5 Steps to Set Time-Based Rules in Meta Ads

Want to make your Meta ads more effective? Time-based rules in Meta Ads Manager let you automate when your ads run, helping you save money and boost performance. Here's what you'll learn:

• Benefits: Improve click-through rates (20% higher), lower costs (30% lower CPC), and increase conversions (50% boost).

• Use Cases: Schedule ads during business hours, manage budgets, and target specific time zones.

• Steps:

  1. Open Meta Ads Manager.

  2. Create a new rule.

  3. Set time conditions (like days and hours).

  4. Define automated actions (e.g., turn ads on/off, adjust budgets).

  5. Review, enable, and track the rule.

Follow these steps to optimize your ad campaigns and reach your audience at the right time!

How to Set a Facebook Ads Schedule with Rules

Step 1: Open Meta Ads Manager

Start by accessing Meta Ads Manager to create time-based rules for your campaigns.

Sign in to Your Account

Before you begin, make sure you have the following:

• A personal Facebook account

• Admin access to a Facebook Page for your business

• A valid payment method linked to your account

• Meta Pixel installed on your website (optional but helpful)

Once you're logged in, you'll be ready to explore Automated Rules.

"Automated Rules allow you to save time and increase efficiency by automating changes to your campaigns, ad sets, and ads when specific conditions have been met." – Jon Loomer Digital [1]

Locate Automated Rules

Once your account is set up, you can find Automated Rules using one of these two methods:

• From the Campaigns Table

  • Open Meta Ads Manager

  • Select your campaign, ad set, or ad

  • Click the "More" dropdown menu

  • Choose "Create a new rule" [2]

• Direct Access

  • Go to the All Tools menu

  • Look under the Advertise section

  • Select Automated Rules [1]

Here, you'll see all existing rules and their statuses. You can manage your current rules or create new ones to optimize your campaigns based on timing.

Step 2: Start a New Rule

To create a time-based rule in Automated Rules, follow these steps carefully to ensure your campaigns run smoothly.

Click Create Rule

1. Look for the "Create Rule" button in the top-right corner of the Automated Rules dashboard.

2. Click the button to open the rule creation interface.

3. A new window will pop up, allowing you to configure your rule settings.

"Here is where the Facebook automated rules come in handy. You can create a new rule which automatically pauses all active campaigns during the weekend." [3]

Now, it’s time to set up the parameters for your custom rule.

Select Custom Rule

Adjust your rule to fit your campaign schedule. You can pick between predefined templates or build custom rules. Custom rules are ideal for scheduling campaigns at specific times or meeting particular goals.

Here’s how to set up your rule:

• Choose Rule Application Level
  

  Decide whether the rule will apply to:

  • Individual campaigns

  • Specific ad sets

  • Individual ads

  • Multiple items at once

• Set Basic Parameters
  

  Give your rule a clear name, choose the asset level (e.g., campaigns or ads), set the time zone, and configure notification preferences.

Keep in mind:

• Each ad account can have up to 100 rules.

• A single rule can manage up to 200 items.

• Only one condition is allowed per rule, so plan accordingly.

Enabling notifications is a smart move - they’ll alert you to any potential issues immediately.

Step 3: Set Time Conditions

Once you've chosen your custom rule, the next step is to configure the timing for your Meta ads.

Choose Time Settings

Properly setting up time conditions starts with selecting the right time zone and scheduling preferences. The system organizes time blocks in one-hour increments.

Key things to keep in mind:

• Ads need to run for at least one hour per scheduled block.

• All schedules are based on the time zone you select.

"Facebook Automated Rules give marketers the option to set parameters that automate certain actions within your Ads Manager like adjusting ad spend, pausing underperforming ads, and scheduling ad delivery based on the time of day." [4]

Pick Days and Hours

Once your time settings are in place, align your schedule with your audience's activity patterns. Here's how to set up your schedule effectively:

To set your schedule:

• Click "Run ads on a schedule" in the interface.

• Use the scheduling grid to select your desired days and hours.

• Double-check and confirm your selections.

Analyze your business page insights to see when your audience is most active. This data can guide your decisions on the best times to run your ads.

Step 4: Set Rule Actions

Once you've set your time conditions, it's time to define the automated actions that will help you manage your campaigns more efficiently.

Choose Action Types

Meta Ads Manager offers several automated actions you can use to manage your campaigns based on your schedule. Here's a quick breakdown:

For example, if your data shows better performance during certain times, you can set rules to:

• Increase bids during high-performance hours (e.g., 6 PM – 9 PM)

• Reduce spending during slower times

• Pause ads automatically when performance dips below a certain threshold

Once you've decided on the actions, the next step is setting how often these rules will run.

Set Check Frequency

You can control how often your rules are applied in Meta Ads Manager by adjusting their frequency. Options include:

• Hourly: Ideal for campaigns that need close monitoring.

• Daily: A good fit for campaigns with consistent performance.

• Custom Schedule: Tailor the frequency to suit specific campaign needs.

Pick the frequency that aligns with your campaign goals, and tweak it as you gather more insights from your rule's performance.

Step 5: Check and Enable Rule

Review Settings

Before activating your rule, double-check these settings:

• Time conditions: Make sure the selected days and hours align with your campaign goals.

• Notifications: Turn on email alerts to stay informed when your rule is triggered.

• Frequency: Confirm the monitoring schedule matches your needs.

"Be sure to turn on notifications for your rules when you get started. By turning on an email notification when your rule is triggered, you'll be able to double-check that the rule is behaving the way you intended it to." [4]

Once everything looks good, you’re ready to activate your rule.

Enable and Track

After confirming the settings, follow these steps to activate and keep an eye on your rule’s performance:

Use the Rule Monitoring tab to track:

• Execution time

• Success rate

• Data processing

• Any error messages

For detailed performance data, check the execution log under the rule's Execution Results tab [5]. If you encounter issues, pause the rule, make adjustments, and then re-enable it.

Tips for Time-Based Rules

Scheduling Tips

Once you've set your time conditions, fine-tune your schedule with these insights to improve your campaign's performance.

Using data to guide your scheduling can make a big difference. For instance, Facebook Insights shows that timing your campaigns well can lead to better click-through rates and a stronger return on investment [6].

Here are some ways to sharpen your scheduling:

• Analyze Peak Activity Hours: Facebook Insights can help you spot when your audience is most active. For professionals, engagement tends to spike early in the morning (6:00–8:00 AM), during lunch breaks (12:00–1:00 PM), and in the evening (5:00–7:00 PM) [6].

• Use Performance Data: Keep an eye on metrics like click-through rates, impressions, conversions, and engagement to continuously improve your scheduling [6].

Avoid These Mistakes

Steer clear of these common scheduling errors to keep your campaigns on track:

• Time Zone Confusion: If your audience spans multiple regions, be mindful of time zone differences. For example, a campaign set for 9:00 AM EST might hit West Coast viewers at 6:00 AM PST, missing prime engagement hours [7].

• Schedule Optimization Errors:

  • Setting time frames that are too broad, which can weaken ad effectiveness

  • Narrow schedules that don't allow enough data collection

  • Overlooking seasonal trends that shape user behavior

  • Not adjusting bids during high-performance windows

• Monitoring Oversights [8]:

  1. Begin with one-time rules to evaluate their impact.

  2. Avoid conflicting rules - schedule them at different times to prevent overlap.

  3. Give your campaigns enough time to collect conversion data, especially for delayed responses.

Using AdAmigo.ai

About AdAmigo.ai

AdAmigo.ai uses AI to take the hassle out of managing Meta ad campaigns. As a Meta Business Technology Partner, it analyzes your ad account data and adjusts campaigns in real-time to align with your performance goals.

With AdAmigo.ai, you can set performance targets and budget limits while the platform handles optimization automatically. This makes it a helpful tool for both seasoned marketers and those just starting with Meta advertising.

This automation makes setting up time-based rules easier and more effective.

Time Rules with AdAmigo.ai

AdAmigo.ai takes time-based scheduling to the next level by using AI to continuously improve your ad performance. Users have reported a 20% boost in ROAS and a 15% drop in CPL within the first month. The platform works alongside your manual schedules, providing real-time insights to fine-tune results.

To get the most out of it:

• Allow 7-14 days for the AI to understand your audience.

• Check daily analytics and revisit your performance goals every month.

• Use the automated recommendations to adjust your schedule as needed.

Both the Starter and Professional plans include features designed to support your scheduling needs.

"AI recommendations are spot-on (…) It's like having an extra set of super-smart hands helping me hit my KPIs" - Sherwin S., G2 review

"83% ROAS improvement in the first week using their Recommendation tool!" - Joshua, TrustPilot review

These testimonials highlight how AI-driven scheduling can transform your campaign results.

Summary

Time-based rules in Meta Ads Manager provide automation tools that can help improve your campaign results. These rules adjust budgets automatically during peak times, ensuring your ads connect with audiences when engagement is highest.

Main Points

Creating effective time-based rules involves focusing on a few important aspects:

These tips can help refine your ad scheduling strategy.

Whether you're optimizing manually or using tools like AdAmigo.ai, focus on analyzing sales trends to identify when conversions are most likely. For instance, e-commerce brands often perform better on weekends, while B2B campaigns may see stronger results during standard work hours [9]. Regularly review metrics like ROAS and CPA to adjust your automation rules and improve efficiency over time.

Related posts

• Meta Ads Automation Guide: From Basics to Advanced

• 5 Common Meta Ads Mistakes and How to Fix Them

• Manual vs AI-Powered Facebook Ad Management

• How AI Adjusts Meta Ads in Real Time