Threads Expands Global Reach with Ad Rollout to Over 400 Million Users
Meta has announced the global expansion of advertisements on its social media platform, Threads, marking a significant milestone in the app’s monetization strategy. Starting next week, this rollout will be implemented gradually, with the company indicating that it may take several months to reach all users worldwide.
Since its launch in July 2023, Threads has experienced rapid growth, amassing over 400 million monthly active users. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has consistently highlighted Threads as a major success, expressing confidence in the platform’s potential to reach 1 billion users in the coming years. The app’s user base expanded to 200 million by mid-2024, 320 million by January 2025, and added an additional 30 million users by April 2025, culminating in its current milestone.
The introduction of ads on Threads has been in the works for some time. Approximately a year ago, Meta began testing advertisements in select markets, including the United States and Japan. By April 2025, the platform had opened its advertising capabilities to global advertisers, signaling Meta’s readiness to monetize the growing user base.
To facilitate a seamless transition for advertisers, Meta has integrated Threads into its existing advertising infrastructure. Advertisers can now automatically place ads through Meta’s Advantage+ program or opt for manual campaigns. Supported ad formats include image and video ads, with recent additions such as the 4:5 aspect ratio format and carousel ads. This integration allows advertisers to manage their campaigns across Threads, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp within their Business Settings, streamlining the cross-posting process.
In a move to ensure brand safety and suitability, Meta has extended third-party verification—previously available on Facebook and Instagram—to the Threads feed through Meta Business Partners. This initiative provides advertisers with independent verification, a crucial feature as Threads’ competitors grapple with challenges like the proliferation of illegal deepfakes.
While Meta has not specified the frequency of ads that users will encounter in their feeds, the company has indicated that ad delivery will initially be low as the feature scales to a global audience.
The expansion of ads on Threads represents a strategic effort by Meta to capitalize on the platform’s rapid growth and to offer advertisers a new avenue to reach a vast and engaged audience. As the rollout progresses, both users and advertisers will be keen to observe how this development influences the user experience and the platform’s overall dynamics.
