The "Old" Whitelisting process

Influencer whitelisting (also known as creator whitelisting) is the process where a creator grants a brand advertising permissions to their Facebook Page and Instagram account via Meta Business Manager. This allows the brand to run ads from the creator’s handle, gaining more control over audience targeting and optimization.

How It Works (Old Method)

1. Creator shares access to their Facebook Page/Instagram via Meta Business Manager.

2. Brand receives permissions (like “Advertise” or “Analyze”) to run ads from the creator’s profile.

3. Ads appear natively from the influencer’s handle — increasing engagement and trust.

4. Assets (like Instagram handles) are added under the brand’s Business Manager, and users on the brand team are assigned to manage them.

This process is sometimes technical and confusing for creators, as it involves:

• Business Manager invites

• Manual asset assignment

• Email exchanges and delays

Tools like Leadsie simplify this with a one-click permission request link.

Partnership Ads (Newer, Official Meta Program)

Meta introduced Partnership Ads (formerly branded content ads) as a cleaner alternative:

• No asset transfer needed — creators simply approve brand ad access via a native Meta flow.

• Faster and easier — the creator just authorizes a collaboration.

• More transparent — Meta displays a “Sponsored by” tag for clearer disclosure.

Key Differences

FeatureOld WhitelistingPartnership Ads

When to Use Old Whitelisting?

Use old whitelisting when:

• You want full ad account access to creator handles.

• You're running dark posts or need granular ad optimization.

• Creators are comfortable sharing Page/IG account access.

If ease and speed matter more, Partnership Ads may be better — especially for one-off or short-term collaborations.