Meta is expanding the use of Threads as a default advertising placement. According to agency Common Thread Collective, the changes began rolling out to active campaigns on October 19, 2026, with the rollout expected to be completed during the week of October 26. This means some advertisers may see spending on Threads in campaigns where they had not previously planned to run ads. However, there is no official confirmation of the exact schedule for all accounts.
Key Takeaways
- Threads is already a default placement in new Meta Ads campaigns, a policy in effect since 2025.
- Common Thread Collective reported an expansion of the automatic inclusion of Threads in active campaigns in October 2026.
- Meta is gradually removing the option to manually exclude placements for Sales, Leads, Engagement, and App Promotion.
- Manual placement controls remain available for Awareness and Traffic for now.
- Reducing bids through Placement Value Rules does not guarantee that delivery will stop entirely; advertisers need to check whether a Threads-specific rule is available.
- Threads should be evaluated based on spend, conversions, CPA, and ROAS, not just CPM.
What Changed for Threads Ads in October
Advertising on Threads is not a new feature. In April 2025, Meta opened this placement to advertisers worldwide and began including it automatically in new campaigns. At that time, the company also allowed advertisers to opt out of Threads through manual settings.
The current news concerns active campaigns. According to Common Thread Collective, Meta is expanding the automatic use of Threads, so ads may begin appearing there in campaigns created earlier.
The agency identifies October 19 as the start of the changes and the week of October 26 as the period when the rollout was expected to finish. However, Meta’s public documentation does not confirm this specific schedule or guarantee that all ad accounts will be updated simultaneously.
For media buyers, then, the key indicator is not the date in a news report but the actual impressions and spending on Threads in their own Ads Manager.
Can You Completely Turn Off Threads in Meta Ads?
The answer depends on the campaign objective, the current Ads Manager interface, and the settings available in the account.
In October, Meta clarified that it is gradually removing manual placement exclusions at the ad set level for four objectives: Sales, Leads, Engagement, and App Promotion. Manual settings remain available for Awareness and Traffic for now.
This is a broader change to the way ad placements are managed, not a separate prohibition on disabling Threads alone. UAGEEK has already covered the new restrictions on manual placement selection in Meta Ads.
At the same time, Meta’s official materials on Threads describe the option to opt out of this placement through Manual Placements. Therefore, the categorical claim that Threads cannot be turned off in any account is not supported.
Can Placement Value Rules Help Reduce Spending?
Placement Value Rules let advertisers adjust the relative value of individual ad placements for Meta’s algorithm. For supported placements, the reduction can be as high as 90%.
But there is an important limitation: in his October 27 review of the updated documentation, expert Jon Loomer noted that the available list of rules contained only seven placements across Facebook, Instagram, and Audience Network. Threads was not on that list.
Consequently, the instruction to “open Placement Value Rules and reduce the Threads bid by 90%” cannot be considered universally applicable. Before making changes, advertisers need to confirm that Threads actually appears in the list for their specific ad account.
Even if such a rule becomes available, a 90% bid reduction would not mean impressions or spending fall by exactly 90%. It adjusts the auction valuation; it is not a hard budget cap.
How to Check Whether Threads Is Already Spending Your Ad Budget
The simplest way is to open the placement-level breakdown of results directly in Meta Ads Manager.
- Open Ads Manager and select your active campaigns.
- Set an analysis period, such as the last seven days.
- Go to Breakdown → By Delivery → Placement.
- Find Threads feed among the ad placements.
- Compare spend, impressions, CPM, clicks, and target conversions.
- Where possible, compare the results with the previous period, accounting for budget changes and seasonality.
If Threads receives part of the budget but generates no purchases or qualified leads, that is a reason to investigate. However, a few days without conversions at a low volume of impressions do not yet prove that the placement is ineffective.
Is CPM on Threads Really 20–40% Lower?
Common Thread Collective estimates that CPM on Threads can be 20–40% lower than on Instagram Feed. However, this is an agency estimate without a published methodology, account sample, or breakdown by GEO.
The actual cost of impressions depends on the audience, season, competition, optimization objective, and creative. It would be inaccurate to apply that reported range to every ad campaign.
A lower CPM also does not mean a cheaper sale. If Threads delivers more impressions but fewer conversions, a campaign’s overall CPM may fall even as its CPA rises.
That is why the new placement should be assessed using the ultimate business metric: the cost of a confirmed lead, purchase, or other target action.
Which Creatives Should You Test on Threads?
Threads is built around a feed of posts and discussions, so ad assets prepared for Instagram Feed or Reels will not necessarily perform equally well there.
For testing, advertisers can prepare separate versions with a concise explanation of the offer, clear context, and a creative that looks natural among Threads posts. But campaign results must demonstrate whether this approach actually outperforms standard Instagram creatives.
Meta supports image, video, and carousel ads on Threads. At the same time, available formats, optimization objectives, and conversion locations have limitations, so compatibility with the specific campaign should be checked before launch.
UAGEEK has also previously explained how to run Threads ads without an Instagram profile and what changes Meta has made to business account management.
What Media Buyers Should Do Now
The first step is to check the actual allocation of budget by placement. If Threads is already receiving impressions, evaluate traffic quality and creative performance separately.
Second, check the available control tools: Manual Placements, Account Controls, and Placement Value Rules. Which options are available depends on the campaign objective and the rollout status of the updates.
Third, do not change settings solely because CPM is lower. If Threads delivers an acceptable CPA or ROAS, automatic budget allocation may be beneficial. If not, test creatives, assess conversion quality, and review the available delivery restrictions.
The key takeaway: Threads is becoming a more prominent part of Meta’s advertising infrastructure, but its real impact on spending must be checked in each account. Neither automatic inclusion nor the reported CPM savings guarantees better business outcomes.
Sources for Verification
Sources for Verification
Meta for Business — Ads on Threads. Official information about Threads advertising, default placement inclusion, and manual control options.
Meta’s Threads Advertising
Common Thread Collective, October 2026. Agency report on the automatic inclusion of Threads in active campaigns, the estimated rollout schedule, and the CPM estimate.
Report on the Expansion of Threads Ads
Jon Loomer Digital, October 27, 2026. Analysis of Meta’s official clarifications on manual placement restrictions, campaign objectives, and the list of available Placement Value Rules.
Which Placement Settings Meta Is Changing
TechCrunch, April 23, 2025. Confirmation of the initial worldwide launch of Threads Ads, its default inclusion, and the ability to opt out through manual settings.
The History of the Threads Ads Launch
