Meta deprecates legacy campaign APIs for Advantage+ structure

Meta announced on October 8, 2025, the deprecation of its legacy Advantage Shopping Campaigns (ASC) and Advantage App Campaign (AAC) APIs as part of a broader shift toward a streamlined Advantage+ experience. The company detailed a phased migration plan that will culminate in Marketing API version 25.0, scheduled for Q1 2026, when creation of new ASC and AAC campaigns will no longer be possible across all API versions.

The announcement, authored by Sanjay Patel, outlines significant changes to how developers interact with Meta's advertising infrastructure. Starting with version 24.0, released on October 8, Meta prohibited the creation of new ASC and AAC campaigns using the legacy APIs. Developers can revert to previous MAPI versions—specifically version 23.0 or earlier—to continue using or editing legacy ASC and AAC APIs, though Meta strongly recommends transitioning to Advantage+ campaigns instead.

This deprecation affects the smart_promotion_type flag that developers previously used to designate ASC campaigns with AUTOMATED_SHOPPING_ADS or AAC campaigns with SMART_APP_PROMOTION. Under the new system, campaigns automatically enter Advantage+ state when configured with three specific automation levers: Advantage+ budget at the campaign level, Advantage+ audience targeting, and Advantage+ placement settings.

Technical implementation details

The unified Advantage+ structure introduces a fundamental change in campaign creation methodology. According to Meta's developer documentation released alongside the announcement, advertisers must configure campaigns with all three automation components to achieve an advantage_state value other than DISABLED. When all three levers activate, campaigns for sales objectives display advantage_state as ADVANTAGE_PLUS_SALES, while app promotion campaigns show ADVANTAGE_PLUS_APP, and leads campaigns reflect ADVANTAGE_PLUS_LEADS.

Meta's documentation specifies exact requirements for each automation lever. Advantage+ placement requires no placement targeting or exclusions, allowing all available placements across Meta's network to remain eligible. The system permits placement exclusions at the ad account level while maintaining Advantage+ eligibility at the campaign level. For budget automation, campaigns must configure spending at the campaign level using supported bid strategies including LOWEST_COST_WITHOUT_CAP, COST_CAP, LOWEST_COST_WITH_BID_CAP, or LOWEST_COST_WITH_MIN_ROAS.

Advantage+ audience criteria offers multiple configuration options. The recommended approach involves opting into Advantage+ audience through the targeting_automation parameter with advantage_audience set to 1, while setting no targeting parameters besides geo_locations. Advanced configurations allow individual targeting options with relaxation enabled, including Advantage Lookalike, Advantage Custom Audience, Advantage Detailed Targeting, and Advanced Targeting for age and gender suggestions.

The system uses read-only state information flags that developers can query but cannot directly modify. These flags—advantage_budget_state, advantage_audience_state, and advantage_placement_state—automatically update based on campaign configuration. All three must return ENABLED for the overall advantage_state to reflect an Advantage+ campaign type rather than DISABLED.

Migration pathways for existing campaigns

Meta provided three distinct migration options for developers managing existing ASC and AAC campaigns. The first option, copy and migrate, utilizes a new optional migrate_to_advantage_plus field with the existing Copies endpoint. This method applies exclusively to ASC campaigns, as AAC campaigns cannot be copied. The process generates a new campaign ID while converting the campaign structure to Advantage+.

Developers can alternatively execute a migrate-only operation by initiating a POST call on existing ASC or AAC campaigns using the migrate_to_advantage_plus field. This approach maintains the original campaign ID while updating the campaign structure to Advantage+. Both API-based migration methods became available starting October 8, 2025.

Meta's automation strategy has intensified throughout 2025, with Advantage+ sales campaigns demonstrating 22% average return on ad spend improvements according to company performance data. The unified API structure represents a continuation of this automation expansion, which included the global rollout of streamlined campaign creation flows during Q2 2025.

The third migration option involves manual Ads Manager migration, where partners and advertisers can edit existing campaigns through the interface. For eligible campaigns, making any campaign edit such as name or budget triggers a prompt to upgrade to Advantage+ Campaign Budget. Publishing this change migrates the campaign to the Advantage+ structure. This method requires developers to have appropriate access and permissions to advertisers' Ads Manager accounts.

Campaign eligibility restrictions

Not all campaigns qualify for automatic migration under the new system. Meta explicitly excludes campaigns using existing_customer_budget_percentage, which can only migrate to Advantage+ structure by duplicating the campaign in Ads Manager. The platform directs developers to open these campaigns in Ads Manager for duplication instructions into the Advantage+ structure.

ASC campaigns containing more than 50 ads in a single ad set face migration limitations. These campaigns remain editable after Marketing API version 25.0 launches but cannot be duplicated through the API. The restriction reflects technical constraints in the new unified campaign structure that prevent seamless conversion of extremely large ad sets.

Meta's documentation provides guidance for replicating the existing_customer_budget_percentage functionality within the new framework. The workaround requires creating two ad sets per campaign to separate existing customers from new customers. Advertisers must configure a custom audience defining existing customers, set the budget at campaign level using Advantage campaign budget, and establish daily minimum spend targets and spending caps for the ad set targeting existing customers.

The first ad set includes the custom audience with targeting_relaxation_types set to 0 for custom audiences, ensuring the system does not relax this targeting parameter. The second ad set duplicates the first but excludes the custom audience representing existing customers. Both ad sets utilize identical creative settings to maintain campaign consistency.

Performance implications and industry context

Advantage+ campaigns have shown measurable performance improvements across Meta's advertising ecosystem. During Q2 2025, the company reported $46.6 billion in advertising revenue, representing 22% year-over-year growth. Meta's earnings call revealed that advertiser adoption of Advantage+ sales campaigns exceeded expectations following the global rollout of streamlined campaign creation flows.

The automation framework extends across multiple campaign objectives. Sales campaigns using OUTCOME_SALES objective achieve Advantage+ shopping campaign performance levels when configured with the three required automation settings. App campaigns with APP_INSTALLS objective replicate Advantage+ app campaign results under the same configuration requirements. Leads campaigns using OUTCOME_LEADS objective gain access to Advantage+ leads functionality designed to maximize qualified lead generation through AI-driven audience delivery and placement optimization.

Meta's broader advertising strategy throughout 2025 has emphasized default automation activation across various features. The company enabled Dynamic Media by default for Advantage+ Catalog ads starting September 2025, with 100% enforcement by October 20, 2025. This pattern of converting optional features to default settings reflects Meta's commitment to AI-powered campaign optimization.

The API deprecation aligns with other automation expansions Meta implemented during 2025. The company removed detailed targeting exclusions in January 2025, citing 22% better performance for campaigns without the feature. Meta also introduced limited spending on excluded placements for sales and leads campaigns, allowing up to 5% budget allocation to excluded placements when potential performance benefits exist.

Developer adoption timeline

The phased deprecation schedule provides developers with structured transition periods. Version 23.0 of the Marketing API launched the streamlined Advantage+ experience for sales and app objectives. Version 24.0, released October 8, 2025, prevents new ASC and AAC campaign creation while maintaining backward compatibility for developers using earlier versions.

Version 25.0, scheduled for Q1 2026, implements breaking changes that prohibit ASC and AAC campaign creation across all API versions. This version permanently deprecates the existing_customer_budget_percentage field alongside the ASC API. Developers requiring this functionality must implement the two-ad-set workaround detailed in Meta's documentation.

Meta maintains updated developer documentation and FAQ resources covering all aspects of the migration. The documentation includes technical specifications for API calls, parameter requirements, and troubleshooting guidance for common migration scenarios. Help Center articles provide additional context on Advantage+ Campaigns and Special Ad Categories considerations.

Campaign management after migration

Campaigns migrated to the Advantage+ structure display smart_promotion_type of GUIDED_CREATION, replacing the legacy AUTOMATED_SHOPPING_ADS and SMART_APP_PROMOTION designations. This standardized designation applies regardless of migration method—whether through API-based copy and migrate, migrate only, or manual Ads Manager migration.

The unified system maintains access to all existing ad creation tools while enabling AI optimizations. Advertisers can create Manual Ads without catalog integration, Advantage+ Catalog Ads that dynamically promote products from business catalogs, Shops Ads for direct commerce integration, and Localized Catalogs for Advantage+ Catalog Ads spanning multiple languages or countries.

Meta introduced an opportunity score tool in June 2025 that provides real-time optimization recommendations for campaigns. This AI-powered scoring system ranges from 0 to 100 points, indicating how well campaigns utilize available automation features. Testing data showed advertisers adopting opportunity score recommendations experienced a 12% median decrease in cost per result.

The integration of opportunity score with streamlined Advantage+ campaign setup creates a combined experience that eliminates choices between manual and automated approaches. All sales and app promotion campaigns now start with AI-driven optimizations enabled by default, while maintaining access to manual controls when advertisers require specific configuration options.

Special considerations for different campaign types

Different campaign objectives require tailored approaches within the unified Advantage+ framework. Sales campaigns optimizing for OUTCOME_SALES must refrain from setting placement targeting or placement exclusions, configure campaign-level budgets with LOWEST_COST_WITHOUT_CAP (recommended), COST_CAP, LOWEST_COST_WITH_BID_CAP, or LOWEST_COST_WITH_MIN_ROAS bid strategies, and either opt into Advantage+ audience or limit targeting parameters to geo_locations only.

App campaigns using APP_INSTALLS objective follow identical automation requirements, with the advantage_state reflecting ADVANTAGE_PLUS_APP instead of ADVANTAGE_PLUS_SALES. Leads campaigns with OUTCOME_LEADS objective similarly require all three automation levers enabled, resulting in advantage_state of ADVANTAGE_PLUS_LEADS when properly configured.

Meta's documentation emphasizes that campaigns created with advantage_state values of ADVANTAGE_PLUS_SALES, ADVANTAGE_PLUS_APP, or ADVANTAGE_PLUS_LEADS all display smart_promotion_type of GUIDED_CREATION. This consistency simplifies campaign identification and management across different objectives while maintaining the distinct advantage_state values that reflect specific campaign purposes.

Platform evolution and automation trajectory

The API restructuring represents Meta's response to increasing demand for simplified campaign management. Recent advertising updates have focused on automation while providing advertisers with granular control options when needed. This development follows Meta's pattern of gradually expanding AI-powered features across its advertising platform.

The company has consistently emphasized that automation improvements deliver better results than manual configuration for most advertisers. Internal testing and third-party validation through partnerships with UC Berkeley have demonstrated measurable performance gains. Research showed average return on ad spend in the US increased to $3.71, up 12% from $3.31 in 2022, with Advantage+ Shopping Campaigns achieving $4.52 return on ad spend—22% higher than average.

Meta's Q2 2025 earnings revealed that advertiser adoption of Advantage+ sales campaigns occurred at higher rates in the streamlined experience compared to the previous workflow, exceeding internal expectations. The company noted significant runway for growing advertiser adoption from current levels, with all advertisers optimizing for sales expected to benefit from Advantage+ campaigns.

The automation expansion occurs alongside infrastructure investments in AI capabilities. Nearly 2 million advertisers now use generative AI features including video generation tools like Image Animation and Video Expansion. These capabilities address creative resource constraints for smaller advertisers while supporting Meta's vision of infinite creative variations generated through AI systems.

Migration support and resources

Meta provides comprehensive documentation for developers managing the transition. The Advantage+ Campaign Experience for Sales, App, and Leads documentation offers detailed technical specifications for API implementation. Help Center articles cover Advantage+ Campaigns functionality and Special Ad Categories requirements that may affect migration eligibility.

Developers can access FAQs addressing common migration scenarios including campaign eligibility questions, performance implications, and technical troubleshooting. The documentation clarifies which campaigns can migrate through API versus requiring Ads Manager intervention, helping developers plan migration strategies based on their specific campaign portfolios.

Meta recommends developers begin creating and using Advantage+ campaigns immediately rather than continuing with legacy ASC and AAC APIs, even though backward compatibility remains available through version 23.0. This recommendation reflects the performance advantages demonstrated by Advantage+ campaigns and the limited time remaining before version 25.0 implementation in Q1 2026.

The company emphasizes that existing ASC and AAC campaigns will continue operating without interruption during the transition period. However, editing these campaigns in the new Ads Manager interface after enrollment may automatically convert them to the unified Advantage+ structure. Advertisers should prepare for this possibility when planning campaign management workflows.

Long-term implications for digital advertising

The API deprecation signals Meta's commitment to automation-first advertising experiences. The elimination of separate workflows for ASC and AAC campaigns simplifies developer integration while standardizing access to Meta's most performant automation products. This unified approach reduces complexity in API interactions while expanding automation benefits to all eligible campaigns.

The three-lever automation framework—budget, audience, and placement—provides a consistent model across different campaign objectives. Developers building integrations can apply the same automation principles whether creating sales, app, or leads campaigns. This consistency should simplify integration maintenance and reduce the technical burden of supporting multiple campaign creation methodologies.

Meta's phased approach to deprecation provides developers with adequate time to update integrations and migrate existing campaigns. The six-month window between version 24.0 release on October 8, 2025, and version 25.0 deployment in Q1 2026 allows for thorough testing and gradual migration of campaign portfolios. Backward compatibility through version 23.0 offers additional flexibility for developers requiring more time to complete transitions.

The changes reflect broader industry trends toward AI-powered advertising optimization. As machine learning capabilities improve, platforms increasingly default to automated solutions that deliver superior results compared to manual configuration. Meta's automation expansion throughout 2025 demonstrates this trajectory, with multiple features transitioning from optional to default settings.

Timeline

• January 21, 2025: Meta removes detailed targeting exclusions, citing 22% better campaign performance
• June 9, 2025: Meta launches opportunity score globally for all advertisers with AI-powered optimization recommendations
• Q2 2025: Meta completes global rollout of streamlined Advantage+ campaign creation flows with default activation
• July 30, 2025: Meta posts 22% advertising revenue growth to $46.6 billion in Q2 2025
• August 25, 2025: Meta enables Dynamic Media by default for Advantage+ Catalog ads starting September 2025
• September 2025: Meta introduces new advertising formats for Threads including Advantage+ catalog and app ads
• October 8, 2025: Meta announces ASC and AAC API deprecation, releases Marketing API version 24.0 preventing new legacy campaign creation
• October 8, 2025: Meta introduces limited spend on excluded placements in Marketing API
• Q1 2026: Marketing API version 25.0 scheduled release with complete ASC and AAC API deprecation across all versions

Summary

Who: Meta Platforms affects Marketing API developers, advertising partners, and businesses using Advantage Shopping Campaigns (ASC) and Advantage App Campaigns (AAC) for sales, app promotion, and leads objectives.

What: Meta is deprecating the legacy ASC and AAC APIs through a phased rollout, replacing them with a unified Advantage+ campaign structure that uses three automation levers: Advantage+ budget, Advantage+ audience, and Advantage+ placement. The company no longer allows new ASC/AAC campaign creation starting with Marketing API version 24.0, with complete deprecation scheduled for version 25.0. Developers can migrate existing campaigns through API-based copy and migrate operations, migrate-only operations maintaining original campaign IDs, or manual Ads Manager migration.

When: Meta announced the changes on October 8, 2025. Marketing API version 24.0 released on October 8, 2025, prohibits new legacy campaign creation. Version 23.0 of the Marketing API launched the streamlined Advantage+ experience for sales and app objectives. Marketing API version 25.0, scheduled for Q1 2026, will implement breaking changes preventing ASC and AAC campaign creation across all API versions. The existing_customer_budget_percentage field will be deprecated simultaneously with the ASC API in version 25.0.

Where: The changes affect Meta's Marketing API infrastructure used by developers globally to create and manage advertising campaigns across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, and Audience Network placements. Campaigns migrate to the Advantage+ structure visible in Ads Manager with updated advantage_state values reflecting ADVANTAGE_PLUS_SALES, ADVANTAGE_PLUS_APP, or ADVANTAGE_PLUS_LEADS depending on campaign objective.

Why: Meta is executing this deprecation to streamline the Advantage+ experience and provide simplified access to the company's most performant automation products. The unified system drives app, sales, and leads campaigns to default to optimal, automation-first setups. Advantage+ sales campaigns have demonstrated 22% average return on ad spend improvements, with advertiser adoption exceeding Meta's expectations following the global rollout during Q2 2025. The changes align with Meta's broader 2025 strategy toward AI-powered automation, including removing detailed targeting exclusions, enabling Dynamic Media by default, and introducing limited spend on excluded placements.