Connect your Facebook Ads to Claude.
A step-by-step setup that gives Claude permanent access to your Facebook and Instagram, so you can run your ads, leads and presence by chatting with it.
What you can ask after setup
Claude runs your Meta presence by chat.
Audit your ad spend in one chat
"Show me my top 3 ad sets by cost-per-lead in the last 7 days." Claude pulls live data and answers.
Manage campaigns by talking
"Pause anything over $80 CPL. Push budget to anything under $40." Claude makes the changes.
Lead Ads pipeline
Pull every Lead Ad submission as it comes in. Claude routes, drafts replies, pushes into your CRM.
Triage Messenger + IG DMs
Claude reads, classifies, drafts responses in your voice. Spam filtered, hot leads flagged.
Publish posts cross-platform
"Post this update to Facebook and Instagram with these hashtags." Done.
Comment moderation
Find which Page + IG comments need a response. Claude drafts replies that sound like you.
Real-time performance watchdog
"Alert me if any ad spends $200 in 24 hours with zero conversions." Claude monitors silently.
Cross-channel attribution
Connect ad clicks > form fills > calls booked. Claude reads each layer and tells you what's working.
Before you start
The checklist
Meta Business Portfolio
Used to be called Business Manager. Check at business.facebook.com, if you've ever advertised through an agency, you have one. If not, it's a 5-minute create at the start.
Admin access on the Business Portfolio
Hard blockerYou must be Admin (not just Employee or User). Most common blocker: your marketing agency owns the Portfolio and you're listed as Employee. Get them to grant you Admin or migrate the Portfolio under your name.
An Ad Account inside the Business Portfolio
Where your campaigns live. If your ad account exists outside the Portfolio (personal account), you need to add it from Business Settings > Accounts > Ad Accounts > Add > I have an ad account ID.
A Facebook Page for the firm
The firm's brand presence. Required for Page features (posts, Messenger, comments). Optional if you only want ads access.
Instagram Business Account (optional)
Only if you want IG features. Must be connected to your Facebook Page. Convert from a personal IG via the IG app: Settings > Account > Switch to Professional.
Your Facebook personal login + 2FA device
You'll log into developers.facebook.com with this. Two-factor will likely prompt mid-flow, keep your phone nearby.
A Claude Project ready (or claude.ai with Code)
Where you'll paste the access token. We provide a starter project in your bonus portal.
How long this takes
Three scenarios
You already have Business Portfolio + Admin access + ad account configured. Just creating the developer app and the System User.
First time inside developers.facebook.com and Business Settings. Clicks are obvious but every screen is new.
You have to create the Business Portfolio from scratch, add the ad account, hunt for IDs.
The full walkthrough
Six parts, about 15 minutes
Create Your Developer App
An internal placeholder Meta requires to issue API tokens. Stays private. No App Review needed.
Step 1.1, Go to the Meta for Developers portal
Open developers.facebook.com and log in with the Facebook account that's an Admin on your Business Portfolio.
Step 1.2, Create the app
My Apps > Create App. Use case: Other > Next. App type: Business > Next. App name: something like "My Firm, Internal API". Email: yours. Business portfolio: pick yours. Click Create app.
Step 1.3, Add the Marketing API product
In the left sidebar, find Add product > Marketing API > Set up.
Step 1.4, (Optional) Add other products for extended capabilities
Facebook Login for Business (base for Pages/IG flows), Instagram Graph API, Webhooks (real-time Lead Ads), Messenger.
Step 1.5, Confirm Development Mode
Top of dashboard: App Mode: Development. Leave it. Do not switch to Live. Development Mode = only you can use the app = no App Review.
Create a System User
A non-human account that holds the API token. Tokens issued to System Users never expire (unless you choose 60-day mode).
Step 2.1, Open Business Settings
Go to business.facebook.com/settings.
Step 2.2, Navigate to System Users
Left sidebar > Users > System users (not regular Users).
Step 2.3, Add a new System User
Add (top right). System Username: something like "Claude Connector". Role: Admin. Create System User.
Step 2.4, Assign assets to the System User
Click Add Assets. Select your Ad Account > toggle every permission > Save. Click Add Assets again. Select your Page > toggle Create content, Moderate community activity, Manage Page > Save. (Optional) Pixel + Catalogs the same way. This is the step everyone skips.
Generate Your Token
The token Claude will use. Generated once. Copy it immediately, Meta only shows it once.
Step 3.1, Click Generate New Token
On the System User detail panel: Generate New Token. App: select your app ("My Firm, Internal API"). Token Expiration: Never. Scopes: check the boxes from Part 4 below. Click Generate Token.
Step 3.2, Copy the token immediately
A long string starting with EAA... appears. Paste it into your password manager or directly into the .env file. If you forget, regenerate, the old one stops working.
Step 3.3, Verify in the Access Token Debugger
developers.facebook.com/tools/debug/accesstoken. Paste your token. Confirm: App = your app, Type = App, Expires = Never, Scopes = the list you selected.
Pick Your Scopes
Pick what you want Claude to do. Always regeneratable later with more scopes. See the full menu in the Scope Menu section below.
Recommended starting point
ads_read, ads_management, business_management, leads_retrieval, pages_show_list, pages_read_engagement. Covers ad management + lead pipeline. Add Instagram + Messenger scopes when ready.
Get Your Asset IDs
Your token works against specific assets. You need their IDs so Claude knows which account/Page to query.
Ad Account ID
Business Settings > Accounts > Ad Accounts > click your account. Top: Account ID: 1234567890. Use it as act_1234567890 (with the act_ prefix).
Page ID
Open your Page > About (left sidebar) > scroll to bottom: Page ID. Or use Graph API Explorer: query me/accounts > JSON shows each Page's ID.
Instagram Business Account ID
Graph API Explorer > query {page-id}?fields=instagram_business_account > returns your IG ID.
Paste Into Your Claude Project + Test
Save the values. Restart Claude in the project. Run a test prompt.
.env contents
META_ACCESS_TOKEN=EAA...your-token... META_AD_ACCOUNT_ID=act_1234567890 META_PAGE_ID=1234567890 META_INSTAGRAM_ID=17841400000000000 META_API_VERSION=v22.0
Test prompt
"Run a quick health check on my Facebook ads, last 7 days spend, top 3 ad sets by CPL, and any ad set spending over $100/day with zero conversions." If your token + scopes are right, Claude pulls the data and answers.
Permission scopes
Pick what Claude can do
Required base, pick all three
ads_readRead every ad, ad set, campaign, and performance metric
ads_managementCreate, edit, pause, duplicate, change budgets, manage targeting
business_managementManage business assets, ad accounts, Pages
Killer scope for law firms
leads_retrievalPull every Lead Ads form submission in real time. Claude routes them to your intake.
Pages, manage your firm's Facebook page
pages_show_listList Pages you manage
pages_read_engagementPage content, follower demographics, post performance
pages_manage_metadataUpdate Page bio, hours, contact, services
pages_manage_postsCreate, schedule, edit, delete posts
pages_manage_engagementReply to comments, hide spam
pages_messagingRead + send Messenger messages
pages_read_user_contentUser comments, reviews, mentions
read_insightsPage-level analytics
Instagram, only if firm has IG Business
instagram_basicRead your IG profile + media
instagram_manage_messagesRead + respond to IG DMs
instagram_manage_commentsModerate comments on posts/reels
instagram_manage_insightsReach, profile visits, follower stats
instagram_content_publishPublish posts, reels, stories from Claude
Three pre-baked combos
Just my ads (minimum)
ads_read, ads_management, business_management
Ads + Lead Pipeline (recommended)
ads_read, ads_management, business_management, leads_retrieval, pages_show_list, pages_read_engagement
Full social management
ads_read, ads_management, business_management, leads_retrieval, pages_show_list, pages_read_engagement, pages_manage_metadata, pages_manage_posts, pages_manage_engagement, pages_messaging, pages_read_user_content, read_insights, instagram_basic, instagram_manage_messages, instagram_manage_comments, instagram_manage_insights, instagram_content_publish
Build it with the room
Get stuck? Bring it to a live Lab.
MLA Intelligence Labs members build setups like this live every week, with the team in the room. The first 50 attorneys lock $197/month for life.