Meta Discontinues Instagram Explore Feed Ad Placement

TL;DR

Meta discontinued the Instagram Explore Feed ad placement. Existing campaigns are unaffected, but new or draft campaigns will no longer offer this option.

Who this affects

This affects any Go HighLevel agency owner or SaaS entrepreneur who uses Meta Ads. If you manage ad campaigns for clients or for your own business, you need to be aware of this change when setting up new ad sets. Those running existing campaigns with Instagram Explore Feed placement do not need to take immediate action, as those campaigns will continue to run.

What changed

Meta has discontinued the Instagram Explore Feed placement. This means the option is no longer available when selecting ad placements within the ad manager product. Specifically:

• Instagram Explore Feed placement is no longer a selectable ad placement. It has been removed from the list of available options.
• Existing campaigns that currently have Instagram Explore enabled will continue to run. They are unaffected by this change.
• Draft campaigns that had Instagram Explore selected will automatically have this placement removed. This happens when the ad set is saved.
• For any campaigns where Instagram Explore was a placement, ad delivery will now shift to other eligible placements. This reallocation happens automatically.
• The ad manager product within Go HighLevel is now compliant with Meta's v26 Marketing API requirements regarding this change.
• Rollout status has not been confirmed by HighLevel.
• No limits or plan gating have been confirmed by HighLevel.

Where to find it

This change affects the campaign creation workflow within the ad manager product integrated with Go HighLevel. When setting up a new ad campaign or editing a draft campaign, the Instagram Explore Feed option will simply no longer appear in the placement selection menu.

How agencies will use this

Agencies running ad campaigns for their clients will need to adjust their ad placement strategies. For example, if an agency previously included Instagram Explore Feed as a standard placement for a client's e-commerce campaign targeting new audiences, they will now need to select alternative placements like Instagram Feed, Instagram Stories, or Audience Network. When creating a new ad set for a client in the Go HighLevel Ad Manager, the agency owner will simply proceed through the setup, and when they reach the placements section, Instagram Explore Feed will not be an available checkbox. They will then ensure their ad creative and targeting are optimized for the remaining available placements. This requires a slight adjustment in how they conceive and build out ad sets, focusing their budget and creative efforts on the remaining viable options to achieve client goals.

Our take

This is a moderate change for agencies actively managing Meta Ads. While the Instagram Explore Feed wasn't always a primary placement for all campaigns, its removal means one less option for audience reach and diversification. The fact that existing campaigns are unaffected is good, preventing immediate disruption. Agencies should review their standard ad set templates and client strategies to ensure they are adapting to this new reality for all future campaigns. It's a technical update reflecting Meta's API changes, rather than a new feature from HighLevel, so direct action from agency owners beyond awareness is minimal, but strategic planning around ad placements will need a slight adjustment.