Anyone wanting to run Facebook or Instagram ads needs a Meta Business Portfolio. We still see far too many companies simply boosting posts via the Instagram app or their Facebook business page. Furthermore, ad accounts, pages, pixels, and user access are often set up poorly – with costly consequences.
In this guide, we’ll show you step-by-step how to professionally set up a Meta business portfolio and avoid common mistakes.
What is a Meta Business Portfolio?
The Meta Business Portfolio (formerly Business Manager) is the central management unit for:
- Facebook pages
- Instagram accounts
- Advertising accounts
- Meta Pixel
- Conversion API
- catalogs
- Users and permissions (also for partners or agencies)
It cleanly separates business assets from private Facebook profiles.
Step 1: Use your existing Facebook Profile
Many users make the mistake of creating a second Facebook profile for their business.
You should definitely avoid that.
Meta generally only allows one personal Facebook profile per person. Instead, you use your existing profile as the administrator of the business portfolio.
Step 2: Create a separate business portfolio for each company.
Each independent company must have its own portfolio. What is observed most of the time is that legally different companies do not have their assets separated, which is not good since this may result in data confusion. Wherever there is a different business registration or commercial registry record, it is recommended to have a different portfolio.
This keeps advertising accounts, domains, and permissions clearly separated.
Step 3: Use a Professional Business Email
Do not use private email addresses.
The recommended email formats to use are:
- admin@company.com
- marketing@company.com
- paul@company.com
This makes it easier for verification later on.
Step 4: Enable Two-factor Authentication
Two-factor authentication is advised to be enabled for all administrators by Meta. There are many applications for doing so, including the Microsoft Authenticator application, Authy, and Google Authenticator. Alternatively, a cell phone is usually used for login verification using SMS.
Step 5: Verify domain
Under:
Business Settings → Brand Safety → Domains
The company domain should be verified.
This ensures that:
- Only authorized users can use the domain.
- Events are measured correctly.
- Aggregated Event Measurement works.
Step 6: Create an advertising account correctly
Ideally, each company should have its own advertising account.
Avoid:
- Private advertising accounts,
- Shared customer accounts,
- Historical accounts of former employees.
In this context, it is essential to also store a separate payment method and link it to the advertising account.
Step 7: Connect your Facebook page and Instagram account
Connect:
- Company page
- Instagram Business Account
directly with the business portfolio.
This allows campaigns to be managed centrally. If you created your Meta Business Portfolio via Instagram (which we don’t recommend, by the way), then the link to the Facebook page usually needs to be added from within Instagram (within the portfolio, after selecting the Instagram asset).
Step 8: Set up Pixels and the Conversion API
A professional setup includes:
- Meta Pixel
- Conversion API
- Event tracking
- Lead tracking
- Server-side tracking (optional)
Without proper tracking, campaign performance often deteriorates significantly.
Step 9: Use Employee logins instead of shared logins
Each employee should be invited using their own Facebook profile.
Do not use:
- shared logins,
- Pooled accounts,
- shared passwords.
Permissions can be granted individually and revoked later. As mentioned above, you should invite companies as partners if you are working with an agency like RATO Digital, for example.
Step 10: Avoid common mistakes
-
Multiple personal Facebook Profiles
Meta generally only allows one personal profile per person..
-
Too many business portfolios in a short time
Multiple new portfolios can trigger automated security checks.
-
VPNs and location changes
Often, changing logins might cause further verification procedures.
-
Take over old locked assets
Historical advertising accounts or problematic assets can make it difficult to build new structures.
Conclusion
A well-structured meta business portfolio saves time in the long run, reduces security risks, and significantly simplifies the scaling of Facebook and Instagram advertising. Those who opt for a professional structure early on avoid many of the problems that can later lead to restrictions, verification issues, or blocked advertising accounts.
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