Threads introduces Advantage+ catalogue and carousel ads in latest Meta update

New Delhi: Meta has expanded the advertising capabilities of its Threads platform, introducing Advantage+ catalogue ads, carousel formats, and enhanced aspect ratio support as part of the company’s continuing monetisation rollout.

According to the Threads API changelog, Advantage+ catalogue ads became available on October 28 and currently support only static images and image carousels. Slideshow, video, and entry cards are not yet compatible. 

The new option builds on carousel ad functionality introduced earlier in the month on October 6. Placement customisation and dynamic media remain unavailable for carousel placements.

Image ad specifications were updated on October 28 to accommodate a 4:5 aspect ratio. Assets exceeding this proportion are cropped and vertically centred, while video ads, which gained support on August 15 support aspect ratios between 1.91:1 and 9:16. Videos taller than 4:5 are automatically adjusted to fit the required format.

Threads introduced Placement Asset Customisation (PAC) on August 15, allowing advertisers to adapt creative image and video assets for the platform. Carousel formats are not yet compatible with this function.

Further API developments have continued throughout 2024 and 2025. Spoiler tagging for text, image, and video posts arrived on October 3, alongside text attachment functionality. GIF support was added on October 17.

Meta first began testing advertisements on Threads in January 2025 with a limited number of advertisers, reporting at the time that the platform had surpassed 300 million monthly active users, with three in four following at least one business account. 

The programme expanded globally in April, adding inventory filter tools powered by artificial intelligence to manage the sensitivity of content adjacent to advertisements. Threads feed placement was activated by default for new campaigns using Advantage+ or manual placements, requiring advertisers to manually opt out if desired.

September brought additional testing for carousel ads and the 4:5 aspect ratio for single image and video formats, alongside Advantage+ catalogue and app ads.

Advantage+ catalogue ads use machine learning to display relevant products automatically from a business’s catalogue to users most likely to make purchases. These ads dynamically pull product details, imagery, and pricing from connected catalogues, reducing manual campaign management.

The carousel format allows multiple products or visuals to appear within a single advertisement, a format that has historically produced higher engagement rates across Meta’s platforms.

Technical implementation for Threads advertisements relies on Meta’s existing infrastructure. Documentation from the initial testing phase shows that businesses can extend existing Meta campaigns to Threads without creating separate creative assets. Advertisers can select Threads placements directly through Ads Manager.

Brand safety continues to be governed by Meta’s Monetisation Policies, which restrict placement beside content that breaches Community Standards. The platform’s inventory filter uses AI to assist advertisers in managing placement context.

Threads ad specifications currently support primary text of 80–160 characters, with headlines limited to 40. Hashtags and URLs are not supported, and not all call-to-action buttons available on other Meta platforms are offered on Threads.

The Threads API has seen extensive expansion since Meta opened it to all developers in June 2024 at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Initial capabilities included post publishing, content retrieval, and reply management. Major additions through 2025 have included polls, topic tags, verified user indicators, and expanded webhook functionality for real-time notifications.