Instagram Creator Marketplace is Meta’s tool for helping professional creators and brands find each other, exchange partnership messages and organise branded-content or partnership-ad campaigns. Creators access it from Instagram’s Professional dashboard, while brands use Meta’s business tools.
The product is also entering a transition. On 23 June 2026, Meta announced that Creator Marketplace and Partnership Ads Hub will be combined into a new Meta Creator Marketing Hub later in 2026. This guide separates what is currently documented from what Meta has announced for the new hub.
What can you do in Instagram Creator Marketplace?
Instagram’s official Creator Marketplace overview describes different tools for creators and brands.
Creators can
- Make their profile discoverable for branded-content partnerships.
- Identify content interests and preferred brand partners.
- Build a creator portfolio.
- Review relevant projects where available.
- Receive partnership messages in a dedicated inbox folder.
- Share account and content insights with participating brands.
Brands can
- Search for creators using relevant filters.
- Review profiles and available insights.
- Create and share lists of possible partners.
- Prepare campaigns and invite creators.
- Organise branded content and eligible partnership-ad activity.
The marketplace helps with discovery and workflow; it does not guarantee that a creator will receive offers or that a campaign will perform.
How AeroChat handles customer enquiries from creator campaigns
A creator campaign can generate questions about sizes, delivery countries, stock, returns or product compatibility. Those questions often arrive in comments and DMs after the content is live. When the same enquiries repeat, an Instagram chatbot can provide routine answers while the team handles exceptions.
AeroChat is an AI agent platform that helps Instagram business owners automate and scale customer conversations. Its Instagram customer service tools can answer inbound DMs and public comments on the business’s own posts using approved knowledge or connected store data. Conversations can enter a shared inbox, with human handover for exceptions.
AeroChat does not discover creators, negotiate campaigns, publish branded content or manage partnership ads. It becomes relevant after marketing activity begins creating repetitive customer enquiries.
Best for: DTC and ecommerce brands handling frequent customer enquiries across Instagram and other channels.
Is Instagram Creator Marketplace changing in 2026?
Yes, according to Meta’s announcement. Its 23 June 2026 newsroom update says:
- Creator Marketplace and Partnership Ads Hub will be unified.
- The planned destination is called Meta Creator Marketing Hub.
- Meta expects it to launch later in 2026.
- Facebook creators are being added alongside Instagram creators.
- Brands will be able to move from creator discovery towards finding content and activating it as a partnership ad in one environment.
At the time of writing, Meta’s Help Centre still documents Instagram Creator Marketplace as an active tool. Do not write as if it has already disappeared, and do not assume the new hub is available to every account. Check the interface and Meta’s current documentation before publication or training a team on exact navigation.
Who can join Instagram Creator Marketplace?
Creator Marketplace is for professional Instagram accounts, meaning Creator or Business accounts. Meta also says the feature may not be available to every eligible user yet.
Creators should expect to meet requirements relating to:
- An authentic, established presence.
- Compliance with Meta’s Community Standards and content policies.
- Accurate information and appropriate conduct.
- An eligible country, account and surface.
- Branded-content and monetisation rules where applicable.
Meta’s partnership eligibility guidance notes that access can be restricted or removed when requirements are not maintained. It does not give one universal follower threshold in the public guidance used for this article.
If the option is absent, do not invent an eligibility problem. The account may be in an unsupported market or staged rollout, or it may not meet a requirement that Meta has not exposed in the interface.
How creators join Instagram Creator Marketplace
Instagram’s current creator joining instructions use the mobile app.
The annotated images below are illustrated interface guides rather than screenshots from a logged-in account. They show where to look, but labels can vary by app version, account and market.
1. Switch to a professional account if necessary
Open the Instagram profile and confirm that it is a Creator or Business account with access to the Professional dashboard. Choose the account type that truthfully reflects the work rather than changing categories solely to obtain a menu option.
2. Open the Professional dashboard
From the profile, select Professional dashboard, then look for Branded content tools and Join creator marketplace.
If the joining option is missing, Meta says that the feature may not be available to the account yet.
3. Review and accept the terms
Read the terms and the data-sharing explanation. Joining allows participating brands to see information used for discovery and to contact the creator through partnership messages.
4. Complete discovery details
Choose accurate interests, identify suitable preferred brand partners and prepare a portfolio. Broad or misleading categories can produce more messages but worse commercial fit.
5. Monitor partnership messages
Meta notes that the partnership inbox appears after the first brand message. Treat every message as a starting point for due diligence, not evidence that an offer is genuine or suitable.
How brands use Instagram Creator Marketplace
A brand should begin with a campaign decision, not a creator search.
1. Define the customer and campaign objective
State whether the campaign needs product education, qualified site visits, content production, new-customer sales or another measurable outcome. “Increase awareness” is too vague to guide creator selection or reporting.
2. Write the brief and commercial boundaries
Record:
- Product, market and intended audience.
- Required deliverables and format.
- Key facts and claims that must be accurate.
- Prohibited claims or regulated categories.
- Timeline, review stages and publication window.
- Fee, product value and payment terms.
- Organic and paid usage rights.
- Exclusivity, whitelisting or partnership-ad permissions.
- Required disclosures.
- Who answers customer comments and DMs.
3. Search and build a shortlist
Use relevant topic, audience and account filters. A smaller creator with strong subject fit may be more useful than a larger profile whose audience is in the wrong country or has little interest in the product category.
4. Evaluate evidence consistently
Apply the same criteria to every shortlisted creator. Review recent content quality, audience location, relevant reach, engagement context, brand safety, past partnerships and whether the creator communicates limitations honestly.
5. Send a complete campaign message
Include enough information for the creator to decide whether the opportunity is relevant. A message that hides the fee, usage rights or deadline wastes time and can make a genuine brand look suspicious.
6. Agree terms outside the post
Use a written agreement appropriate to the value and risk of the project. Marketplace messages can support the workflow, but they should not replace clear terms on payment, revisions, rights, cancellation and legal compliance.
7. Review, disclose and measure
Check factual accuracy and required disclosure without removing the creator’s authentic voice. Measure against the campaign objective, distinguishing organic content results from paid amplification.
How to evaluate an Instagram creator
Follower count is one signal, not a complete decision.
| Criterion | Useful evidence | Warning sign |
|---|---|---|
| Audience fit | Relevant countries, interests and customer characteristics | Large audience concentrated outside served markets |
| Subject credibility | Consistent, informed content in the category | Sudden unrelated sponsored content |
| Content quality | Clear demonstrations and accurate explanations | Unsupported product or performance claims |
| Engagement context | Specific comments, saves, shares and repeat audience interaction | Generic comments that do not relate to the content |
| Commercial fit | Natural use case and suitable tone | Product conflicts with the creator’s recent advice |
| Reliability | Clear communication and realistic delivery plan | Pressure to pay outside agreed or traceable routes |
| Rights and disclosure | Willingness to document usage and label branded content | Resistance to required disclosures |
Request insights relevant to the campaign rather than collecting every available metric. For a UK product launch, recent UK reach and qualified traffic may matter more than worldwide follower totals.
Creator Marketplace, Collab posts and partnership ads are different
- Creator Marketplace helps brands and creators discover each other and organise partnership work.
- Instagram Collab posts allow accounts to co-author one post or Reel across profiles.
- Paid partnership labels disclose branded content.
- Partnership ads allow eligible creator or branded content to be used in paid campaigns with the required permissions.
A campaign may use all four, but none automatically activates the others. Decide separately whether the content needs shared authorship, commercial disclosure and paid amplification.
What disclosures are required?
Meta requires its paid partnership label when branded content involves an exchange of value. Its examples of branded content include paid posts, free or loaned products and affiliate commission.
Platform labelling does not necessarily replace disclosure obligations under local advertising laws. Brands and creators targeting the US, UK, Canada, Australia or other countries should check the regulator guidance that applies to the audience and campaign.
Do not hide a commercial relationship in a long hashtag list or ambiguous wording. The reader should understand the relationship without having to investigate it.
Why Creator Marketplace may be missing
| Situation | Check |
|---|---|
| No Professional dashboard | Confirm the account is a Creator or Business account |
| Join option is absent | Marketplace may not be available to the account or country yet |
| Partnership inbox is absent | Meta says it may appear only after the first brand message |
| Brand cannot find a creator | Check opt-in status, profile interests and eligibility |
| Branded-content tools are restricted | Review account status and Meta’s eligibility policies |
| Instructions do not match the interface | Check whether the account is receiving the 2026 product transition |
Use only Meta’s official sign-in and business tools. Be cautious with messages asking for passwords, one-time codes, unusual payments or downloads outside the documented workflow.
Frequently asked questions
Is Instagram Creator Marketplace free?
Meta’s public Help Centre material used for this guide does not list a joining fee. Campaign compensation, gifted products, agency costs, production and advertising spend are separate commercial decisions. Verify current product terms before relying on a “free” claim in a contract or budget.
How many followers do you need for Instagram Creator Marketplace?
Meta’s public eligibility guidance refers to an authentic, established presence and sufficient follower base but does not provide one universal public threshold in the source reviewed. Availability can also depend on account and country.
Where is Creator Marketplace on Instagram?
For an eligible professional account, open the mobile app, go to Professional dashboard, then look under Branded content tools. Menu labels may change during the 2026 transition.
Can businesses use Instagram Creator Marketplace?
Yes. Brands can discover creators, build lists and organise campaigns. Creators need professional Instagram accounts, and functionality may not be available in every market.
Is Creator Marketplace being replaced?
Meta announced that Creator Marketplace and Partnership Ads Hub will be combined into Meta Creator Marketing Hub later in 2026. At the time of writing, Creator Marketplace remains documented in Meta’s Help Centre, so describe this as an announced transition rather than a completed replacement.
Does joining guarantee brand deals?
No. Joining makes an eligible creator discoverable and provides partnership tools. Brands still decide whom to contact, and both parties must agree commercial terms.
