Do Facebook Lead Ads Leads Expire?

The short answer

Yes. Meta says leads from lead ads with Instant Forms are available to download for up to 90 days from the time each form is submitted (Meta Business Help Center). After that, they're gone from the download, even though your ad results still count them.

What Meta says about expired leads

You might assume your lead count in Ads Manager is the same as the leads you can still get. Meta's help page explains why the two can differ:

• Downloads cover 90 days. Leads are downloadable for up to 90 days after someone submits the Instant Form.
• Results count everything. The Results and Lead count columns show all new leads for the period you pick, so a download may have fewer leads than your results show.
• Lifetime view doesn't help. Even if you view your campaign's lifetime results, Meta says you can only download leads from the last 90 days.
• Meta won't restore them. Meta says it doesn't make leads available after that period because of security and storage considerations.
• Messages are different. Messages people send your business stay in your Page's Inbox and aren't removed after 90 days.

Meta's own advice is to download leads often or use a CRM system so you don't lose access.

Why it matters if you buy or sell leads

A lead you never pulled out of Meta can't be called, audited or matched to a sale later. That matters for follow-up, for reporting lead quality by source and for keeping records of where a lead came from. Google's lead forms have their own, shorter window; see our post on Google Ads lead form leads that expire after 60 days.

What to do

1. Connect a CRM or integration. Then leads leave Meta as they come in, not when someone remembers to export.
2. If you export by hand, set a schedule. Weekly is easier to keep than "before 90 days."
3. Keep the source fields. Meta's downloads include fields like the lead ID, created time, form name and the ad, ad set and campaign names (Meta). Keep them so you can track lead quality by source.
4. Check your permissions. Meta says you need Page admin access and a role on the ad account to see all lead data.

This article is general information. Check Meta's current help pages before you change a live campaign.

Bottom line

Meta keeps Instant Form leads available for download for 90 days, then they're out of reach. Send them to a CRM as they arrive, and don't treat your Ads Manager lead count as a backup.

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