Meta Ads Automation Rules Explained: Thresholds, Frequency and Ad Set Selection
The Automation rules window controls how the hourly optimizer judges your ads: the default RCPR, the impressions needed before judging, the allowed threshold, the maximum frequency, protection for the last ad, ad set selection, force bypass, advanced metrics and how often you get emails.
By the song.so team
Where the rules apply
The rules belong to your account and apply to every release campaign registered in song.so that has automation switched on. Tour campaigns follow their own rules, described in tour ad campaigns, so the two systems never fight over the same ad. Ads and ad sets with the word force in their name are exempt from everything below.
The settings
| Setting | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Default RCPR | Empty (auto) | Real cost per result used as benchmark when a campaign has no target. Empty uses your 30 day account average |
| Analyze after impressions | 300 | An ad is judged once it reaches this many lifetime impressions |
| Threshold | 10 percent | Allowed deviation above the RCPR before an ad is paused. 0 is strict |
| Max frequency | 1.5 | Frequency at which a tired ad is rotated out, with safeguards |
| Prevent campaign death | On | The last best ad of an ad set stays active even if it misses the target |
| Analyze ad sets | On | After 24 hours, keep the winning ad sets and pause the rest |
| Force bypass | On | Ads and ad sets with force in the name are never touched |
| Advanced mode | Off | Also checks CTR, video play rate and CVR |
| Email notifications | Hourly | Every hour, 6 hours, 12 hours, once a day or off |
RCPR rule and the threshold
The core rule is simple. An ad is paused when its lifetime RCPR and its RCPR today both exceed the target by more than the threshold, and only after it has the minimum impressions and at least 150 impressions today. Requiring both lifetime and today protects ads that had a bad day and ads that were good once but have gone stale. The calculation behind RCPR is in real cost per result for music ads.
Prevent campaign death
A campaign with no delivering ad earns nothing. The optimizer never pauses the last ad of an ad set without first activating the best qualified replacement. A replacement needs at least 150 lifetime impressions and a measurable RCPR, with a preference for one at or below the target. If every remaining ad fails, untested ads are forced in. Force ads are never used as replacements.
Max frequency and ad fatigue
Frequency is how often the same people saw the ad. When the lifetime frequency of an active ad reaches your limit it is paused, but only after it has run for at least three days with at least 3,000 impressions, and only when another ad can replace it: one that is still untested, or one proven at the same or a lower RCPR. If no replacement exists, the ad stays active and you receive a warning email advising more variations of the winning ad. The full picture is in ad fatigue and automatic rotation.
Analyze ad sets
An ad set is only judged once it is at least 24 hours old and has at least the number of ads multiplied by your impressions setting. The decision happens once every active ad set has enough data. At most two ad sets stay active. The first is the ad set with the lowest real cost per result. The second is a different ad set that contains an ad with a lower RCPR than the best ad of the winner and at least as many real results. Every other ad set is paused, never deleted.
Advanced mode and emails
Advanced mode adds three checks: a minimum CTR (default 1 percent), a minimum video play rate (default 30 percent) and a minimum CVR (default 60 percent). An ad with a bad RCPR that also fails one of these is paused once it has enough impressions. For notifications, choose how often you want mail. Anything slower than hourly is delivered as one digest that lists every decision since the last email.
Force ads: keep manual control
Put the word force in the name of any ad or ad set you want to run by hand. It is treated as if it did not exist for the automation, so it is never paused, reactivated, counted as a champion or used as a replacement. This is the safe way to test a creative idea that you do not want judged by the rules.
FAQ
How many impressions does an ad need before it is paused?
At least 300 lifetime impressions by default and at least 150 impressions today. You can change the lifetime minimum in the Automation rules window.
What does the threshold do?
It sets how far above the target RCPR an ad may be before it is paused. The default is 10 percent, and 0 is strict.
What is prevent campaign death?
A safeguard that keeps the last best ad of an ad set active, and activates the best qualified replacement before pausing the last ad.
How many ad sets stay active after ad set analysis?
At most two: the one with the lowest real cost per result, and a second one that contains an ad beating the winner best ad. The rest are paused, not deleted.
How do I exclude an ad from the automation?
Include the word force in the ad or ad set name. It is then completely ignored by the automation.