Meet the new and improved Facebook Instant Experiences (formerly known as Canvas)

Facebook has decided to rename its Canvas ad format and along with the name change come a few new features.

If for some rare and unexplained reason you haven’t heard of Facebook Canvas, here’s a recap:

“Facebook Instant Experiences, formally known as Canvas, load instantly, they’re mobile-optimised and designed to capture the complete attention of your audience. Within an Instant Experience, people can watch engaging videos and photos, swipe through carousels, tilt to pan and explore lifestyle images with tagged products – all in a single ad.”

Facebook Canvas launched back in February 2016, but it wasn’t until September last year with the addition of templates, that the format really took off. This new format enabled brands to create full-screen ads and really go wild. The creative options within the ad format are almost endless and many brands are reaping the benefits.

What’s that? You’ve never done an Instant Experience ad? Well then, read on and see why you most certainly should!

The number of Facebook campaigns using Instant Experiences has more than doubled in the past year and the reason behind this might be quite a simple one – Instant Experiences load 15x faster than standard mobile websites.

The new template, Instant Forms, allows people to easily share their contact information to learn more about your brands offering. The additional template will be joining the existing Instant Storefront, Instant Lookbook, Instant Customer Acquisition and Instant Storytelling. Facebook also announced that the Facebook pixel will now be added to Instant Experiences automatically for any business that’s already using the pixel on its website.

Advertisers can also embed third-party pixels in the ads enabling them to really dig into the data. But ultimately, they’ll be able to retarget customers who have engaged with their Instant Experiences.

So, there you have it, if that hasn’t convinced you to try out this magic ad format then I don’t know what will.

Latest Posts

We’re closing on 24 December and back on 5 January. Before we switch off, a straight take on what 2025 proved about social, what actually worked, and what we think will matter most in 2026.
Read More
Your 2026 plan is hiding in your 2025 panic I have spent the last couple of months sat with marketers who are knee deep in 2026 planning. Everyone is wrestling with the same mix of fear and ambition. Budgets are flat or shrinking, targets are going up, AI is quietly…
Read More
As 2026 rolls in, design feels smarter, warmer, and far more personal. We’re waving goodbye to the overly polished perfection of past years and stepping into an era that blends aesthetics with intelligence. The upcoming trends reflect a world that’s as intuitive as it is beautiful, with a little dash…
Read More