Threads Ads Go Global: What Paid Social Marketers Need to Know

A New Placement, A New Opportunity

On January 21st, 2026, Meta announced that ads on Threads would be expanding to all users globally, marking the full monetisation of a platform that has quietly become one of the most significant new advertising channels in years. For paid social marketers, this isn’t just another placement toggle in Ads Manager. It’s the opening of a 400-million-strong audience that, until now, has been largely untouched by advertising.

The rollout is gradual. Meta has stated that ad delivery will initially remain low as global availability scales over the coming months. But for brands and agencies already running Meta campaigns, the time to start thinking about Threads is now.

How Threads Ads Work

If you’re already advertising across Meta’s ecosystem, Threads ads will feel familiar. The placement sits within Meta Ads Manager alongside Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, meaning there’s no separate platform to learn or budget to ringfence.

Here are the key details for advertisers:

• Formats: Image ads, video ads, carousel ads, Advantage+ catalog ads, and app ads are all supported. The 4:5 aspect ratio, already a staple of Instagram feed advertising, is also available on Threads.
• Campaign setup: The Threads feed placement is switched on by default for new campaigns using Advantage+ or manual placements. Advertisers can opt out via manual placements if preferred.
• Account requirements: Your Threads and Instagram usernames must match in order to run ads or manage Threads account permissions in Meta Business Suite.
• Management: Threads accounts can now be reviewed and managed within Business Settings alongside your other Meta properties, simplifying cross-platform campaign management.

In practice, this means existing Meta advertisers can extend their reach to Threads with minimal additional effort. Your current creative assets, audience strategies, and reporting workflows all carry over.

Why Threads Matters: The Numbers Behind the Platform

Threads has experienced remarkable growth since its July 2023 launch. The platform reached 200 million monthly active users by mid-2024, grew to 320 million by January 2025, and now sits at over 400 million. For context, CEO Mark Zuckerberg has stated his belief that Threads has a realistic path to one billion users within the next few years.

Perhaps more importantly for advertisers, Threads is now outperforming its closest rival in key metrics. According to Similarweb data from January 2026, Threads recorded 141.5 million daily active mobile users globally, compared to 125 million for X (formerly Twitter). Meanwhile, a Buffer analysis of 10.2 million posts found that Threads drives a median engagement rate of 6.25%, compared to 3.6% on X. That’s a 73.6% difference.

These aren’t vanity metrics. Higher engagement rates suggest a more attentive, interactive user base, exactly the kind of environment where paid content has the potential to resonate rather than be scrolled past.

Brand Safety: A Competitive Advantage

One area where Threads has moved quickly to reassure advertisers is brand safety. Meta has extended third-party verification, already available on Facebook and Instagram feeds and Reels, to the Threads feed through its Meta Business Partners programme. Verification partners including DoubleVerify, Integral Ad Science (IAS), and Scope3 now provide independent brand safety and suitability reporting for Threads placements, with Zefr support expected in a future update.

These partners use AI-driven analysis to assess the context in which ads appear, providing advertisers with safety and suitability scores, content examples, associated risk levels, and impression-level data.

It is worth noting that Meta received MRC accreditation for content-level brand safety on Facebook and Instagram feeds in June 2025 but subsequently withdrew from the MRC’s annual auditing program in September 2025, resulting in that accreditation being revoked. Meta has stated that it wants the MRC to prioritise third-party brand safety audits instead. This doesn’t affect the independent verification provided by DoubleVerify, IAS, and Scope3 on Threads, but it is a development advertisers should be aware of when assessing Meta’s brand safety posture more broadly.

That said, this is particularly relevant when you consider the challenges facing X, which has struggled with content moderation issues, including the proliferation of illegal deepfakes. For brands operating in regulated industries or those with strict brand safety requirements, Threads still offers a notably more controlled advertising environment backed by established third-party verification.

What We’d Recommend

As with any new placement, the smart approach is to test with intention rather than dive in blindly. Here’s how we’d suggest approaching Threads ads:

Start with Advantage+ inclusion. Since Threads is on by default for Advantage+ campaigns, let Meta’s algorithm determine how much of your budget it allocates to the placement. Monitor performance at the placement level to understand how Threads compares to Facebook and Instagram feeds.

Don’t create Threads-specific creative just yet. Your existing Meta assets will work. The supported formats and aspect ratios align closely with what you’re already producing for Instagram feed. Focus on monitoring performance before investing in bespoke Threads content.

Watch your CPMs closely. Early industry estimates suggest Threads CPMs are currently lower than those on established Meta placements, though official figures from Meta are not yet available. As ad load increases and more advertisers opt in, expect these to rise. There’s a genuine first-mover advantage for those who test early.

Consider the tone of the platform. Threads is conversational and text-first. While image and video ads are the available formats, the surrounding content is predominantly text-based discussion. Ads that feel native to this environment, less polished and more direct, may outperform heavily produced creative.

Keep brand safety front of mind. If you operate in a sector with strict compliance requirements, take advantage of the third-party verification tools available through DoubleVerify, IAS, and Scope3 to ensure your ads are appearing in appropriate contexts from day one.

The Bottom Line

The global rollout of Threads ads represents one of the most significant new paid social opportunities in recent memory. With 400 million monthly active users, engagement rates that outpace X, seamless integration into Meta’s existing ad infrastructure, and robust brand safety provisions, Threads is positioning itself as a serious consideration for any advertiser already investing in the Meta ecosystem.

The window of lower competition and favorable CPMs won’t last indefinitely. For brands and agencies looking to maximise efficiency and reach new audiences, now is the time to start testing.

To learn more about how your brand can make the most of Threads advertising, get in touch with our team of experts.