I accidentally deleted my best performing Facebook ad by mistake, can I recover it?
- Thread starter StormLynx
- Start date
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- Tags
- facebook ads issues
- Apr 24, 2026
- 103
- 34
The algorithmic momentum of that ad is permanently dead. Meta does not have an "undo" button for the machine learning phase. However, you don't necessarily have to build the creative from absolute scratch if you want to keep the social proof. Go up to your filters in Ads Manager, filter by "Delivery," and select "Deleted." You will be able to see the trashed ad. Preview it, grab the specific Post ID, and then create a brand new ad using "Use Existing Post" instead of uploading the video again. You will keep all your likes and comments, but be prepared for the CPA to fluctuate because you are forcing the algorithm to re-enter the auction pool from zero.
hugorichmond9
BANNED
- May 20, 2026
- 26
- 8
Try this in Ads Manager
Go to Ads Manager.
At the Ad level, click Search and Filter.
Filter by Delivery → Deleted.
Find the deleted ad.
If it appears:
Duplicate it into the same ad set or a new one. This recreates the ad, though performance stats start fresh.
Or click Preview → Share → Facebook post with comments and open the post. Copy the post ID from the URL.
Create a new ad and choose Use Existing Post, then paste that post ID. This can preserve likes, comments, and shares on the original post.
Go to Ads Manager.
At the Ad level, click Search and Filter.
Filter by Delivery → Deleted.
Find the deleted ad.
If it appears:
Duplicate it into the same ad set or a new one. This recreates the ad, though performance stats start fresh.
Or click Preview → Share → Facebook post with comments and open the post. Copy the post ID from the URL.
Create a new ad and choose Use Existing Post, then paste that post ID. This can preserve likes, comments, and shares on the original post.
Unfortunately deleted Facebook ads cannot be restored once they are permanently deleted
If you still have the campaign ad set or creative assets available you can usually recreate the ad with the same settings targeting and copy
If the ad was only turned off rather than deleted you can simply reactivate it
For the future it is a good idea to duplicate high performing ads before making major changes so you always have a backup version available
If you still have the campaign ad set or creative assets available you can usually recreate the ad with the same settings targeting and copy
If the ad was only turned off rather than deleted you can simply reactivate it
For the future it is a good idea to duplicate high performing ads before making major changes so you always have a backup version available
hugorichmond9
BANNED
- May 20, 2026
- 26
- 8
Note: There is no official "Undo" or recycle bin, but this step may still be able to recover the creative and even preserve the post engagement.
piece of mind
Registered Member
- Mar 13, 2026
- 57
- 25
Unfortunately, Facebook doesn't have a recycle bin, so a deleted ad cannot be directly restored. your best workaround is to find the original Post ID in your page history and use it to set up a new ad.
- Jul 30, 2025
- 425
- 57
You can only view your deleted campaigns.
- Dec 21, 2023
- 1,580
- 811
There is no way to recover it, you can only recreate it.
HyperTrigger
Registered Member
- Apr 9, 2026
- 53
- 9
nah once ad is deleted it cant be restored, u can only try to recreate it or duplicate from old campaign if its still showing in ads manager.
CloakClicks
Registered Member
- Mar 17, 2026
- 58
- 13
It can’t be recovered, you’ll need to rebuild it.
Losing a winning ad hurts, but sometimes the replacement ends up even better once you rebuild it with fresh testing.
blackwisher
Registered Member
- Dec 13, 2024
- 88
- 15
You do not have to start from scratch. Find the deleted ad using the Deleted filter, select it, and click Duplicate. This copies the exact settings and text into a brand-new draft.
PPCGrowthLab
Registered Member
- Apr 24, 2026
- 50
- 14
You can not turn it back on, but you can copy it. change your filter to show deleted items. Select the old ad, click duplicate, and publish it. It will look exactly the same but will start running as a new ad.
Enaa thons
BANNED
- Jun 30, 2026
- 16
- 2
Hi I do not think there is a way to restore a deleted ad If you still have the creative and copy I would recreate it as closely as possible and keep backups of winning ads going forward to avoid this again
ProxyLution
Junior Member
- Apr 3, 2026
- 101
- 38
I don't think you can recover those. Just in case it helps, for future campaigns, maybe you can save the creatives externally or duplicate the campaign before deletion
b2bagency
Registered Member
- Sep 15, 2025
- 66
- 11
Unfortunately, Meta treats deletion as permanent—there is no "undelete" button. However, you don't have to start from scratch, and you can actually save all your existing likes, comments, and social proof.
Here is the exact workaround to bring it back:
- Find it: Go to Ads Manager -> Ads tab -> Filter by Delivery: Deleted.
- Get the Post ID: Hover over your deleted ad, click Preview, and select "Facebook Post with Comments". Look at the URL in your browser and copy the long string of numbers at the very end. That is your Post ID.
- Revive it: Create a brand new ad in your campaign. Under Ad Setup, select Use Existing Post. Paste your Post ID and hit Publish.
- Jun 8, 2025
- 574
- 171
Cant undo deletion on FB, mate. Once its gone, its gone.
But dont start from scratch yet. Go to ads mgr, filter by "Deleted" and grab that ad's Post ID. Then create a new camp and choose "Use Existing Post" with that ID. You'll keep all the likes & comments. Learning phase resets, but way better than nothing
But dont start from scratch yet. Go to ads mgr, filter by "Deleted" and grab that ad's Post ID. Then create a new camp and choose "Use Existing Post" with that ID. You'll keep all the likes & comments. Learning phase resets, but way better than nothing