Test audiences in one campaign, with one ad set per audience

To compare audiences, build one campaign with an ad set for each audience, and an ad in each ad set. Everything is created on Meta paused; nothing spends until you start it.

On the web

1. Ads > Campaigns > New campaign. Pick the objective (for example Traffic), the ad account and the Page the ads run as. Keep Each ad set has its own budget so every audience gets the money you give it.
2. Add an ad set per audience: locations, ages, gender, detailed targeting (interests, behaviours, job titles), the phone system (iPhone and iPad, or Android, with a minimum version if you like), the devices (Mobile, Desktop) and the placements. Use Link clicks for an app store link.
3. Advantage+ audience: with it on, Meta treats ages, gender and interests as suggestions and may show the ads to anyone, which spoils a test. Automatic turns it off as soon as you set an age, a gender or an interest.
4. Add an ad to each ad set, click Audience size to see how many people each ad set reaches, then Push to Meta.
5. To start one audience, click Start this ad set: its ads, the ad set and the campaign are switched on and every other ad set stays paused.
6. Create Ad ads that have never run can join a campaign as ad sets: tick them under Add Create Ad ads to this campaign. Stop the originals once the campaign is on Meta.
7. Rename the campaign with Rename, an ad set from its Edit page. Names change on Meta too.

Good to know

• The brand's daily ads ceiling covers every ad set: a push or a start that would take the brand over it is refused. Raise it in Ads > Settings.
• Auto-stop works on these ad sets as on promoted posts: advisory flags a failing ad, enforce also pauses it.
• Meta no longer offers targeting by health conditions, so a search for one finds nothing. PromoPilot warns when a custom audience name suggests a health condition, which Meta blocks for health advertisers.
• Through the MCP server: create_campaign, create_adset (detailed_targeting, user_os, device_platforms, regions, cities, locales, advantage_audience), estimate_reach, push_campaign, campaign_object_action with start_delivery, rename_campaign_object, add_wizard_ads_to_campaign, and analyze_campaign to compare the ad sets side by side (spend, CPM, link clicks, cost per link click, ThruPlays, age and gender, and a pause, keep or scale suggestion each). The REST API has the same under /api/v1/ads/draft-campaigns/.