Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, will once again block new ads about “social issues, elections, or politics” during the final week of the campaign. Based on past cycles, the freeze will start at 12:01 AM PT on Tuesday, October 27 and run through Election Day on November 3.
There’s still time to prepare, including getting authorized to run political ads if you aren’t already doing so. Unfortunately, many campaigners aren’t aware of these requirements and get frustrated when they try to launch ads the weekend before Election Day.
What’s Changed Since 2024
The core rule remains the same since 2020, any ad about social issues, elections, or politics needs to have served at least one impression before the freeze begins, or it can’t run during the final week.
New this year, Meta ads and “about this ad” note to political ads it detects were made with AI tools, in addition to the disclosures that are already required.
Get Authorized Now
Meta requires authorization to run political ads on its platforms, which includes confirming your identity with a photo ID and a US residential mailing address, and using two-factor authentication.
Meta will mail you a physical letter which takes a few days to arrive, so start the process now. You’ll also need to ensure you have a disclaimer for your page that matches campaign finance or IRS filings.
During the Freeze
Once the freeze starts, you can’t edit an ad’s text, images, video, or links, and you can’t change its targeting, placement, optimization, or objective. You also aren’t able to duplicate ads or boost new posts.
You can still adjust budgets, bids, and schedules, and you can pause and unpause ads. It’s better to have more flexibility than none so the right strategy is to have more ads than you think you’ll need, and keep them paused until then.
Creative Strategies
Prepare as many of the ads as you can now, so your approvals process isn’t interfering with the hard deadline. You’ll also want to include a set of standby ads for things like late-breaking attacks or endorsements.
Any GOTV ads should be generic, without reference to specific days or times so it remains relevant during the entire freeze period. Landing pages for the ads that lead to your site can be updated as needed.
Conclusion
The Facebook Freeze is a normal part of campaign life by now, but if this is your first time as a campaigner, it can come as a shock, so prepare now.