Influencer whitelisting
Creator whitelisting: run ads from a creator's own handle
Influencer whitelisting is when a brand runs paid ads from a creator's own Instagram, Facebook or TikTok account, with the creator's permission. The ad carries the creator's name and face. You set the budget and targeting in your own ad account. Meta calls it partnership ads. TikTok calls it Spark Ads.
What is whitelisting in social media?
On the feed, a whitelisted ad looks like a post from a creator you follow. Their handle and photo sit in the header, the paid partnership label names the brand, and the brand pays for the reach. Whitelisting content is any post or video the creator has cleared for that use.
The word comes from the old setup: the creator added a brand to the list of advertisers allowed to use their account, often by handing over ad account access. Both platforms replaced that with permission tools. On Instagram and Facebook the creator grants content level or account level partnership ad permission, and can revoke it at any time. On TikTok the creator authorizes one post with a Spark Ads code, and every view, like and follow the ad earns lands on that original post.
You will see the same deal called influencer whitelisting, creator whitelisting, whitelisting ads, paid social with creators, or allowlisting. The mechanics match on every name: the creator says yes inside the platform, and the brand runs and pays for the ad from its own ad account.
What the platforms report
19%
lower cost per acquisition when partnership ads are added to business as usual campaigns, across 47 conversion lift studies run in 2025.
Meta, partnership ads13%
higher click through rate on average when partnership ads join business as usual campaigns.
Meta for Business, Dec 2025$10B
revenue run rate for Meta's partnership ads in Q1 2026, more than double the year before.
Meta Q1 2026 earnings call59%
higher engagement rate on TikTok ads posted to a creator's account than on ads that are not.
TikTok for Business, Nov 2025How to set up whitelisting ads on Meta and TikTok
Six steps, in this order. Ask for the permission before the creative is finished, so the launch never waits on it.
Step 1
Agree the terms first
The licence length, the commission and the goal it pays on. On Socialync all three sit on the listing before a single creator applies.
Step 2
The creator makes the content
They post it on their own account, or deliver the file when you post it or run it as an ad only. You approve the draft before anything goes live.
Step 3
The creator grants permission
On Instagram and Facebook they accept your partnership ad request, or send a partnership ad code for one post. On TikTok they generate a Spark Ads code from the post and pick how long it lasts.
Step 4
You launch the ad from your own ad account
Budget, targeting and the audience stay yours. Meta partnership ads launch from Socialync into your ad account. On TikTok, Socialync applies the creator’s Spark Ads code when you launch. If TikTok does not accept it that way, paste it once in TikTok Ads Manager and launch again.
Step 5
Your pixel attributes the results
Every ads campaign needs the Meta or TikTok pixel on the connected ad account. Commission is counted on what the pixel attributes, and statements go out weekly, every two weeks or monthly.
Step 6
The licence ends, the ad pauses
You can end the licence any time and the ad pauses with it. The creator can also revoke the permission on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok.
TikTok gets its own page: how TikTok Spark Ads work with creators, from the code to the launch.
Three ways the post can run
You pick one when you build the campaign.
The creator posts it
The post goes up on their profile labelled "Paid partnership" with your brand, and you run that same post as an ad. On TikTok this is a Spark Ad.
How Spark Ads run from a creator postYou post it
The creator delivers the video file. You post it on your profile with the partnership label naming the creator, and run it from there.
The partnership ads guideAd only
Nobody posts it. The file becomes a partnership ad carrying both names, and it only shows up as an ad.
How the ads deal worksWhitelisting examples
Three made up deals that show how the pieces fit together. The brands are generic and the numbers are illustrations. For live ones, search any consumer brand in the Meta Ad Library: partnership ads are listed there with the creator and the brand both named.
Meta partnership ad
Instagram Reel, the creator posts it
A skincare brand hires a creator to post a 30 second routine Reel with the paid partnership label. The brand runs that same Reel as a partnership ad to its own target audience.
10% of attributed sales, no base payment.
Ads attribute $5,000 in sales in a month, so the creator's commission is $500. Socialync's fee is $75, which is 1.5% of those sales.
TikTok Spark Ad
TikTok video, the creator posts it
A mobile game studio hires a creator to post a first reaction video. The creator adds a Spark Ads code to the job, and the studio launches the Spark Ad from Socialync, which applies the code to its TikTok ad account.
$2 per 1,000 views the ads deliver, no base payment.
The ads deliver 400,000 views on $3,000 of spend, so the creator's commission is $800. Socialync's fee is $37.50, which is 1.25% of the spend.
Meta partnership ad
Facebook and Instagram, ad only
A home cleaning service asks a creator for a 20 second video that never goes on the creator's feed. It runs only as an ad, with both names in the header.
$5 per lead. Lead goals run on Meta only.
The ad brings in 120 leads on $2,000 of spend, so the creator's commission is $600. Socialync's fee is $25, which is 1.25% of the spend.
Put your first whitelisting deal on the board
Set the platform, the goal, the commission and the floor: countries, languages, minimum followers and minimum average views per platform. Follower counts come from the creator's connected account, and average views come from the posts they publish through Socialync, read from the platform API. Creators who clear the floor apply. If you already know the creator, invite them by their exact handle.
Commission on what the ads do
A whitelisting deal pays commission only. There is no base payment at delivery, so the creator earns on results. You choose the goal the commission pays on:
Sell
A share of attributed sales, or a set amount per sale.
Get leads
A set amount per lead. Meta campaigns only.
Send clicks
A set amount per link click. Meta campaigns only.
Get seen
A set amount per 1,000 views.
Commission runs for as long as you run ads under the licence. End the licence any time and the ad pauses with it. Statements go out weekly, every two weeks or monthly, your call. All of it is on the listing before a single creator applies.
What it costs
Free to post the campaign. Socialync takes 1.5% of attributed sales when the commission pays on sales, or 1.25% of ad spend when it pays on leads, clicks or views. One rate per campaign, billed to you monthly, and no plan or subscription. Socialync takes nothing from the creator's pay, and your ad spend stays in your own ad account. The full breakdown is on the brand pricing page.
What to pay the creator: published rate guides put whitelisting at 20 to 30 percent of the creator's base rate per month (Influee, PitchBrand), or a flat $100 to $500 a month (Fueler). The math is in whitelisting rates: what brands pay creators, and the UGC rate calculator runs it for your own deal.
Whitelisting vs usage rights, boosted posts and dark posts
Four ways to put money behind creator content. The handle the ad runs from decides which one you are buying.
| Format | Runs from | What it needs | More |
|---|---|---|---|
Whitelisting Partnership ads on Meta, Spark Ads on TikTok | The creator's handle, with your brand named | Permission from the creator inside the platform | How it works |
Paid usage rights UGC video for your own ads | Your brand account only | Usage rights in the contract, no platform permission | UGC ads |
Boosted post Promoting a post you already published | Your brand account, your own post | Nothing beyond your ad account | How it compares |
Dark post An ad that never appears on a profile feed | Either handle, depending on the deal | The creator's permission when it carries their name | UGC ads |
For Meta against TikTok, Whitelisting vs Spark Ads vs Partnership Ads puts the three side by side, and how to run UGC ads step by step covers the whole brand workflow.
New to the terms?
Compare whitelisting, Spark Ads and partnership ads side by side, read the Meta partnership ads guide, see how Spark Ads run on TikTok, and what usage rights cost.
Questions brands ask about influencer whitelisting
What is influencer whitelisting?
A brand running paid ads from a creator's own account, with the creator's permission. The ad shows the creator's name and photo in the header, and the brand controls the budget and targeting from its own ad account. Creator whitelisting and whitelisting ads mean the same thing.
What is whitelisting in social media?
A paid ad that runs under a creator's handle, with a brand paying for the reach. The name comes from the creator adding the brand to the list of advertisers allowed to use their account. Meta and TikTok now handle it with permission tools, and some teams call it allowlisting.
What does whitelisting content mean?
Content the creator has cleared for a brand to run as ads from the creator's account. It can be a post already live on their profile, or a video made only for ads that never appears on their feed.
How does whitelisting work on Instagram and Facebook?
Meta runs it as partnership ads. The creator either accepts your account level permission request or sends you a partnership ad code for one post. You build the ad in your own Ads Manager, and the ad shows both names in the header. The creator can revoke the permission at any time.
How does creator whitelisting work on TikTok?
TikTok runs it as a Spark Ad on the creator’s published post. The creator generates a Spark Ads code from the post’s ad settings and adds it to the job. When you launch from Socialync, it applies the code to your own TikTok ad account and builds the Spark Ad there. If TikTok does not accept it that way, you paste the code once in TikTok Ads Manager and launch again.
Is Spark Ads the same as whitelisting?
Yes. Spark Ads is TikTok's name for running an ad from a creator's post with their handle on it. Partnership ads is Meta's name for the same deal on Instagram and Facebook.
What is the difference between whitelisting and usage rights?
Paid usage rights let you run the creator's video from your own brand account. Whitelisting runs it from the creator's account, so it needs the platform permission on top of the rights in your contract.
How much do creators charge for whitelisting?
Rate guides from Influee and PitchBrand report 20 to 30 percent of the creator’s base rate per month, and Fueler reports a flat $100 to $500 a month. On Socialync a whitelisting deal pays commission only: a share of sales, or a set amount per sale, lead, click or 1,000 views. There is no base payment and no cap.
How long does whitelisting take to set up?
The permission takes minutes once the creator acts on it. Most of the time goes into the content: the draft, your review and the post. On Socialync you have 7 days to rule on each draft, and Meta and TikTok review every ad before it runs.
Do I need the creator’s login?
No. The creator grants ad permission through the platform itself. You never hold a password, and the creator can revoke permission at any time.
Who sets the ad budget?
You do, inside your own Meta or TikTok ads account. Your spend never passes through Socialync.
When does the commission stop?
When you stop running ads under the licence, when the licence ends, or when the creator revokes permission. You can end the licence any time, and the ad pauses with it.
Do I need a pixel?
Yes. Every ads campaign needs the Meta or TikTok pixel on the connected ad account, so results attribute back to the right creator and the right ad.
Can I whitelist a creator I already work with?
Yes. Invite them by their exact Instagram or TikTok handle, or find them in the creator directory if they chose to be listed. They still apply and still have to clear the floor you set.
Keep the creators whose ads sell
When a creator's ads work, offer them a monthly retainer with the commission built in.