Are my Meta video ads now showing in Instagram search results, and can a B2B advertiser keep them out?

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A woman beside a lake at dusk looks down at her phone, its screen lighting her face

Possibly, if your account has the update. Since October 6, 2026, Meta has been gradually rolling out single-video and carousel-video ads in Instagram search results, per its Marketing API changelog. They show only where an ad set includes that placement, which Advantage+ placements can. To keep them out, choose placements yourself in Awareness, Traffic or Engagement campaigns, or leave ig_search out in the API. In Leads and Sales campaigns where Meta removed placement choice, Meta's docs show no exclusion for it.

As of November 2026.

What changed

Meta's changelog entry for October 6, 2026 says, "Video ads in Instagram search results are gradually rolling out. Eligible accounts can use single-video and carousel-video creatives with the ig_search placement."

BeforeNow
Single-video ads in Instagram search resultsNot statedRolling out gradually since October 6, 2026
Carousel ads with video cards thereNot statedRolling out gradually since October 6, 2026
Ads from existing posts, with placement asset customization or with dynamic creativeNot statedCovered by the same rollout
Accounts that don't have it yetNot statedAn ad set with other placements skips search results. One with only search results fails (error 100, subcode 5234001)

Meta doesn't say what video could do in this placement before. Its changelog presents video here as a new, gradual rollout.

Meta's help pages describe the placement. Ads show "when people enter a keyword search term" in the Instagram app's search bar. When someone taps a result, they get "a full-screen viewing panel, which scrolls vertically to display both ads and organic content." Meta calls these "vertical, immersive ads" placed between organic photos, carousel posts and Reels.

Who it affects

  • Video advertisers on Advantage+ placements. Meta says Advantage+ placements let its delivery system "allocate budget across placements based on where they're likely to perform best." In the API, when an ad set sets no Instagram positions, Meta delivers to all available Instagram placements, and ig_search is one.
  • Leads, Sales and App promotion campaigns. Meta says, "For these objectives, you no longer choose placements manually at the ad set level." That change is "being rolled out gradually," so some accounts still have the old controls.
  • Lead and conversion objectives. Meta's API guide lists the objectives that work with search results, among them LEAD_GENERATION, CONVERSIONS and LINK_CLICKS (older API objective names).
  • Not image-only ads. The change covers single-video and carousel-video creatives.
  • Not ad sets with manual placements that leave search results out, and not accounts the rollout hasn't reached.

What to do now

  1. Check whether it's happening. In Ads Manager, break results down by placement and look for a row for Instagram search results. In the Insights API, use the publisher_platform and platform_position breakdowns.
  2. Judge it on lead quality, not volume. Compare those leads with what they became in your CRM before you block anything. To tag each lead with its placement, see UTM parameters for Meta ads.
  3. In Awareness, Traffic or Engagement campaigns, choose placements yourself. Meta says those objectives "aren't affected by this change," so you can leave Instagram search results out. In Manual placement, it has its own checkbox, and Meta says it needs Instagram Feed selected too. Those objectives don't optimize for leads the way a Leads campaign does, so don't switch objectives just for this.
  4. In Leads, Sales or App promotion campaigns, check your controls. If your account still shows manual placements, you can leave search results out for now. Once Meta's change reaches you, look in Account controls. Meta's help page says "Placement exclusions by objective are available for all objectives," but the placements it lists for account controls are Audience Network, Facebook Marketplace and Facebook right column. Its API docs allow account-level exclusions for the same ones, and neither names Instagram search results. See why you can't choose placements in Leads campaigns.
  5. Don't count on value rules. Their placement list covers Instagram Feed, Stories, Reels and Explore, but not search results. See what value rules can and can't replace.
  6. In the API or a tool, set positions on purpose. List instagram_positions without ig_search to stay out. To opt in, Meta says you "must include stream as a placement" with ig_search. If you list only ig_search and your account lacks video there, expect error 100, subcode 5234001.
  7. If you keep it, fit the creative. Meta describes the placement as vertical and full screen, so preview your video for it before launch. If you have only images, see whether to let Meta turn them into video.

Meta's pages don't say whether the Ads Manager placement change also applies to Leads ad sets built through the API, or what the placement's row is called in a placement breakdown. They also give no data on how this placement performs for leads.

Dates to watch

DateWhat happens
October 6, 2026Meta's Marketing API changelog: video ads in Instagram search results start a gradual rollout
No date givenEnd of that rollout. Meta says video in search results "may not be available to every ad account"
No date givenEnd of the gradual rollout that removes ad set placement choice from Leads, Sales and App promotion campaigns

For the same question about WhatsApp Status, see WhatsApp Status and lead ads.

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