> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.instantcampaign.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Capture leads from Meta lead ads

> Turn submissions on Facebook and Instagram instant forms into contacts on a list within seconds, and start journeys from them.

When someone submits an instant form on a Facebook or Instagram lead ad, lead capture creates or updates a contact and adds them to the list you choose. Any journey triggered by joining that list starts straight away for active contacts. A lead that matches an existing unsubscribed or bounced contact is added to the list but doesn't enter the journey. You don't need to download CSV files from Ads Manager.

<Note>
  Lead capture needs the **Pro** or **Enterprise** plan and a Meta Ads connection. Setting it up, pausing and testing need permission to manage integrations.
</Note>

## Before you start

* Meta Ads is connected with permission to your Pages and leads. See [Connect your ad accounts](/guides/ads/connect-ad-accounts).
* The Facebook Page that runs the lead ads has at least one instant form.
* The list new leads should join exists. Leads are added as **single opt-in**, because the person typed their address into the form themselves.

## Set up a capture

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Lead capture">
    Go to **Advertising → Lead capture** and click **Add capture**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pick the Page">
    Under **Facebook Page**, choose the Page. If you see "The Meta connection was made before Page permissions were needed", click **Reconnect Meta** first.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pick the form">
    Under **Instant form**, pick one form, or choose **All forms on this Page**. If you pick one form, you can map its questions. **All forms on this Page** relies on the standard question names.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pick the list">
    Under **Add leads to list**, choose the list new leads join.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Map custom questions (single form only)">
    Standard questions such as email, name and phone map automatically. Under **Field mapping**, set a target for each custom question, or choose **Ignore**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Start">
    Click **Start capturing**. InstantCampaign subscribes the Page to Meta's lead notifications.
  </Step>
</Steps>

If you set up one capture for a specific form and another for **All forms on this Page**, a lead from that form goes to the form-specific capture.

## How answers become contact fields

| Instant form question                                  | Contact field                                              |
| ------------------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------- |
| Email, work email                                      | Email                                                      |
| Full name                                              | First name and last name, split at the first space         |
| First name, last name                                  | First name, last name                                      |
| Phone number, work phone number                        | Phone                                                      |
| Company name                                           | Company                                                    |
| Job title                                              | Job title                                                  |
| City, state/province, zip or post code, street address | City, **State / region**, **Postcode**, **Street address** |
| Country                                                | Country, if Meta sends a two-letter code                   |

In **Field mapping**, each question can use **Automatic** (the table above), a standard contact field, "Custom field: …" for one of your custom contact fields, or **Ignore**. Answers that aren't mapped are still saved on the contact, so nothing the person typed is lost.

<Warning>
  A lead **without an email address is skipped**. If your form asks for email in a custom question, map that question to **Email**.
</Warning>

## Test before you spend

On a capture's row, click **Test with the newest lead**. InstantCampaign fetches the most recent lead on the form and runs it through your mapping. For **All forms on this Page**, it uses the first form on the Page.

* "Test lead processed — … is now a contact." means the mapping works.
* "The test lead was not processed: …" gives the reason, for example that there's no email.

If the form has no leads yet, create one with Meta's Lead Ads Testing Tool. A test lead made there arrives like a real one.

## Monitor captures

Each row shows the **Page / form**, the **List**, the **Leads** count and the status:

* **Listening**: leads are being captured. Switch **Capture active** off to pause ("Capture paused — new leads on this form are ignored.").
* **Not subscribed**: the Page couldn't be subscribed to lead notifications, so no leads arrive. Reconnect Meta, then remove the capture and add it again.
* **Last lead failed**: the most recent lead couldn't be processed. Its reason is shown.

Click a row to see its leads: **Email**, **Status** (**Processed**, **Failed**, **Skipped** or **Received**), when it was **Received** and the **Detail**.

To remove a capture, click the bin icon and confirm. Leads already captured stay as contacts. New submissions on that form are no longer captured.

## Things to know

* **Your contact limit applies.** If your plan's contact limit is reached, new leads are marked **Failed** and kept. Upgrade, then use **Test with the newest lead** to process the latest one.
* **If your plan changes.** If the workspace loses lead capture, leads are still recorded (as **Skipped**) but no contacts are created.
* **If the page warns "The Meta webhook is not configured on this server",** leads can't be delivered to this InstantCampaign installation until its administrator finishes the Meta app setup. The **Callback URL for the Meta app** card shows the address they need.

## Troubleshooting

| What you see                                    | What to do                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| ----------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Not subscribed**                              | Reconnect Meta so it has permission to manage the Page, then remove and re-add the capture.                                                                                                                                                                |
| Leads show in Ads Manager but not here          | Check that the capture is **Listening** and that the webhook warning isn't shown. Then run **Test with the newest lead**.                                                                                                                                  |
| Lead **Skipped**, no email                      | Map the question that holds the email to **Email**, or add an email question to the form.                                                                                                                                                                  |
| Lead **Failed**, contact limit reached          | Upgrade your plan, then test again.                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| Lead **Failed** with "Unsupported get request"  | Meta won't let InstantCampaign read leads from this Page. Check that the Facebook user who connected Meta Ads manages the Page. If it still fails, contact support: the Meta app behind InstantCampaign may not have lead access for Pages it doesn't own. |
| "No Pages found on the connected Meta account." | The connected Facebook user doesn't manage any Page, or declined Page permissions. Reconnect Meta and grant them.                                                                                                                                          |