Ad glossary
Catalog ads (dynamic product ads)
Ads that automatically show products from a product catalog to relevant people, formerly known as dynamic product ads on Meta.
Catalog ads are ads that pull products automatically from a product catalog and show them to people based on their interests or past behaviour. On Meta, they were long known as dynamic product ads, or DPA, and at the time of writing they sit under the name Advantage+ catalog ads. Instead of building an ad for every product, you design a template and let the system fill it with relevant items.
How they work
- Catalog: you connect a product feed from your store, containing titles, prices, images, links and availability.
- Tracking: the Meta Pixel and Conversions API send product-level events, such as ViewContent and AddToCart, with product IDs that match the catalog.
- Template: you choose a format, often a carousel or single image, and can add overlays such as price or a discount.
- Delivery: Meta selects which products to show to which people.
Common uses
- Retargeting: showing people the products they viewed or left in their cart.
- Cross-selling: showing related products to past buyers.
- Prospecting: reaching new people with products they are likely to be interested in.
Tips
- Keep the product feed accurate, especially price and stock, to avoid showing unavailable items.
- Use good product images, since the ad is only as strong as the catalog.
- Consider adding lifestyle images or review overlays, which can make catalog ads feel less generic.
- Exclude recent purchasers from cart-reminder audiences.
Catalog ads work well alongside creative-led ads: one introduces the brand, the other reminds people of specific products.
Last reviewed Oct 27, 2026
Related terms
RetargetingShowing ads to people who have already interacted with a brand, such as site visitors, cart abandoners or video viewers.Carousel adAn ad format that shows two or more scrollable images or videos in a single ad, each with its own headline and link.Advantage+Meta's family of automation features that use machine learning to handle targeting, placements, creative and budget in ad campaigns.Meta PixelA piece of JavaScript code from Meta that records visitor actions on a website for ad measurement, optimisation and audiences.Custom audienceA Meta audience built from people who already have a connection with a business, such as customers, site visitors or engagers.