Catalog Ads on Meta: a quick guide for e-commerce

If you run an ecommerce business on Facebook or Instagram you’ve probably heard of Catalog Ads.

These are Meta ads that automatically pull products from your catalog and show them to the right people, without creating hundreds of individual ads manually.

This means time savings, greater personalization, and the ability to test different creatives automatically.

But it’s not enough to just create a catalog and link it: to get results, you need to understand the logic behind dynamic product ads and follow a few key best practices.

From Catalog to Ad: the technical foundation

To run a Catalog Ad, you need three key elements: a product catalog, a pixel or SDK on your site/app, and the link between pixel and catalog.

This allows Meta to dynamically show the most relevant products to each user.

A critical concept is the catalog match rate: it should be at least 75%, ideally above 90%, otherwise the algorithm struggles to match user interactions with the correct products.

A small tip: the "include other relevant products" option helps show a broader range of items without losing relevance, increasing your campaign coverage.

Product videos in catalogs: boost engagement

Adding videos to products is a winning move to increase engagement.

The golden rule is to keep videos simple, clear, and mobile-optimized (formats 4:5 or 9:16). Don’t forget to show useful catalog information, such as price, promotions, and discounts.

Videos can be added in three main ways: through official Meta partners like Shopify or WooCommerce, automatic updates from Commerce Manager, or manual uploads.

A useful tip is to create custom labels for products with videos, so you can run campaigns that focus only on these products.

Best practices for managing your catalog

You don’t need to create multiple catalogs. It’s better to have a single catalog and use product sets to segment items when necessary.

This reduces fragmentation, speeds up algorithm learning, and simplifies management.

Other important points:

• Localize the catalog for different markets.
• Avoid frequent changes to product information (name, description, images, labels).
• Provide detailed product data: rich descriptions, diverse creatives, reviews, and size charts when applicable.

Following these rules makes campaigns more stable, effective, and relevant without constant intervention.

The key takeaway for your eCommerce

Catalog Ads only work if the technical structure is solid and product data is complete. Automation alone isn’t enough: strategy matters.

It’s not about adding more videos or creating countless product sets.

It’s about understanding how to make the algorithm work with your creatives, ensuring the right products reach the right people, efficiently.

Catalog Ads: how they work in a nutshell

A well-set-up Catalog Ad can make a real difference in your Meta campaigns, allowing you to show the right products to the right people without exhausting manual work.

Here are the key elements to make it work at its best:

• Pixel + catalog connected → dynamic and high-performing campaign.
• High match rate → stable and consistent results.
• Product video → higher engagement, best if integrated in dedicated sets.
• Single, well-structured catalog → easier management and faster learning for algorithms.

To truly make your Catalog Ads perform, simply connecting the catalog isn’t enough: you need targeted creativity and a disciplined strategy that highlights each product.

‍Optimize your content, test different formats, and leverage dynamic personalization to turn views into real sales.

By following these best practices, you can take your Meta campaigns to the next level.