Meta Expands Threads Ads With Catalogue and Carousel Formats

by Kerry Baker on 12-Feb-2026 09:30:00

Meta has introduced new advertising capabilities for Threads, adding Advantage Plus catalogue ads, carousel formats, and updated creative specifications. The changes, announced late last year, mark the latest step in Meta’s plan to monetise its text-based social platform and give advertisers more creative flexibility.

According to Meta’s official Threads API changelog, Advantage Plus catalogue ads now support image and image carousel formats. This allows businesses to showcase products directly from their connected catalogues to users most likely to purchase, using Meta’s machine learning technology to automate product selection and delivery.
For now, video, slideshow, and entry cards are not supported, and placement customisation is unavailable for carousel ads. Still, this expansion is a major milestone in Threads’ transformation from a social platform into a performance advertising channel.

A Growing Platform With Proven Potential

Meta began testing ads on Threads in January 2025 with a small number of advertisers. At that time, the platform had already surpassed 300 million monthly active users, and three out of four users followed at least one business account. Following the initial rollout, Threads’ advertising program expanded globally in April 2025, introducing AI-powered inventory filters that help advertisers control the type of content appearing next to their ads.

The introduction of catalogue and carousel formats builds on this foundation. These updates move Threads closer to feature parity with Facebook and Instagram, giving marketers the ability to reach an engaged audience through familiar ad formats.

For businesses already advertising on Meta platforms, Threads placements can be added easily in Ads Manager, without creating new campaigns or assets. This integration reduces friction and enables consistent cross-platform performance.

New Creative Capabilities

The update also expanded creative options.

• Image ads now support a 4:5 aspect ratio, aligning with Instagram’s standard format. Taller assets are automatically cropped and centred.
• Video ads, available since August 15, support ratios from 1.91:1 to 9:16, allowing both landscape and vertical video placements.
• Placement Asset Customisation (PAC) lets advertisers tailor image and video assets for Threads, although this does not yet apply to carousels.

Text limitations remain consistent with earlier guidelines: 80 to 160 characters for primary text and up to 40 characters for headlines. Hashtags and URLs are still unsupported.

What It Means for Marketers

For marketers and agencies, these updates represent an opportunity to test Threads as a performance channel while competition and costs remain relatively low.
Advantage Plus catalog ads can automatically promote best-selling products with minimal setup, while carousel adsallow brands to tell richer stories or showcase product ranges in a single ad.

Threads’ conversational tone also presents a chance for businesses to connect more authentically with audiences compared to other, more polished social platforms.

As with any new ad placement, success depends on strategy. Brands should test performance gradually, optimise creative for Threads’ feed environment, and use insights from other Meta campaigns to inform targeting and messaging.

Making the Most of Meta’s Expansion

At JDR Group, we help businesses navigate new advertising opportunities like Threads, combining AI-driven targeting with expert strategy and creative direction. We ensure your campaigns don’t just follow trends; they deliver measurable ROI.

If you want to get more from your social media presence, download our guide How to Use Social Media for Business for practical tips on creating content, building engagement and turning followers into leads.