.
4. **A company debit or credit card** for ad payments.
5. **Access to your website admin** — or simply the email address of the person/agency who manages your site. You'll need them for one copy-paste job in Part 8.

***

### Part 1 — Create your clinic's Facebook Page (if you don't already have one) <a href="#h_f80b16c69a" id="h_f80b16c69a"></a>

*Skip to Part 2 if your clinic already has a Facebook Page.*

Your Page is the public identity your ads run under — every ad shows your Page's name and logo.

1. Log in to your personal Facebook account.
2. Go to **facebook.com/pages/create**.
3. Enter your **Page name** (your clinic's name, exactly as patients know it).
4. Choose a **category** — search for something like "Wellness service", "Medical spa" or "Health/beauty".
5. Write a one-line **bio** and click **Create Page**.
6. Add your **profile picture** (your logo) and a **cover photo**.
7. Fill in the details: website, phone number, address, opening hours.
8. Publish 2–3 normal posts (a treatment photo, an intro post, anything). A completely empty page looks suspicious both to Meta's review system and to anyone who clicks your ad and checks you out.

***

### Part 2 — Switch Instagram to a professional (business) account <a href="#h_ac9238a0e8" id="h_ac9238a0e8"></a>

*Skip to Part 3 if your Instagram already says "Professional dashboard" at the top of your profile.*

Ads can only run through a professional account, and it unlocks the connection to Facebook.

1. Open the Instagram app and go to your clinic's profile.
2. Tap the **menu (☰)** in the top right → **Settings and activity**.
3. Scroll down to **Account type and tools** → **Switch to professional account**.
4. Choose **Business** (not Creator).
5. Pick a category (e.g. "Skin care clinic") and confirm your contact details.

***

### Part 3 — Link your Instagram to your Facebook Page <a href="#h_d9446ebb5c" id="h_d9446ebb5c"></a>

*Why this matters: this link is what lets your ads appear on Instagram under your clinic's own handle, and pulls Instagram comments and messages into the same inbox as Facebook.*

1. Go to your **Facebook Page** (logged in as yourself).
2. Click **Settings** on the Page → **Linked accounts** (on some layouts it appears simply as **Instagram** in the left-hand menu).
3. Click **Connect account**.
4. Log in with your **Instagram** username and password and allow the permissions it asks for.
5. Confirm the screen now shows your Instagram handle as **Connected**.

*(Alternative route if that menu is hard to find: in the Instagram app → Settings and activity → Business tools and controls → Connect a Facebook Page.)*

***

### Part 4 — Create your Business Portfolio <a href="#h_1aee2482a6" id="h_1aee2482a6"></a>

*Why this matters: the portfolio is the "filing cabinet" that officially owns your Page, Instagram, ad account and payment details in one place — and lets you give (or take away) access for staff or an agency without ever sharing your password.*

1. Go to **business.facebook.com**.
2. Log in with your personal Facebook account if asked.
3. Click **Create account** / **Create a business portfolio**.
4. Enter:
   * **Business name** — your clinic's real name (this can be visible on Meta, so no nicknames or special characters).
   * **Your full name**.
   * **Business email** — the one from your checklist.
5. Click **Submit**, then open the **confirmation email** Meta sends you and click the verification link. The portfolio isn't fully active until you do.

***

### Part 5 — Put your Page and Instagram inside the portfolio <a href="#h_6e4bd96faf" id="h_6e4bd96faf"></a>

*This is different from Part 3. Part 3 linked Instagram to your Page so ads display properly. This step is about ownership — placing both accounts inside the portfolio so it controls who can access them. You need both.*

**Add your Facebook Page:**

1. In business.facebook.com, click the **Settings** gear (bottom left).
2. In the left menu go to **Accounts** → **Pages**.
3. Click the blue **Add button** → **Add a Page you own**.
4. Type your Page's name, select it, click **Add**. Because you're the Page admin, it's approved instantly.

**Add your Instagram account:** \
5\.   Still in Settings, go to **Accounts** → **Instagram accounts**. \
6\.   Click **Add**, log in with your Instagram details, and accept the permissions.

***

### Part 6 — Create the ad account <a href="#h_0ef8c95d5f" id="h_0ef8c95d5f"></a>

*The ad account is the wallet-and-engine: campaigns are built in it and payments run through it.*

1. In Settings, go to **Accounts** → **Ad accounts**.
2. Click **Add** → **Create a new ad account**.
3. Enter:
   * **Ad account name** — e.g. "Glow Clinic — Ads".
   * **Time zone** — where your clinic is.
   * **Currency** — the currency you'll pay in.
4. **⚠️ Check the time zone and currency twice. They are permanent.** They cannot be changed after the account is created — the only fix later is starting a brand-new ad account.
5. Click **Next**, choose **My business** when asked who the account is for.
6. Tick the box agreeing to Meta's terms and click **Create ad account**.
7. When it asks you to **add people**, select yourself and switch on full **control (Manage ad account)** — if you skip this, the account won't appear for you in Ads Manager.

**Two limits worth knowing:** a brand-new portfolio can only create **one** ad account to begin with (this rises to three once you've run ads and made a payment), and once created, an ad account can never be moved out of the portfolio. One is all you need to launch.

***

### Part 7 — Add your payment method <a href="#h_702ab327df" id="h_702ab327df"></a>

*No card on file = no ads. Meta won't even let a campaign leave draft.*

1. In business.facebook.com Settings, find **Billing & payments** (you can also reach it via **business.facebook.com/billing\_hub**).
2. Open **Payment methods** → **Add payment method**.
3. Select your new **ad account**, confirm the country and currency.
4. Enter your card details (PayPal or direct debit are also available in most countries) and save.
5. Optional but sensible for your first month: set an **account spending limit** — a hard ceiling on total spend. Ads pause automatically when it's reached. Good training wheels; you can raise or remove it any time.

**How billing actually works (so the charges don't surprise you):** Meta charges you when your spend hits a small threshold (which starts low and grows as you build payment history), plus a catch-up charge on a monthly bill date. Several small charges in your first weeks are completely normal — it's not double-billing.

***

### Part 8 — Verify your domain, lock the doors <a href="#h_ef0aea2059" id="h_ef0aea2059"></a>

Three quick jobs that prevent 90% of the horror stories.

**A. Verify your website domain** *(proves to Meta that the website belongs to you)*

1. Settings → **Brand safety and suitability** → **Domains**.
2. Click **Add**, type your domain (e.g. `glowclinic.co.uk`) and choose the **meta-tag verification** option.
3. Copy the small tag it gives you and send it to your website person: *"Please add this meta tag to the `<head>` of our homepage."* (Same place as the Pixel — send both together and it's one job.)
4. Back in the Domains screen, click **Verify**. It turns green.

B. Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA)

1. On your **personal Facebook profile**: Settings → **Accounts Centre** → **Password and security** → **Two-factor authentication**.
2. Choose an authentication app or SMS and switch it on. Meta increasingly *requires* 2FA for anyone inside a business portfolio — do it now on your terms, not later when it locks you out mid-campaign.

C. Add a second admin

1. Settings → **People** → **Add people**.
2. Invite one trusted person (business partner, manager) by email and give them **full control** of the portfolio.
3. *Why: your personal profile is the master key to everything above. If it ever gets hacked, locked or disabled, a second admin is how you get your business back. Without one, recovery can take weeks.*

***

### Part 9 — Final check <a href="#h_36b88c112a" id="h_36b88c112a"></a>

**Run down this list — every line should be a yes:**

* Facebook Page published, with logo, info and a few posts ✔
* Instagram switched to professional and **linked to the Page** (Part 3) ✔
* Page, Instagram and ad account all sitting **inside the portfolio** (Parts 5–6) ✔
* Payment method saved on the ad account ✔
* Domain verified, 2FA on, second admin added ✔

***

### Common traps — read once, save yourself weeks <a href="#h_2867ebf578" id="h_2867ebf578"></a>

* **Currency and time zone are permanent** per ad account (Part 6). Triple-check them.
* **Warm up, don't sprint.** Brand-new accounts that jump straight to big daily budgets get flagged by Meta's automated systems. Start small, scale over weeks.
* **Expect the security speed bump.** New account + new card sometimes triggers an identity check or a temporary restriction. Don't panic and *don't create a second account* (that makes it look worse). Go to **business.facebook.com/accountquality**, follow the steps, request a review, and wait — most clear in 24–48 hours.
* **Never borrow, buy or share ad accounts or profiles.** Everything must trace to your real profile and your real business, or you're building on sand.
* **Guard the master key.** The personal profile that created the portfolio effectively owns everything. Strong password, 2FA, second admin.
* **One portfolio is enough.** Multiple portfolios for one business creates confusion and looks suspicious to Meta.