Instagram Explore puts your ads in front of people who have never heard of your brand. It's one of Instagram's highest-reach placements. Here's the exact setup process.
> Quick answer: Use a 9:16 image at 1080x1080px minimum. Keep primary text under 125 characters. Select Explore as a manual placement in Ads Manager.
What is Instagram Explore and Why Advertise There
Explore is where cold audiences live. Getting your ad there is one of the fastest ways to grow reach beyond your existing followers.
How Instagram Explore works
Explore is Instagram's discovery tab. Users tap the magnifying glass icon and browse content curated to their personal interests. Per the Meta Business Help Center, ads on Explore appear between organic content in the same format as Instagram Feed ads. The result is a native experience that doesn't feel out of place.
Who your audience is on Explore
Explore visitors are in a discovery mindset. They're actively browsing new content from accounts they don't follow yet. That openness makes Explore a strong placement for reaching cold audiences. These users are already curious. Your job is to give them a reason to stop scrolling.
Benefits of Explore ads vs. Feed ads
Feed ads primarily reach existing followers and warm lookalikes. Explore ads reach brand-new audiences who match your interest targeting. Running both placements in the same campaign lets you cover a broader range of the funnel without doubling your creative workload.
Step 1: Choose Your Ad Objective
Pick the wrong objective and your budget works against you. Match your goal before you build anything.
What objectives are available
Per Meta's Ads Guide, all major advertising objectives are supported on Instagram Explore. That includes Awareness, Traffic, Engagement, App Promotion, Leads, and Sales.
Matching objectives to your goal
Pick Awareness or Reach to introduce your brand to a new audience. Pick Traffic or Sales when you want clicks and conversions. Meta optimizes delivery based on your chosen objective, so this decision shapes who sees your ad and when.
Step 2: Create or Select Your Image Asset
Your creative is the single biggest lever in Explore performance. Get the specs right and make it scroll-stopping.
Image specs and dimensions
Per Meta's Ads Guide, the recommended aspect ratio for Explore image ads is 9:16. Minimum resolution is 1080x1080 pixels. Accepted file types are JPG or PNG. Maximum file size is 30MB. Minimum width is 500 pixels. Getting these specs right matters. Off-ratio images crop awkwardly on mobile screens and hurt click-through rates.
Using AI tools to generate images quickly
Coinis Image Ads generates on-spec creatives from a product URL. Drop your URL in and the AI produces images built for Explore, Feed, and Stories. No manual resizing needed. If you already have a creative at the wrong ratio, Coinis Revise's Smart Resize reformats it to 9:16 in one click. Your existing asset works across every placement without a full redesign.
Best practices for eye-catching Explore visuals
Explore users scroll fast. Your image needs to stop them. Use bold colors and a clear focal point. Keep any on-image text large enough to read at thumbnail size. Avoid cluttered backgrounds that blend into the surrounding organic content. Simple and direct wins almost every time.
Step 3: Write Your Ad Copy and CTA
Strong copy compounds a strong visual. Weak copy wastes it.
Primary text guidelines
Meta's Ads Guide caps primary text at 125 characters for Explore image ads. Get to the point fast. Front-load your value proposition in the first line. Users rarely tap "more" before deciding to scroll past.
Making copy stand out in a crowded feed
Explore is a noisy surface. Short, punchy copy wins. Ask a direct question. State a clear benefit. Skip the filler phrases and jargon. If your copy could belong to any brand, rewrite it.
Choosing the right call-to-action button
Match the CTA button to your objective. "Shop Now" works for product pages. "Learn More" suits awareness goals. "Sign Up" fits lead generation. Per Meta's advertising policies, your industry may limit which CTA options are available.
Step 4: Set Up in Ads Manager
This is the platform side of the process. It takes under ten minutes once your creative and copy are ready.
Creating a new campaign
Open Ads Manager. Click +Create. Select your objective. Name your campaign and set a budget at the campaign level if you're using Campaign Budget Optimization. Otherwise set budget at the ad set level.
Selecting Instagram Explore as placement
At the ad set level, choose Manual Placements. Scroll to the Instagram section and check Explore. You can pair Explore with Feed or run it as a standalone placement to isolate its performance data. Testing both configurations tells you where your budget performs best.
Audience and budget settings
Define your audience with location, age, and interests, or upload a custom audience. Set a daily or lifetime budget. Explore tends to perform well with broader targeting because the surface already filters content by user interest. You're not fighting the algorithm. Work with it.
Step 5: Optimize and Monitor Performance
Launching the ad is step one. What you do after launch determines whether it scales.
Testing different creatives
Run at least two image variants per ad set. Test different hero visuals, background colors, and text overlays. Explore audiences often respond differently than Feed audiences. Don't assume your top Feed creative will win here. Let the data decide.
Analyzing Explore ad performance
In Ads Manager, break down results by placement. Compare Explore CPM, CTR, and conversion rate against your other placements. That breakdown tells you whether Explore deserves more budget or a different creative approach.
Refreshing creatives for better results
Creative fatigue hits fast on Explore. When your CTR starts dropping, swap in a fresh visual fast. Coinis Revise's Variate capability generates new versions of your best-performing image without rebuilding from scratch. Test the new variant, retire the tired one, and keep performance steady.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does Instagram Explore support all ad objectives?
Yes. Per Meta's Ads Guide, all major objectives are supported on Instagram Explore, including Awareness, Traffic, Engagement, App Promotion, Leads, and Sales.
What image size is best for Instagram Explore ads?
Meta recommends a 9:16 aspect ratio with a minimum resolution of 1080x1080 pixels. File types are JPG or PNG, with a maximum file size of 30MB.
Can I run Instagram Explore and Feed placements in the same campaign?
Yes. In Ads Manager, select Manual Placements at the ad set level and check both Feed and Explore. You can also run Explore as a standalone placement to isolate its performance data.
How long should my primary text be for an Explore ad?
Meta's Ads Guide caps primary text at 125 characters for Explore image ads. Keep your value proposition in the first line since users rarely expand the text before deciding to scroll past.