Set up Rules
The Rules Engine lets you create automated rules that trigger actions across your campaigns — pausing underperformers, capping spend, adjusting budgets — without logging in to make changes manually. Rules work across Meta, Google, and other connected platforms from a single place.
Who this is for
Anyone managing campaigns who wants to automate routine decisions — especially useful for agencies managing multiple client accounts, or advertisers with campaigns running 24/7 across multiple platforms.
How rules work
Each rule is an if–then statement: if a condition is met (e.g., CPM exceeds a threshold), then take an action (e.g., pause the campaign). Rules are checked based on a scope you set: a single campaign, all campaigns, or all campaigns in an account. They also analyze a predefined period: last 7 days, 15 days or 30 days.
Where to find it
Open the Advertise tab and select Rules from the Optimizations tab.
Creating a rule
- Open the Rules area and click Add rule.
- Set the scope — which campaigns or ad sets this rule applies to:
- All active campaigns
- Specific Platforms
- A specific set of campaigns
- A campaign group
- Set the condition — the trigger metric and threshold. Available conditions include:
- Cost per result (CPL, Cost per conversion, etc.) is above or below a value
- CTR is below a minimum
- Spend or Clicks are below the expected values
- Set the action to take when the condition is met:
-
- Pause the campaign or ad set
- Increase or decrease the budget by a percentage or fixed amount
- Send a notification (done from the Alerts tab)
Save and activate the rule.
Practical rule examples
Underperforming campaign rule
Condition: Cost per lead is more than [target CPL × 2] over the last 7 days. Action: Pause campaign. This catches campaigns that have drifted significantly from your target efficiency before they consume more budget.
CPM cap
Condition: CPM is above X (users have seen the ad more than X times). Action: Pause campaign. Prevents highly competitive or restriced audiences from driving up costs and reducing results in longer-running campaigns.
Tip: Pair a "pause if underperforming" rule with a notification action so you get an alert before taking action. This lets you catch edge cases — like a campaign paused during its learning phase — and override the rule manually if needed.
Common issues
My rule fired but the campaign is still active
Rules require a small delay to propagate to the ad platform after firing. Allow a few minutes after a rule triggers for the action (e.g., pause) to be reflected in your campaign status. Check the Rules Engine log to confirm the rule did fire.
My rule fired during a campaign's learning phase
Performance metrics can look poor during the learning phase — cost per result is often elevated before an algorithm has optimized delivery. Avoid applying strict performance rules to campaigns in the first 7 days, or expand the lookback period.
Related articles
- Set up the Budget Optimizer
- Set up Optimize for Me
- Set a Facebook account spend limit
- Understand the learning phase