How to Properly Set Up a Facebook Ad Account

Facebook Ads remain one of the most powerful tools for digital marketers, but many beginners—and even some experienced advertisers—fail right from the start by improperly setting up their Facebook Ad account. Over the past five years, I’ve audited hundreds of accounts, and one thing is clear: a strong foundation can make or break your advertising performance.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know to set up your Facebook Ad account correctly—not just technically, but strategically. Whether you're launching your first ad or scaling to 6-figure campaigns, it all starts here.

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1. Why Proper Account Setup Matters More Than You Think

It’s easy to rush through the setup process and jump straight into launching ads. But doing so often leads to:

• Payment issues

• Wrong time zone or currency

• Poor account structure

• Difficulty managing multiple assets

• Data loss or access problems

Setting your account up correctly from the beginning not only prevents headaches but also sets the stage for better optimization, smoother scaling, and more accurate reporting.

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2. Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up a Facebook Ad Account (2025 Update)

Let’s break the process into logical phases based on what I’ve seen work best.

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Step 1: Create a Business Manager Account

If you plan to advertise seriously, never use your personal ad account. Instead, create a Meta Business Manager:

• Go to: business.facebook.com

• Click “Create Account”

• Fill in your business name, email, and primary Page

Why this matters: Business Manager gives you full control over assets (Pages, ad accounts, Pixels, catalogs), lets you assign roles to team members securely, and prevents you from getting banned as easily.

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Step 2: Create a New Ad Account in Business Manager

Once inside Business Manager:

• Navigate to “Business Settings” → “Accounts” → “Ad Accounts”

• Click “Add” → “Create a New Ad Account”

• Set your ad account name, time zone, currency, and assign it to your business

⚠️ Important: You cannot change your time zone or currency later. If you mess this up, you’ll need to create a new ad account.

For more details, read this full guide on how to change Facebook Ad account time zone—including what to do if you’ve already made the mistake.

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Step 3: Add a Payment Method

Go to Billing → Payment Settings and add your credit/debit card, PayPal, or manual payment method.

For accounts using prepaid balance, here's how to add funds to your Facebook Ad account step by step.

Tips from experience:

• Use a business credit card to track expenses and earn cashback

• Avoid adding too many cards (can trigger account reviews)

• Set up spending limits if you’re working with clients or testing new campaigns

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Step 4: Assign People and Roles Properly

In Business Settings, go to Users → People and assign team members with appropriate roles:

• Admin: Full access to everything

• Advertiser: Can create and manage ads

• Analyst: View only

Pro tip: Always have at least 2 Admins for redundancy. If your main account gets locked or hacked, you'll still retain access.

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Step 5: Connect Assets (Page, Pixel, Domain)

To run ads, you must connect key assets:

• Facebook Page: Link your ad account to the correct Page

• Pixel: Set up your Pixel via Events Manager and connect it

• Domain Verification: If you plan to run conversion ads (especially after iOS14), verify your domain in Business Settings → Brand Safety

Setting these up early helps you track conversions, run retargeting campaigns, and maintain ad delivery.

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3. Advanced Setup Tips from 5 Years of Campaign Experience

Here are my top lessons after managing over $500K in ad spend:

1. Use One Ad Account per Business Model

Don’t mix multiple businesses in one ad account. Keep things clean and structured. If you’re running ads for a client or another project, create a separate ad account inside Business Manager.

2. Set Naming Conventions Early

Structure your campaigns, ad sets, and ads with proper names from the start:

Example:

• Campaign: "US_Conversion_SpringSale"

• Ad Set: "25-34_Women_InterestFitness"

• Ad: "Video_Testimonial1"

Trust me, this saves you hours when analyzing data.

3. Track Events with Aggregated Event Measurement (AEM)

After Apple’s iOS 14 changes, tracking events became limited. To keep your data accurate:

• Prioritize 8 key events per domain

• Use CAPI (Conversions API) if possible

• Test event setup using Facebook's Pixel Helper and Events Manager

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4. Common Mistakes to Avoid

Here are errors I’ve seen cost businesses thousands of dollars:

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5. What to Do After Setup: First Steps to Launch

Once your account is ready, here’s what I recommend next:

1. Warm up your account – Don’t launch big-budget campaigns on Day 1. Start with $10–$30/day to build a history.

2. Test multiple creatives – Don’t rely on one ad. Test 3–5 variations.

3. Use Campaign Budget Optimization (CBO) – Let Facebook allocate your budget dynamically across ad sets.

4. Monitor quality ranking & engagement – Low scores can limit your reach or increase costs.

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Final Thoughts: Treat Setup Like a System, Not a Checklist

Many advertisers treat ad account setup like a checklist—“Create account, add card, go.” But if there’s one lesson from my 5 years in the field, it’s this:

? Your setup determines your scale.

Get the foundation right, and everything from ad delivery to data tracking will work smoothly. Get it wrong, and you’ll face roadblocks, spend more money, and lose precious time.

So take your time. Set things up intentionally. Treat your ad account like the powerful business tool it is.