Partnership Ads and Whitelisting for Creators: What to Put in the Contract
Short answer
Before you give a brand an ad code or account-level access in Meta, agree in the contract which content it may promote, from when to when, on which platforms and with what copy changes. Meta lets you revoke permissions at any time, but turning off a used code doesn't stop active ads, and a permission doesn't replace a licence or image consent.
A brand writes: “Great reel, we'd like to run it as an ad from your account. Can you send us the code?” For the brand it's one click in Ads Manager. For you as a creator, it's a decision about who gets to spend money on ads carrying your name, and for how long. That's why Meta partnership ads, often called whitelisting, are worth settling in the contract before you share any permissions.
This article looks at partnership ads from the creator's side. The brand's side, meaning how to launch the campaign and test the budget, is covered in our guide UGC in Meta Ads. Here we focus on what to write down: scope, duration, channels, control and content rights.
What exactly you give the brand in Meta
Meta distinguishes two types of partnership ad permissions: content level and account level (Meta Business Help Center). That distinction is the starting point for any contract conversation.
- Content-level permission covers one post, reel or story. You share an ad code or turn on the toggle that lets a partner boost tagged content. One code can be used by up to two advertisers at a time, and on Instagram archiving the content does not remove the advertiser's access to the code (Instagram Help Center).
- Account-level permission is granted to a specific partner through the Instagram app or Partnership Ads Hub. According to Meta, it lets the advertiser create ads from your existing content that tags the brand, and also create partnership ads from your handle without any pre-existing post (Meta Business Help Center, Instagram Help Center).
In practice, the second option means an ad with your name can reach people even though it never appeared in your feed. The brand doesn't get your password or your messages, but it does get the ability to advertise through your profile. For a one-off reel, account-level access is usually more than the job requires.
Scope: which content and what kind of ads
The simplest clause names specific content: “the reel published on the creator's profile on 12 October”, not “content created under the collaboration”. If the brand wants account-level access, the contract can at least define which materials may be turned into ads and whether the brand may publish new creatives from your handle that you haven't seen.
It's also worth settling:
- whether the brand may cut, trim or combine your material with other footage, or only run it as published;
- whether it may change the ad copy, headline and button, and whether you approve them before launch;
- which messages must not be attributed to you in an ad, for example health claims or comparisons with competitors.
Remember that in a partnership ad, viewers see your name next to the brand's. Copy you didn't write still reads as your recommendation.
Duration: from when, until when
Meta's settings won't replace a date in the contract. Write down the start and end of the flight, for example “ads may run from 15 October to 15 December 2026”, and state what happens afterwards: the brand pauses the ads and you remove the permissions.
An extension is best described as a separate decision with separate pay, not an automatic renewal. If the content performs well, the brand will come back asking for a longer run anyway, and you can price it again.
Channels and placements
A partnership ad can run on Facebook and Instagram, across placements such as feed, stories and reels. If you agree to Instagram only, say so explicitly. Separately, decide whether the brand may use the same file outside Meta: on TikTok, YouTube, its online shop, in a newsletter or in out-of-home advertising. That's no longer about Meta permissions but about content rights, covered below.
If it matters to you, you can also limit the territory, for example to Poland, and specify audiences you don't want to be associated with.
Control and revoking consent
Meta provides separate instructions for managing permissions and stopping active ads. If you want a campaign to end, agree with the brand who will stop it, follow Meta's current instructions, and ask for confirmation that the ad is no longer running (Instagram Help Center).
- while your content is used as a partnership ad, you can't edit it, and deleting the post stops the ad (Instagram Help Center).
The contract should say when either party may request an early pause, who at the brand is responsible for stopping the campaign, and how soon they must confirm it. It should also set out what to do if payment is late, the message changes without approval, or the agreed flight dates are exceeded.
In return, it's reasonable to ask for basic results of ads run from your profile, or at least a list of which creatives and copy went live. Your name is on every one of them.
Content and image rights
A Meta permission is a technical tool. It doesn't replace a licence or a transfer of copyright. Polish copyright law states that a transfer or licence covers the fields of exploitation expressly listed in it (Art. 41(2)), and that a licence granted for an indefinite period may be terminated with one year's notice unless the contract says otherwise (Art. 68) (Act on Copyright and Related Rights, ISAP). We go into detail in our article on copyright in an influencer's reel.
Image rights are a separate matter. Distributing a person's image generally requires their permission (Art. 81 of the same act). In a partnership ad, the brand uses your material, your face and your handle at once, so consent should cover all three with the same scope, duration and channels. If other people appear in the content, such as a partner or a child, their consent needs to be addressed too.
Ad disclosure is yet another independent duty. UOKiK, Poland's consumer protection authority, states that influencers, agencies and advertisers are all responsible for clearly labelling advertising content (UOKiK). Meta's “Paid partnership” label is a platform setting; whether it is sufficient for a given piece is worth checking against the ad disclosure rules.
A short contract checklist
- Type of permission: a code for specific content or account-level access.
- List of content the brand may promote.
- Allowed changes: editing, ad copy, button, approval before launch.
- Flight dates and the duty to pause ads when they end.
- Platforms, placements and territory.
- Use of the file outside Meta: a separate licence with fields of exploitation.
- Consent to use your image and handle within the same scope.
- Situations in which you may withdraw consent early, and the brand's response time.
- Pay for paid distribution, separate from pay for the organic post.
- Extension terms as a new decision.
This list structures the conversation, but it isn't legal advice. With larger budgets, exclusive licences or long flights, it's worth having a lawyer review the contract.
Partnership ads and Blogger Bank
Blogger Bank connects brands with creators for specific jobs. Before you accept a job that includes partnership ads, ask the brand about the permission type, flight dates and channels, and put the agreement in writing before work starts. The platform charges a 5% commission to the brand and 5% to the creator. Create an account and browse brand jobs.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an ad code and account-level permissions in Meta?
An ad code lets a brand promote one specific post, reel or story. Account-level permission lets it create ads from the creator's tagged content and, according to Meta, also partnership ads from the creator's handle without a pre-existing post.
Does a brand get my password when running partnership ads?
No. Meta partnership ads work through permissions granted in the Instagram app or Partnership Ads Hub, not through your password. The brand can still advertise through your profile, so the scope of those permissions belongs in the contract.
How long can a brand run ads from my profile?
As long as the Meta permissions and the contract allow. The platform does not require an end date, so it is worth writing specific flight dates into the contract, plus a duty to pause ads and remove permissions afterwards.
Does turning off an ad code stop active ads?
No. According to the Instagram Help Center, turning off a code that has already been used does not stop active ads. They must be stopped separately in the content settings, whereas turning off account-level permissions pauses running ads.
Can I revoke consent for partnership ads at any time?
Technically yes, Meta lets creators revoke permissions whenever they want. Switching off ads a brand has paid for early may breach the contract, though, so it helps to define when you may withdraw consent before the agreed end date.
Does a Meta permission transfer copyright in my reel?
No. A Meta permission is a technical tool. Using the content beyond partnership ads, for example on an online shop or TikTok, requires a licence or a transfer of rights with explicitly listed fields of exploitation.
What should a creator's partnership ads contract include?
The permission type, a list of content, allowed edits and copy approval, flight dates, platforms and territory, image consent, conditions for early withdrawal, and separate pay for paid distribution. For large deals, having a lawyer review the contract is sensible.
Is Meta's “Paid partnership” label enough as an ad disclosure?
Meta's label is a platform setting, while the duty to label advertising clearly comes from law and UOKiK guidance. Creators, agencies and advertisers share that responsibility, so check whether the disclosure is unambiguous in each piece of content.
