You write the rule,the system keeps watch.
Say "if this metric crosses this threshold, do this". Your campaigns are checked every 30 minutes; expensive ones pause and winners grow within limits.
Rather hand the job over? In our Meta Ads Management service we run this tool for you; scope and monthly price are published.
Instagram ads agencyA rule has four parts
A rule reads "if this metric crosses this threshold over this period, do this". No threshold is built in; you set every one of them to match your own target.
| Part | Options |
|---|---|
| Metric | Spend, cost per click, click-through rate, return on ad spend (ROAS), cost per acquisition (CPA), impressions, clicks, frequency |
| Funnel metrics (Meta) | Hook rate, hold rate, link click rate, landing page view rate, add-to-cart, checkout and purchase rate |
| Condition and period | Greater than, less than, greater or equal, less or equal; today, last 3, 7 or 30 days |
| Action | Pause, resume, raise or lower the budget by a percentage, or just notify |
Start from six ready-made rules
| Rule | Condition | Action | Built-in guardrail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scale budget when ROAS is strong | ROAS 4 or higher over 7 days | Raise budget 20% | Min. spend $6, 24 h cooldown, once a day |
| Pause when conversions get expensive | CPA above $4 over 7 days | Pause campaign | Needs approval, min. spend $6, once a day |
| Alert when conversion cost rises | CPA above $3 over 7 days | Notify | Min. spend $2, 12 h cooldown |
| Alert on high frequency | Frequency above 5 over 7 days | Notify | Min. spend $2, 24 h cooldown |
| Protect the daily spend cap | Spend above $20 today | Lower budget 20% | Needs approval, 20% change cap, once a day |
| Alert on a weak hook rate | Rate below 20% over 7 days | Notify | Min. spend $2, 24 h cooldown |
Thresholds are not industry averages; every template that spends money ships with a guardrail. Change the values to match your target.
Five limits on a rule that moves money
- 1Minimum spend: if a campaign has spent less than this, the rule doesn't fire, so no decision is made on thin data.
- 2Cooldown: after touching a campaign, the rule waits the hours you set before touching it again.
- 3Daily change cap: the action percentage can't exceed it; set 20% and the budget won't jump 60%.
- 4Daily budget ceiling: an increase can't push the campaign's daily budget above this amount.
- 5Daily run limit: the same rule runs on the same campaign at most this many times a day.
A budget change can send an ad set back into learning; Meta explains this on its learning phase page. The change cap keeps those jumps small.
How a rule is evaluated and applied
- 1Account is read
Campaigns and the chosen period's metrics come from the ad account.
- 2Matches are found
Campaigns that meet the condition and the minimum spend are picked.
- 3Limits apply
Cooldown, daily limit and caps are checked.
- 4Approve or apply
In approval mode a record opens; otherwise the action goes through the API.
- 5Logged
The result, measured value and budget before and after are stored.
Rules run on their own every 30 minutes. Before you switch a rule on, preview it on the screen: it lists the campaigns that match right now and applies nothing.
- One button pauses every rule at once.
- Actions waiting for approval sit in their own list, where you approve or reject each one.
- A notify action lands in your panel inbox and links back to the automation screen.
Which metrics Meta and Google Ads support
| Metric | Meta | Google Ads |
|---|---|---|
| Spend, impressions, clicks | Yes | Yes |
| Cost per click, click-through rate | Yes | Yes |
| CPA and ROAS | Yes | Yes |
| Frequency | Yes | No |
| Funnel rates (hook rate, add-to-cart and so on) | Yes | No |
Google Ads doesn't report frequency or funnel rates at campaign level. A Google rule written on those metrics doesn't wait in silence; it's rejected outright and the reason shows on screen. For Google's own tool, see its automated rules guide.
What the screen measures, and what it doesn't claim
- It counts paused campaigns, budget added and pulled back, and notifications sent, from logged actions.
- Budget actions without a before and after value stay out of the total, and their number is shown separately.
- It doesn't credit a ROAS improvement to a rule; without measuring what would have happened otherwise, that would be a guess.
High ROAS doesn't always mean profit, so set your scaling threshold against your margin (high ROAS, no profit). CPA rules are more reliable once server-side conversion tracking is in place.
To find the winning ad, first run two variants head to head, then move budget with a rule here. If you want to ask why a campaign is underperforming, the ad assistant can help.
Frequently asked questions
How does ad automation work?
You write a rule made of a metric, threshold, period and action. Every 30 minutes the system reads your campaigns and applies the action to matching ones through the ad platform's API.
Which platforms does it work on?
Meta (Facebook and Instagram) and Google Ads campaigns. Frequency and funnel rates aren't supported on Google Ads; rules on those metrics are rejected outright.
Could it pause my ad by mistake?
Minimum spend stops rules firing on thin data, and the cooldown stops repeated touches. Put a pause rule in approval mode and nothing changes until you approve.
How much can it change a budget at once?
By the percentage in the rule, but never past the daily change cap or the daily budget ceiling. If a cap kicks in, the log names the limit that applied.
Can I see what a rule would do before turning it on?
Yes. The preview lists the campaigns that match the rule right now and applies no action.
Where do notifications go?
To your panel inbox. Each one shows the rule name, the campaign and the metric that crossed its threshold, and links to the automation screen.
How often do rules run?
Every 30 minutes. You can also run them by hand from the screen; campaigns still in cooldown are skipped on that run.
How is this different from automated ads?
Automated ads suggests platforms and budget for a new campaign. Ad automation manages campaigns that are already live, using rules.
Does it show what automation earned me?
It counts paused campaigns and budget changes from logged actions. It doesn't credit a ROAS gain to a rule, because what would have happened without it wasn't measured.
Which plan includes ad automation?
Ad automation needs the Enterprise, E-commerce Premium, Plus Pro or Network / MCN plan (or a plan above one of them in the same family) and the E-Commerce Plus add-on (included in E-Commerce Plus plans). The brand's setup model must be E-commerce · Local Market, E-commerce+ · Cross-border or B2B · Manufacturer / Exporter. Compare plans on the pricing page.
Sources
The official documentation behind the technical points on this page:
- [1]Google Ads Help: Create automated rules
How Google Ads' own automated rules are set up.
- [2]Google Ads Help: Tips for using automated rules
What to watch when choosing rule thresholds and frequency.
- [3]Meta for Developers: Ad Campaign reference
How campaign status and daily budget are updated through the API.
- [4]Meta Business Help Center: About the learning phase
Why significant edits, budget changes included, can restart learning.
Related pages
- Automated adsPlatform, format and test budget suggestions for a new campaign.
- A/B testingMeasures the winning variant before you move budget.
- Conversion trackingServer-side measurement that feeds CPA and ROAS rules.
- Meta ads management serviceSetup, rules and daily decisions handled by our team.
- Performance Ads AIMeta and Google already bid and choose who sees your ad with AI; the panel's job is to feed that system the right signal, the right creative and the right limits.
- How to Advertise on GoogleTo advertise on Google you first open a Google Ads account: business details, billing details and, optionally, conversion measurement are entered at this stage.
- Instagram AdvertisingThere are three ways to run Instagram ads: boost a post in the app, build a campaign in Meta Ads Manager, or build it from the AgentFabrica panel.
Don't leave your ads unwatched.
Ad automation needs the Enterprise, E-commerce Premium, Plus Pro or Network / MCN plan (or a plan above one of them in the same family) and the E-Commerce Plus add-on (included in E-Commerce Plus plans). The brand's setup model must be E-commerce · Local Market, E-commerce+ · Cross-border or B2B · Manufacturer / Exporter. The full panel is free with no time limit: brand, accounts, reports. Allowance: 10 captions a month, 2 images a month, 1 videos a month, 1 brand, 1 user.