Meta enables dynamic media by default for catalog ads starting September 2025

Meta announced on August 25, 2025, its plan to enable Dynamic Media automatically for all new Advantage+ Catalog ads created through the Marketing API starting September 1, 2025. The social media platform will implement a gradual rollout, reaching 100% enforcement by October 20, 2025, fundamentally changing how video assets appear in catalog-based advertising campaigns.

According to Meta's developer documentation, the change affects the media_type_automation field, which will default to OPT_IN for Advantage+ Catalog ads across Single Image, Carousel, and Collection formats. Previously, Dynamic Media remained disabled unless advertisers explicitly enabled the functionality through API calls or Ads Manager interface settings.

The technical modification brings API behavior in line with Meta's Ads Manager interface, where the Dynamic Media toggle has defaulted to "On" since its introduction. Meta's announcement states the change aims to increase "creative liquidity and improving utilization of Catalog Product Video (CPV) assets to drive better ad performance."

Technical implementation requirements

Dynamic Media leverages automation and product ranking systems to deliver optimized creative assets across placements. According to Meta's Business Help Center documentation, the feature "shows people viewing your ad either product images or videos from your catalogue depending on what they're likely to find engaging."

The automation system analyzes user engagement patterns to determine whether video or static image assets will generate better performance for individual viewers. Meta's algorithms consider placement-specific optimization factors, including Instagram Reels, Facebook Reels, and other video-centric surfaces where Dynamic Media enables expanded reach.

Video specifications for Dynamic Media require files not exceeding 200MB with support for multiple formats including 3g2, 3gp, 3gpp, asf, avi, dat, divx, dv, f4v, flv, gif, m2ts, m4v, mkv, mod, mov, mp4, mpe, mpeg, mpeg4, mpg, mts, nsv, ogm, ogv, qt, tod, ts, vob, and wmv. The platform recommends a minimum of 20 products in catalog feeds, though no strict minimums are enforced.

Developer preparation timeline

Meta's implementation schedule provides specific deadlines for API integrations. Developers must review and update their API implementations before September 1, 2025, if they intend to maintain previous behavior patterns where Dynamic Media remains disabled by default.

The gradual rollout means some API calls will continue functioning with previous default settings during the transition period. However, Meta emphasizes that 100% enforcement will be active by October 20, 2025, requiring all new Advantage+ Catalog ads to include Dynamic Media functionality unless explicitly disabled.

According to the announcement, developers can continue using the media_type_automation field with enroll_statusset to OPT_OUT to maintain previous behavior. The field structure remains unchanged, requiring only modifications to default handling rather than comprehensive API restructuring.

Catalog video integration methods

Meta supports three distinct approaches for adding video content to product catalogs: catalog feed files, catalog batch API, and manual upload through Commerce Manager. Each method accommodates different operational requirements and technical infrastructures.

Catalog feed files support video integration through dedicated columns including video[0].url, video[1].url, video[2].url, and additional numbered variations. Up to 20 video URLs are supported per product item, enabling extensive creative asset libraries for individual SKUs.

The batch API approach utilizes the /{product_catalog_id}/items_batch endpoint with video field arrays containing URL references. This method supports both CREATE and UPDATE operations for existing product items, enabling programmatic video management at scale.

Commerce Manager provides manual upload capabilities for businesses preferring interface-driven catalog management. This approach integrates with existing product information systems while maintaining compatibility with automated Dynamic Media delivery.

Video content optimization strategies

Meta's documentation emphasizes strategic video sourcing approaches for optimal Dynamic Media performance. The platform identifies several successful video asset categories based on advertiser implementations during testing phases.

Product detail page videos from e-commerce websites represent the most common video source, providing authentic product demonstrations within familiar contexts. Third-party marketing partner tools including Smartly and Shakr offer additional video creation capabilities for brands requiring scaled content production.

User-generated content and creator-style videos featuring individual products demonstrate strong engagement metrics according to Meta's internal analyses. These assets often outperform highly produced content by leveraging authentic user perspectives and social proof elements.

High-fidelity produced videos targeting hero products enable premium brand presentations for key SKUs. This approach balances production investment with strategic product emphasis, particularly effective for new launches and seasonal campaigns.

Performance measurement capabilities

Dynamic Media campaigns support comprehensive performance tracking through Meta's Ads Insights API and Ads Manager reporting interfaces. Video engagement metrics include 2-second continuous video plays, 3-second video plays, ThruPlays, and completion rates at 25%, 50%, 75%, 95%, and 100% viewing thresholds.

Cost-per-action metrics provide granular analysis of video performance effectiveness. The platform tracks cost per 2-second continuous video play, cost per 3-second video play, and cost per ThruPlay, enabling detailed return-on-investment calculations for video asset development.

Reach and impression data complement engagement metrics by quantifying audience exposure to video versus image creative variations. This data supports creative optimization decisions and budget allocation strategies across video and static asset development.

Placement-specific considerations

Dynamic Media functionality varies across Meta's 25 distinct ad placements, each requiring specific technical considerations for optimal performance. Video assets undergo automatic cropping to match placement aspect ratios unless advertisers specify custom crop settings through the video_crop_style field.

Instagram Reels and Facebook Reels placements prioritize 9:16 aspect ratio videos, while Facebook Feed optimizes for 4:5 ratios in single media formats and 1:1 ratios for carousel presentations. Collection ads replace hero media with product videos while maintaining image-based product thumbnails in pre-click experiences.

The automatic cropping system applies modifications only to videos that fail to meet placement size requirements. If multiple aspect ratios are provided for individual products, Meta's algorithms select the most appropriate version for each placement without additional processing.

Strategic implications for marketing teams

The Dynamic Media default activation represents a significant shift in Meta's advertising automation philosophy. Meta's broader AI advertising expansion throughout 2025 has emphasized algorithmic optimization over manual campaign management, with Advantage+ sales campaigns showing 22% average return on ad spend improvements.

Creative transparency initiatives introduced in July 2025 enable advertisers to analyze performance by specific creative elements, including Dynamic Media components. This visibility addresses previous "black box" concerns while maintaining automation benefits.

The timing coincides with Meta's expanded advertising features including universal value rules and enhanced targeting controls, suggesting a comprehensive platform evolution toward AI-driven optimization with selective advertiser oversight.

Competitive context and industry impact

Meta's Dynamic Media expansion occurs amid broader industry adoption of automated video advertising solutions. Reddit's Dynamic Product Ads achieved general availability in May 2025, delivering 2x higher ROAS for catalog-based campaigns and demonstrating market demand for automated product video integration.

Amazon's expanded Responsive e-commerce Creative functionality and Google's AI-powered creative tools indicate industry-wide movement toward automated creative optimization. These platforms recognize that manual creative management cannot scale with modern advertising demands across multiple channels and formats.

The Dynamic Media default activation may pressure competitors to enhance their own video automation capabilities. Platforms lacking sophisticated product video integration risk losing advertiser investment to Meta's comprehensive automation ecosystem, particularly for e-commerce and retail sectors where product demonstration drives conversion effectiveness.

Technical troubleshooting and diagnostics

Meta provides comprehensive diagnostic capabilities through the Product Diagnostics API using the /{catalog-id}/diagnostics endpoint. This system identifies video-related errors including VIDEO_NOT_DOWNLOADABLE, VIDEO_FETCH_FAILED_LINK_BROKEN, VIDEO_FETCH_FAILED_BAD_GATEWAY, and VIDEO_FETCH_FAILED_FILE_SIZE_EXCEEDED responses.

Video fetch status monitoring enables real-time tracking of asset processing through fields including NO_STATUS, NOT_FETCHED, DIRECT_UPLOAD, FETCHED, FETCH_FAILED, OUTDATED, and PARTIAL_FETCH values. These status indicators help identify catalog configuration issues before they impact campaign delivery.

Meta's troubleshooting documentation emphasizes common resolution approaches for video integration problems. Solutions include verifying video file extensions, checking server accessibility for Meta's download systems, removing password protection from video files, and ensuring proper URL formatting with HTTP or HTTPS prefixes.

The platform recommends maintaining video hosting infrastructure capable of handling Meta's download requests, particularly during peak processing periods when multiple advertisers simultaneously update catalog assets.

Timeline

• March 2024: Reddit begins beta testing of Dynamic Product Ads with select advertisers
• July 11, 2025: Meta introduces Creative breakdown for Flexible formats enabling Dynamic Media performance analysis
• August 25, 2025: Meta announces Dynamic Media default opt-in for Marketing API starting September 2025
• September 1, 2025: Meta begins gradual rollout of Dynamic Media default activation
• October 20, 2025: Meta enforces 100% Dynamic Media default opt-in for all new Advantage+ Catalog ads

PPC Land explains

Dynamic Media

Dynamic Media represents Meta's automated creative optimization system that delivers either product images or videos from advertiser catalogs based on predicted user engagement. The technology uses machine learning algorithms to analyze user behavior patterns and determine which creative format will generate better performance for individual viewers. Unlike static creative approaches, Dynamic Media adapts in real-time to placement requirements and audience preferences, automatically cropping videos to match aspect ratios across Meta's 25 distinct ad placements. The system prioritizes video content when available and suitable, but falls back to static images when video assets are unavailable or less likely to perform effectively for specific users.

Advantage+ Catalog Ads

Advantage+ Catalog Ads utilize Meta's AI-powered automation to promote products directly from business catalogs across Facebook, Instagram, and Meta Audience Network placements. These campaigns automatically select which products to show to different users based on their likelihood to convert, eliminating the need for manual product selection and creative development. The system integrates with product catalogs to pull real-time pricing, availability, and imagery data, ensuring advertisements reflect current inventory status. Advantage+ Catalog Ads support Single Image, Carousel, and Collection formats, with Dynamic Media enabling video integration for enhanced creative performance across video-centric placements like Instagram Reels and Facebook Reels.

Marketing API

Meta's Marketing API provides programmatic access to advertising functionality, enabling developers to create, manage, and optimize campaigns through code rather than manual interface interactions. The API supports comprehensive campaign management including creative development, audience targeting, budget allocation, and performance analysis through structured endpoints and parameters. Developers use the Marketing API to build custom advertising tools, automate campaign operations, and integrate Meta advertising capabilities into existing business systems. The September 2025 Dynamic Media changes specifically affect the media_type_automation field behavior within Marketing API calls, requiring developer awareness to maintain previous functionality patterns.

Product Catalogs

Product catalogs serve as structured databases containing product information including images, videos, pricing, availability, and specifications that power dynamic advertising campaigns. Meta's catalog system supports up to 20 video URLs per product item, enabling extensive creative asset libraries for individual SKUs across different aspect ratios and creative concepts. Catalogs integrate with e-commerce platforms, inventory management systems, and content management workflows to maintain real-time product data synchronization. The catalog structure supports both primary feeds for core product information and supplementary feeds specifically for video assets, providing operational flexibility for businesses with complex product portfolios.

Video Assets

Video assets within Meta's Dynamic Media system encompass product demonstrations, lifestyle content, user-generated material, and professionally produced promotional videos stored at the catalog level. These assets must meet technical specifications including maximum 200MB file sizes and support for multiple video formats from MP4 to specialized containers like 3gp and wmv. Video assets undergo automatic optimization for placement-specific requirements, including aspect ratio adjustments and quality encoding to match viewing contexts across mobile and desktop environments. The system analyzes video performance data to inform future creative delivery decisions, creating feedback loops that improve asset selection accuracy over time.

API Endpoints

API endpoints represent specific URLs and methods that developers use to interact with Meta's advertising platform programmatically. The Dynamic Media changes primarily affect the act_<AD_ACCOUNT_ID>/adcreatives and act_<AD_ACCOUNT_ID>/ads endpoints, which handle creative development and ad creation respectively. These endpoints accept structured JSON data containing campaign parameters, creative specifications, targeting criteria, and optimization settings. Developers must understand endpoint-specific parameter requirements, authentication protocols, and response formats to successfully implement Dynamic Media functionality and maintain compatibility with Meta's evolving API specifications.

Automation Systems

Meta's automation systems encompass machine learning algorithms, predictive analytics, and optimization engines that manage campaign delivery, creative selection, and performance optimization without manual intervention. These systems analyze vast datasets including user engagement patterns, conversion behaviors, demographic information, and contextual signals to make real-time advertising decisions. Automation reduces operational overhead for advertisers while potentially improving performance through data-driven optimization that surpasses human analytical capabilities. The Dynamic Media automation specifically focuses on creative format selection, balancing video and image delivery based on predicted user response rates and placement-specific performance characteristics.

Creative Optimization

Creative optimization involves systematic testing, analysis, and refinement of advertising assets to maximize engagement, conversion rates, and return on advertising investment. Meta's approach combines automated asset selection with performance measurement to identify high-performing creative variations and delivery contexts. The system considers factors including visual appeal, message clarity, call-to-action effectiveness, and audience resonance when determining optimal creative presentation. Dynamic Media extends creative optimization beyond static testing by enabling real-time format selection, allowing individual users to see the creative variation most likely to generate their desired response based on historical performance data.

Performance Tracking

Performance tracking encompasses comprehensive measurement systems that monitor video engagement, conversion activities, cost efficiency, and audience reach across Dynamic Media campaigns. Meta provides detailed metrics including 2-second continuous video plays, ThruPlays, completion rates at multiple viewing thresholds, and cost-per-action calculations for different engagement levels. The tracking system enables comparison between video and image creative performance, supporting data-driven decisions about asset development priorities and budget allocation strategies. Real-time performance data feeds back into automation algorithms, creating continuous improvement cycles that enhance campaign effectiveness over time.

Implementation Timeline

The implementation timeline spans from Meta's August 25, 2025 announcement through October 20, 2025 when 100% enforcement takes effect, requiring careful coordination between platform changes and developer preparation activities. The gradual rollout beginning September 1, 2025 allows for testing and adjustment periods while maintaining campaign stability for existing advertisers. Developers must complete API integration updates before the September deadline to maintain control over Dynamic Media activation, while businesses should prepare video asset libraries and catalog configurations to leverage new default functionality. The timeline reflects Meta's approach of providing advance notice for significant platform changes while ensuring smooth transitions that minimize business disruption.

Summary

Who: Meta (formerly Facebook) and developers using the Marketing API for Advantage+ Catalog ads, affecting advertisers across Single Image, Carousel, and Collection formats

What: Meta will automatically enable Dynamic Media (media_type_automation set to OPT_IN) for all new Advantage+ Catalog ads created through the Marketing API, bringing API behavior in line with Ads Manager interface defaults

When: Gradual rollout begins September 1, 2025, with 100% enforcement by October 20, 2025, affecting all new campaigns created after the implementation dates

Where: The change affects Meta's Marketing API endpoints including act_<AD_ACCOUNT_ID>/adcreatives and act_<AD_ACCOUNT_ID>/ads, impacting catalog-based advertising across Facebook, Instagram, and Meta Audience Network

Why: Meta aims to increase creative liquidity and improve utilization of Catalog Product Video assets to drive better ad performance, while bringing API functionality in line with the Ads Manager interface where Dynamic Media has been enabled by default