How-to · Updated October 20, 2026
Download Facebook lead ad leads before they expire
Updated October 20, 2026
5 minutes a week
Meta makes each instant form lead available to download for up to 90 days after it is submitted, then it cannot be downloaded. Download from the Instant forms page in Meta Business Suite with Download new leads at least weekly. Use Ads Manager for several ads at once, and know Meta's three reasons the file can differ from Results.
Before you start
- A role on the Facebook Page that runs the ads, either full control or messaging permission, unless someone has customized Leads access, in which case you must be on its list.
- A role on the ad account as well, if you want every column filled in. Meta says seeing all the data takes both Page admin permissions and a role on the ad account that ran the ad; if some fields are blank, check your Leads access permissions too.
Download from the Instant forms page (the weekly routine)
This route is per form and remembers what you already took, so it suits a regular habit. Unlike Ads Manager, it also includes organic leads.
- Open Meta Business Suite, click All tools, then Instant forms.
- Click Download next to the form.
- Choose Download new leads to get only what arrived since your last download, or Download by date range, choose the dates and click Download, to rebuild a period.
- Pick CSV or XLS and save the file somewhere that is backed up. That file, not Meta, is now your record.
Download several ads at once from Ads Manager
Use Ads Manager when you want one file across several ads or campaigns, filtered by place, language or dates.
- In Ads Manager, open the Ads tab. The link you need is not on the Campaigns or Ad sets tabs.
- In the Results column of the lead ad, click On-Facebook leads.
- In Download leads, select the ads to include and filter by Ad object, Location, Language and Date range if you need to. Click Next.
- Click CSV or XLS, then Download.
Ads Manager cannot download organic leads, the ones from people a viewer shared the ad with. Leads Center in Business Suite also has a download icon, but its file holds only date, name, email, phone, stage, source and owner, so your custom questions are missing. Use it for a quick contact list, not as your record.
Check it worked
Open the file and read the columns. It has columns for id, created_time, the ad, ad set, campaign and form names and IDs, is_organic and platform, then a column for each question on the form. The newest created_time should be today or close to it.
If the number of rows is not the number in the Results column, Meta names three causes. Leads older than 90 days have expired and drop out of the file even on a Lifetime view. Organic leads are in the Business Suite file but not in Results. Test leads you created yourself are in the file but not in Results.
You cannot download the leads file
Ask someone with full control of the business portfolio whether Leads access has been customized: Business Suite, Settings, Integrations, Leads access. Before anyone customizes it, every Page admin and everyone with messaging permission can download. After, only the people on that list can, and new people are not added automatically.
If it has not been customized, ask someone with full control of the Page to give you full control or messaging permission. If it has, ask to be added to the list.
The Ad ID or Ad Set ID is missing
Meta gives three possible reasons: the lead came from organic reach, it was submitted from an ad preview, or you lack advertiser privileges on the ad account that ran the campaign. The first two are expected. For the third, ask for advertiser access on that ad account, then download again.
Should I keep downloading if the leads go to a CRM?
Meta recommends a CRM or Leads Center so leads arrive without waiting for a download. Keep a monthly download anyway, inside the 90 days. If a connection breaks quietly, a download recovers the leads it missed, but only within 90 days of each submission.