How to Whitelist on Instagram: Give a Brand Ad Access, Step by Step
To let a brand run ads from your Instagram (what agencies call whitelisting), you give it partnership ad permission in the Instagram app. You never share your password. There are two ways: send a partnership ad code for a single post, or approve the brand as an ad partner for your whole account. This guide shows both, step by step, plus how to take the access back when the deal ends, which is the step most creators miss.
Key takeaways
- You need an Instagram professional account (creator or business) and public content.
- Per post: Partnership label & ads, then Get partnership ad code. Send the code to the brand.
- Whole account: Professional dashboard, Partnership ads, Ad partners, then approve the brand's request.
- The permissions have no built-in end date. They last until you remove them.
- Turning off a used ad code stops new ads, not ones already running. Check after every deal.
Pricing the deal first? Whitelisting is usually charged on top of usage. See how much to charge for usage rights.
Before you start
- A professional account. Partnership ads work for Instagram professional accounts and Facebook Pages or profiles in professional mode. Switch in Instagram settings if you're on a personal account.
- Public content. Meta only allows partnership ads for public content.
- Eligible content. Some content can't become a partnership ad, such as reels with copyrighted music or music from Instagram's music library. Original audio and royalty-free music from Meta's Sound collection are fine.
- The terms in writing. Agree how long the brand can run ads under your name, and what it pays for extra time, before you hand over access.
Which kind of access to give
| Partnership ad code (content-level) | Ad partner (account-level) | |
|---|---|---|
| Covers | One post, story or reel | Your handle: new ads without an existing post, and posts that tag the brand |
| Best for | A single deliverable or a short campaign | An ongoing partnership with a brand you trust |
| How you give it | Turn on Get partnership ad code and send the code | Approve the brand's request in Ad partners |
| Facebook too? | Codes can be made on Facebook posts as well | Yes, for both accounts if your Instagram and Facebook are linked |
| How you take it back | Turn the code off (active ads keep running; stop them separately) | Remove the brand (Meta says running ads are paused) |
If in doubt, use ad codes. You decide post by post what the brand can run, and nothing else is exposed.
Option 1: send a partnership ad code for one post
For a post that's already live:
- Open the post, story or reel on your Instagram profile.
- Tap the 3 dots (Options) in the top right. For stories, it's in the bottom right.
- Tap Partnership label & ads.
- Turn on the Get partnership ad code toggle. If the post is sponsored, also turn on Add paid partnership label.
- Tap Copy, or tap Share to send the code to the brand in a direct message.
The brand pastes the code into Ads Manager to create the ad. You can also turn the code on while posting, or make one for a Facebook post: both are in our partnership ad code guide, with fixes for when the option is missing.
Option 2: approve the brand as an ad partner
The brand sends a request from Meta Business Suite. You'll get a notification; to find it:
- In the Instagram app, go to your profile.
- Tap Menu (the 3 lines) in the top right.
- Tap Professional dashboard.
- Tap Partnership ads.
- Tap Ad partners.
- Tap Pending requests, then Approve or Decline.
Account-level access is broad: the brand can create ads from your handle without any existing post. Our ad partner guide covers what it allows and when to say no.
Steps checked against Meta's Help Center on October 18, 2026. Meta renames menus from time to time, so a label in your app may differ slightly.
What about the old way: Page or Business Manager access?
Before partnership ads, whitelisting usually meant adding the brand or its agency to your Facebook Page, or to your assets in Meta's business tools, so it could run ads as you. Some brands still ask for it. It gives far more than a single campaign needs. Unless your contract requires it, offer a partnership ad code or ad partner approval instead, which Meta built for exactly this.
When the deal ends: take the access back
Neither kind of permission ends by itself. On the end date, do three things:
- Remove the brand from Ad partners, if you approved it. Meta says ads currently running are paused.
- Turn off each ad code you shared. This stops the brand making new ads from that post.
- Stop any ads still running in Professional dashboard, Partnership ads, Active ads. Meta notes that turning off a code that was already used does not stop active ads.
Full steps are in how to remove a brand's partnership ad access. Then check Meta's Ad Library a few days later. Ads the brand runs from its own account with your downloaded video won't show in your dashboard at all.
Frequently asked questions
How do I whitelist my Instagram account for a brand?
Today, "whitelisting" on Instagram means giving the brand partnership ad permission. Either send a partnership ad code for one post (Partnership label & ads, then Get partnership ad code), or approve the brand as an ad partner for your whole account (Professional dashboard, Partnership ads, Ad partners).
Do I need to give a brand my Instagram password or admin access?
No. Partnership ads were built so you never share your login. The brand runs the ad from its own ad account, and you give permission through a code or an ad partner request in your app.
What's the difference between an ad code and an ad partner?
An ad code covers one post, story or reel. Approving an ad partner gives the brand account-level permission: it can create ads from your handle without existing content, and turn posts that tag it into ads. Meta describes account-level as broader access, suited to ongoing partnerships.
Does my Instagram need to be linked to a Facebook Page?
No, a professional Instagram account is enough. If your Instagram and Facebook accounts are linked, approving a brand's account-level request gives it permission on both.
Why can't I see the partnership ad code option?
The most common reasons are a personal (not professional) account, a private account, or content Meta doesn't accept for partnership ads, such as reels with copyrighted music. Our ad code guide has the full troubleshooting list.
How do I take a brand's access away when the deal ends?
Remove the brand from Ad partners and turn off the ad code on each post. Meta says removing an ad partner pauses ads currently running, but turning off a code that was already used does not stop active ads; stop those in Active ads.
Does whitelisting expire on Instagram?
Meta's help pages describe no automatic end date for partnership ad permissions: they last until you remove them. Put the end date in your contract, remove access on that date, and check for ads still running.
Hand over access with an end date you'll actually enforce
Access is easy to give and easy to forget. Add the deal to Usage Hawk with its end date, and once it passes, Usage Hawk searches the Ad Library every day for ads still running with the creator, saves a copy and works out what's owed. For the contract side, see usage rights vs whitelisting vs partnership ads.