The Meta integration syncs your Instant AI segments to your Meta account as Custom Audiences, so you can target the same shoppers in your Meta ads that you already reach through email. You connect one Meta account, choose which segments to sync, and Instant keeps those audiences refreshed every 24 hours.
Why use it
Your segments already group shoppers by behaviour, purchase history, and engagement. Syncing them to Meta lets you reuse that targeting in your ad campaigns without exporting lists or rebuilding audiences by hand. As shoppers move in and out of a segment, the matching Meta audience updates on the next sync.
Before you start
- Audiences sync by email address only.
- You can connect one Meta account at a time. To switch accounts later you’ll need to re-authenticate.
- A segment needs at least 100 contacts to sync successfully.
- You can only connect one account at a time, if you choose the wrong one you’ll need to re-authenticate to change it.
To connect your Meta account:
- Go to Settings > Integrations
- Scroll to Marketing and Ad Platforms at the bottom of the page
- On the Meta card, select Setup
- In the modal that opens, select Authenticate on Meta
- The Meta login will launch in a new screen
- Choose the Meta account you want to connect
- Select your Business portfolio
- Select Confirm (an ad account is optional at this step)
- Meta will process the connection and show a success screen
- You’ll be taken straight back to Instant AI, where it will keep loading until the connection is complete
Once you see the Connected to Meta confirmation, your account is integrated.
To sync a segment to Meta:
Once connected, you can choose which segments to sync. Each one syncs to Meta as a new Custom Audience, and you can connect any existing Instant segment.
- In the Meta modal, select Add new segment
- Choose a segment from the drop-down (only segments with over 100 contacts can be selected)
- Select Apply
- Select Save changes
You can add multiple segments the same way. If you don’t have a segment yet, you can safely close this screen, create one, then come back to Settings > Integrations and add it. You can return to this page at any time to change which segments are included.
How syncing works
- A newly added segment moves to Scheduled so it can be picked up on the next available sync.
- The first sync kicks off immediately when you add a segment. After that, expect around 24 hours between syncs.
- Instant syncs the latest contacts in each segment every 24 hours. Meta can’t guarantee exact timing, as it depends on their API and processing, but a refreshed list is made available every 24 hours.
- While a segment is syncing, its status shows In progress in Instant, and the audience shows Processing in Meta while new profiles are being populated.
- If a segment has synced before, you can keep using the previous version of the Meta audience with all available options while the new one processes.
To switch to a different Meta account:
- Open the Meta integration modal
- Select the Meta account drop-down
- Select Add account
- Authenticate the new account and repeat the connection steps above
Best practice use cases
The value of this integration is not just running ads, it’s running ads at a segment you have already qualified in Instant. Instead of paying to reach your whole audience or a broad lookalike, you show ads only to shoppers you know are subscribed, have bought before, or have shown interest in a specific product. Because each audience refreshes every 24 hours, your targeting stays current as shoppers move in and out of the segment, so you spend on the right people and reinforce the same message across email and social.
Here are some of the ways brands use segmentation in their Meta ads:
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Give your most engaged shoppers early access. Sync a segment of shoppers who are subscribed to your email marketing, then run Meta ads that tell them about a sale or launch before anyone else. Your most engaged shoppers hear first, across both their inbox and their social feed.
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Bring past buyers back for a specific occasion. Sync a segment of shoppers who have bought before, then run ads timed to a gifting moment such as Father’s Day or the holidays. A shopper who already knows and likes your product is an easy prompt to buy again, this time as a gift.
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Cross-sell based on what someone has already bought. Sync a segment of shoppers who bought from a particular collection, then run ads for more from that same collection. You can also target a gap in an order, for example shoppers who bought a bed frame but not a mattress.
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Re-engage shoppers who showed interest in a collection. Sync a segment of shoppers who viewed, added to cart, or purchased from a collection, then run ads for that collection to keep it front of mind while their interest is fresh.
Tip: Build the segment in Instant first, then sync it. Any segment with over 100 contacts can be synced, so the more specific your behaviour, purchase, or engagement rules, the more targeted your Meta audience will be.
FAQ
Why isn’t my segment syncing? A segment needs at least 100 contacts to sync. If it has fewer, it won’t appear in the Add new segment drop-down and won’t sync until it reaches the minimum.
How often do audiences update in Meta? Instant refreshes each synced segment every 24 hours. The exact time an audience updates in Meta depends on Meta’s own processing, so a new list is available every 24 hours rather than at a fixed moment.
Can I connect more than one Meta account? No. You can connect one account at a time. To switch, open the integration modal, use the Meta account drop-down, and add the new account.
What happens to my Meta audience while it’s syncing? It shows as Processing in Meta while new profiles are added. If a previous version has already synced, that version stays usable with all options until the new sync completes.
Where do I see when a segment last synced? In Meta. Instant shows the current status of each segment, and Meta holds the last sync date and sync history.