Meta Updates Leads and Sales Campaign Setup: Focus on AI Targeting

Meta has made changes to the Leads and Sales campaign setup process, prioritizing AI-driven targeting. Now, marketers no longer choose campaign settings manually—Advantage+ options are enabled by default. This means Meta increasingly relies on algorithms to improve ad performance.

What Has Changed?

When creating new campaigns, users will see a message: “You no longer need to choose a campaign setup.” This indicates that Meta now automatically activates AI optimization, which may simplify campaign setup but also make manual targeting harder to access.

While manual settings are still available, they have become less visible in the interface.

How to Enable Manual Targeting?

If marketers want to use a traditional targeting approach, they need to follow these steps:

1. Go to the Ad Set level in a Leads or Sales campaign.
2. Scroll down to the Audience section.
3. Click on the gear icon next to the text “Further limit the reach of your ads.”
4. Meta will warn that switching to manual targeting may narrow your audience and reduce performance—confirm the changes.
5. Once confirmed, you will see the full set of manual targeting options.

What to Keep in Mind?

Even when switching to manual mode, some default settings may still allow Meta to expand targeting beyond specified parameters:

• Age and gender controls are set to “Use as a suggestion” by default.
• This allows Meta to target a broader audience than manually defined.
• To avoid expanded targeting, these options must be disabled manually.

AI Technology vs. Manual Control: What’s the Best Choice?

Meta is actively promoting automated targeting, arguing that it improves campaign performance. However, marketers who require precise audience control may find these new changes limiting.

If you need effective targeted advertising on Meta Ads, contact our team! We’ll help set up campaigns to ensure the best results for your business.