How long do brands keep running a Facebook ad?
Last updated 31 October 2026
Short answer: most ads are short-lived, and a minority run for months. Of the 39,317 live Facebook and Instagram ads we track (31 Oct 2026), 43% have run 30 days or more, 19% 90 days or more, 7% 180 days or more and 2% over a year. The longest has run 3,202 days.
These numbers are live from our data, mostly Indian direct-to-consumer brands. They describe how long brands keep ads, not how long you should run yours.
By format
| Format | Live ads | Median days | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Video | 20,807 | 21 days | 137 days |
| Dynamic | 8,328 | 30 days | 155 days |
| Image | 4,962 | 17 days | 129 days |
| Catalogue | 4,171 | 26 days | 142 days |
| Carousel | 1,032 | 18 days | 166 days |
| Other | 17 | 53 days | 1,608 days |
By category
| Category | Live ads | 90+ days | Longest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skincare and beauty | 8,687 | 21% | 934 days |
| Men's fashion | 4,034 | 23% | 1,132 days |
| Jewellery | 3,902 | 21% | 1,143 days |
| Haircare and ayurveda | 3,498 | 10% | 3,202 days |
| Food and snacks | 2,588 | 18% | 1,608 days |
| Kitchen and home | 2,330 | 7% | 1,086 days |
| Fragrance and accessories | 2,302 | 34% | 1,850 days |
| Women's western wear | 2,223 | 17% | 848 days |
| Home decor | 2,081 | 16% | 1,655 days |
| Women's ethnic wear | 1,593 | 14% | 1,219 days |
| Activewear and innerwear | 1,335 | 27% | 662 days |
| Gifts and handmade | 1,220 | 16% | 617 days |
| Kids' clothing | 1,132 | 7% | 347 days |
| Footwear and bags | 944 | 25% | 1,210 days |
| Car accessories | 423 | 37% | 870 days |
What a long run tells you
A live ad costs money for as long as it runs. A brand that keeps an ad live for months keeps paying for it, which it rarely does for an ad that doesn't sell. That makes age a strong public signal of a working ad. It is still only a signal: we don't know spend or sales. See the longest-running ads and how the data works.