Facebook ads can feel overwhelming at times. You may see ads for products you have no interest in or find the amount of ads distracting. Fortunately, Facebook provides users several options to take control over the ads they see.
Why does Facebook have ads?
Facebook relies on advertising revenue as its primary source of income. By serving targeted ads based on user data, interests, and online activity, Facebook earns money from businesses who want to advertise to its broad user base.
While users may find ads annoying, the revenue from these ads is what allows Facebook to offer its services for free. The company has to balance providing value to users while also generating enough money through ads to support its platform and staff.
Key facts about Facebook ads:
- Facebook earned $84.2 billion in ad revenue in 2020 alone.
- There are over 90 million businesses globally that advertise on Facebook.
- Over 98% of Facebook’s revenue comes from advertising.
So in short, ads allow Facebook to keep its platform free and continue expanding its services. Users are essentially exchanging access to Facebook by watching ads.
How are Facebook ads targeted?
Facebook collects a huge amount of data about its users including location, age, interests, online activity, pages and posts interacted with, and much more. All this data helps Facebook offer finely targeted advertising.
When you see an ad on Facebook, it’s because the advertiser wants to reach a specific demographic or interest group you seem to fit based on the data Facebook has collected about you.
Some of the main ways Facebook targets ads include:
Demographic targeting
Ads can be targeted by location, age, gender and other attributes. If a brand wants to reach women aged 18-35 in Canada for instance, they can specify that demographic.
Interests and behaviors
Based on the pages you like, groups you join, and content you engage with, Facebook identifies your interests and behaviors to serve relevant ads. An avid photographer may see ads for cameras and photo editing apps for example.
Past usage
Facebook looks at the ads you’ve interacted with in the past. Clicking, sharing, or purchasing after seeing an ad signifies relevance to you. More related ads may be shown.
Connections
Ads can also be targeted to the interests and demographics of your friends and connections on Facebook.
So in summary, many factors about you are used to decide the ads shown to you on Facebook. The goal is that the ads will be relevant to your life.
Types of Facebook ads
There are a few main types of ads on Facebook:
Photo ads
These include an image and often a call to action button prompting you to learn more, shop now, sign up, etc. Visuals help capture user attention.
Video ads
Short video clips automatically play in your feed. They may be demonstrations, testimonials, commercials or educational. Video content can tell a story and engage viewers.
Carousel ads
Allow advertisers to create a group of up to 10 images or videos that users can horizontally scroll through. It’s like a mini gallery showcasing products or services.
Stories ads
Appear in between friend stories at the top of your feed. They follow the same full screen, vertical format of regular stories.
Boosted posts
Normal posts that businesses have paid to increase the reach of through ad targeting tools. They look like regular posts but have a “Sponsored” label.
So in summary, Facebook offers lots of options for showcasing ads creatively and getting attention.
Where do Facebook ads appear?
Facebook has strategically placed ads all over its platform. Here are some of the most common places you’ll see ads:
- News Feed – The constantly updating stream of posts is where users spend most of their time, so many ads end up here.
- Stories – Short video ads play between friend stories at the top of News Feed.
- Marketplace – Ads may appear while browsing items for sale.
- Right column – The column along the right side of desktop News Feed contains ads.
- Instagram – Facebook owns Instagram, so ads appear in Instagram feeds and stories too.
- Messenger – Sponsored messages may be included in your inbox or chat list.
So in summary, by putting ads on high traffic spots across its family of apps, Facebook ensures users see plenty of ads.
How many Facebook ads will I see?
The number of ads you see depends on several factors:
- Time spent – The more you browse, the more ads are served.
- Demographics – Being in a targeted age group or location may increase ads.
- Interests – Following topics that brands target will increase ads.
- Connections – Having friends in sought after demographics may increase ads.
- Engagement – Liking, commenting on, or sharing ads leads to more.
While amounts vary, one study found the average Facebook user sees 150 – 250 ads per month. That’s 5 – 9 per day on average.
So you’ll likely see a mix of 5 – 10 ads daily on Facebook depending on how you use it. Power users who browse extensively can expect to see more.
Typical number of Facebook ads seen per day
| User Type | Daily Ad Count |
| Light User | 3 – 5 ads |
| Average User | 5 – 10 ads |
| Heavy User | 10+ ads |
How to reduce the number of Facebook ads
If you find Facebook ads excessive, here are some ways to cut back on how many you see:
Adjust ad topics
Facebook allows you to remove interests used for targeting ads:
- Click the inverted triangle ⋮ at the top right and choose “Settings”.
- Go to “Ads” in the left menu.
- Under “Advertisers and Businesses”, select “Ad Topics”.
- Here you can remove topics so ads related to them stop appearing.
Doing this regularly helps refine the ads you see over time.
Limit ad tracking
You can prevent Facebook from collecting data about you for ads:
- Go back to “Settings” then “Ads”.
- Under “Advertisers and Businesses”, select “Ad Settings”.
- Toggle “Future Off-Facebook Activity” to off.
- This stops collecting info to target ads.
Without precise targeting, fewer tailored ads can be shown.
Hide ads from a business
See an annoying ad repeatedly? You can hide all ads from that business:
- Click the 3 dots ⋮ in the ad’s top right corner.
- Select “Hide ad”.
- Choose “Hide all ads from [Business]”.
This permanently blocks ads from that advertiser.
Reduce time on Facebook
The simplest way to see fewer ads is to spend less time on Facebook. Set limits on when and how long you use the app daily. The less you browse, the fewer ads will be served.
How to completely stop Facebook ads
If you are determined to eliminate Facebook ads entirely, here are a couple strong options:
Use an ad blocker
Browser extensions like AdBlock Plus detect and hide Facebook ads as you browse. This removes ads without changing settings.
However, ad blockers do not work on mobile apps. And Facebook may detect and restrict ad block users at some point.
Delete account
The only foolproof way to stop all Facebook ads permanently is deleting your account. This is irreversible, wipes all data, and prevents logging in again.
Consider downloading your data for memories first. Then submit a deletion request in Settings.
Once deleted, you’ll get a fresh ad-free start if choosing to return to Facebook.
Conclusion
Facebook ads help fund the platform but can feel invasive. Fortunately you have options to manage ads based on your preferences.
Try updating ad topics, limiting tracking/time on the app, hiding irritating advertisers, and using an ad blocker. For a 100% ad-free Facebook experience, account deletion is the way to go.
Balancing your own comfort with supporting Facebook’s services is important. With the right settings, you can control Facebook ads without losing access to the parts you enjoy.