What Can Be Edited After a Campaign Is Launched
Once a campaign is launched, Metadata lets you change some parts of it in place while other parts are fixed by the channel's API. This article lists what is editable per channel and ad type, and what happens on the channel when you make a change.
Two things apply to every channel:
- Ad edits are made in the Ads library and apply everywhere the ad is used. Before saving, Metadata shows how many active, paused, and completed campaigns the ad belongs to — the change reaches all of them.
- Target Group edits are pushed to every active or paused campaign using that group. While the update is being processed the group is briefly locked; you can't rename a Target Group that is already assigned to campaigns.
Target Group
All targeting facets can be edited after launch and are re-sent to LinkedIn: uploaded audiences included in the group, location, age, company growth rate, company name, company revenue, company size, industry, job function, job title, member groups, member interests, member skills, member traits, seniority, years of experience, company followers.
Image ads
| Editable | Not editable (LinkedIn API limitation) |
|---|---|
| Text (introductory text) · Call to Action (unless the ad is used with a Lead Gen Form) | Ad name · Headline · Description · Display URL · Image |
Video ads
| Editable | Not editable |
|---|---|
| Text · Call to Action (unless used with a Lead Gen Form) | Ad name · Headline · Display URL · Video file |
Carousel ads
| Editable | Not editable |
|---|---|
| Text about your offer | Ad name · Call to Action · Display URL · Headline(s) · Card headline · Card destination URL · Card image |
Document ads
| Editable | Not editable once the ad is in a campaign |
|---|---|
| Intro text | Ad name · Headline · Document file · Max preview pages |
To change the document, headline, or preview pages, create a new Document ad and add it to the campaign.
Conversation ads
All conversation content is editable after launch — flow, text template, sender, subject, ad banner, message text, buttons and button text. Metadata rebuilds the conversation on LinkedIn when you save.
Not applied after launch: the destination URL behind the main call to action and any Lead Gen Form attached to a step keep their original values. To change those, create a new Conversation ad.
Message ads
| Editable | Not editable |
|---|---|
| Sender · Subject · Banner image · Message text · Button text | Ad name |
Spotlight ads
| Editable | Not editable |
|---|---|
| Headline · Company name · Company logo · Call to Action · Use Profile Image · Ad description (both only when no background image is set) | Ad name · Ad background image |
Follower ads
Headline, description, company name, company logo, and call to action are all editable. Ad name is not.
CTV ads
| Editable | Not editable |
|---|---|
| Introductory text · Call to Action (unless used with a Lead Gen Form) | Ad name · Headline · Video |
Lead Gen Forms
Editable after launch: offer header, offer details, form fields, custom form fields, thank-you message, link to thank-you page, dynamic UTMs, thank-you page CTA, privacy policy text, privacy policy URL.
Not editable: language (LinkedIn does not allow this in the API or natively).
Landing pages
Changing an offer's landing page URL does not update ads that are already live on LinkedIn — LinkedIn does not allow a creative's URL to change. Attach the new offer to the ad instead; on Channel First (NxNxN) campaigns Metadata replaces the LinkedIn creative for you.
Facebook creatives can't be modified in place, so when you edit a live ad Metadata creates a new creative and attaches it to the same ad. The ad keeps its ID and delivery history.
Image ads
All fields are editable after launch: text, headline, news feed link description, display link, call to action, image, ad name.
Video ads
All fields are editable after launch: text, headline, description, display link, call to action, video file, ad name.
Carousel ads
| Editable | Not editable |
|---|---|
| Text about your offer · Call to Action · Ad name | Card headline · Card description · Card creative asset · Card destination URL · Card UTMs |
To change card content, create a new Carousel ad and add it to the campaign.
Target Group
Editable and pushed to the live ad set: age range, interests, industries, job titles, locations, exclusion audiences. Uploaded audiences attached directly to the campaign can be viewed but not changed after launch. Placements of an already-running ad set don't change when a Target Group is edited.
Lead Gen Forms
No fields are editable after launch — Meta lead forms are immutable. Duplicate the form, make your changes, and attach the new form to the ad; on Channel First (NxNxN) campaigns Metadata replaces the ad for you.
Landing pages and UTMs
Changing an offer's landing page URL or campaign UTMs after launch does not update ads already live on Facebook or Instagram. Attach a new offer to the ad instead.
Instagram uses the same edit behaviour as Facebook (new creative attached to the same ad).
Image ads
All fields are editable after launch: primary text, headline, description, call to action, image, ad name.
Video ads
All fields are editable after launch: primary text, headline, description, call to action, video file, ad name.
Target Group, Lead Gen Form, landing page, and UTM behaviour is the same as Facebook.
Google Ads
Responsive Search Ads
All headlines (3–15) and descriptions (2–4) are editable after launch, including adding or removing lines and changing pinned positions. Changes update the existing Google ad in place. The ad name is not editable; the final URL follows the offer's landing page.
Display and Performance Max ads are not editable after launch.
Microsoft Ads
Responsive Search Ads
Same as Google Ads: all headlines and descriptions editable in place; ad name not editable; final URL follows the offer.
Reddit posts can't be modified in place, so when you edit a live ad Metadata publishes a new Reddit post and points the ad at it. Comments and votes on the previous post don't carry over.
Image ads
Editable after launch: headline, call to action, image, thumbnail, ad name. Not editable: display URL and destination URL (they follow the offer's landing page).
Video ads
Editable after launch: headline, call to action, video, thumbnail, ad name.
Carousel ads
Editable after launch: headline, ad name, card content.
Adding and removing ads and ad sets after launch
| Channel | Add / remove ads in an existing ad set | Add / remove ad sets or ad groups |
|---|---|---|
| Google Ads | Yes | Channel First (NxNxN) structure only |
| Microsoft Ads | Yes (single ads) | Channel First (NxNxN) structure only |
| Add: yes. Remove: Channel First (NxNxN) structure | Not available | |
| Facebook / Instagram | Yes | Channel First (NxNxN) structure only |
| Channel First (NxNxN) structure only | Channel First (NxNxN) structure only |
Removing an ad from a live campaign stops it on the channel; adding an ad publishes a new creative into the existing ad set. Precision (1x1x1) ad groups must keep at least two ads.