Meta Ads Playbook

How to set up, track, and run Meta ads across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and Audience Network.

Account structure

Own the Business portfolio (Meta Business Suite) yourself. Give agencies partner access instead of handing over accounts.
Verify your domain in Business settings.
Keep campaign count low. Fewer campaigns and ad sets give each one more conversion data.
Use a consistent naming pattern, for example Geo-Objective-Audience-Offer.

Install the Meta Pixel and the Conversions API. Use the Conversions API Gateway or a server-side integration.
Send the same event_id from the pixel and the server so Meta can deduplicate events.
Check Event Match Quality in Events Manager. Send hashed email and phone where you have consent.
Optimize for the event closest to revenue that still fires often enough.
Confirm events with the Test Events tool before launch.
Validate results with a holdout, conversion lift, or geo test. Do not rely only on in-platform attribution.

Objective	Use it for
Sales	Purchases and other web or app conversions. Advantage+ sales campaigns automate audience, placement, and creative.
Leads	Instant forms, Messenger, calls, or website leads.
App promotion	Installs and in-app events.
Traffic	Clicks to a site or app when conversions are too rare to optimize for.
Engagement	Video views, messages, and post engagement.
Awareness	Reach and frequency.

Start with Advantage+ audience. Add your customer lists and site visitors as suggestions.
Use lookalike audiences built from your best customers or highest-value purchasers.
Use detailed targeting only if it beats broad targeting in a direct test.
Exclude recent purchasers where repeat purchase is unlikely.
Leave Advantage+ placements on unless a placement is a brand safety problem.

Supply square (1:1), vertical (4:5 and 9:16), and landscape versions.
Keep text and logos out of the top and bottom of 9:16 assets so Reels and Stories UI does not cover them.
Add captions to every video. Many people watch without sound.
Test several distinct concepts, not small variations of one.
Review Advantage+ creative enhancements before turning them on. Turn off any that change your brand or claims.
Keep a shared log of which hooks, offers, and formats won.

Use Advantage campaign budget to let Meta move spend between ad sets. Use ad set budgets for strict tests.
An ad set exits the learning phase after about 50 optimization events in a week. Size budgets so each ad set can reach that.
Start on highest volume or highest value. Add a cost per result goal or ROAS goal only when you have a firm target.
Avoid large edits while an ad set is learning. Big changes restart learning.

Domain verified.
Pixel and Conversions API both firing, with deduplication confirmed in Events Manager.
Optimization event selected and receiving data.
Catalog connected and synced (if selling products).
Custom audiences and exclusions built.
Creative in every needed aspect ratio, with captions and safe zones checked.
UTM parameters on all URLs.
Spending limit or automated rules set for overspend.