Budget bid strategy won't spend targeted amount

A budget bid strategy optimizes budgets and bids to spend the targeted amount and any custom amounts. Sometimes, a budget bid strategy can't do both. This means that budget bid strategy will overspend or underspend, or even stop spending.

Budget strategy will overspend or underspend

The custom allocations that remain in the plan will prevent the budget bid strategy from spending to match the desired amount because the budget strategy will set budgets and bids to spend each remaining custom amount and sacrifice the plan's budget.

If there's a conflict between remaining custom allocations and the amount targeted in a budget plan, a health card notifies you that you should adjust or remove remaining custom allocations to allow the budget bid strategy to spend the budget optimally.

Recommendation: Adjust the plan's budget or remove the remaining custom allocations.

How to fix the issue: Edit the target spend or custom allocations in the budget plan

1. Navigate to the budget bid strategy.

   Steps for navigating to a budget bid strategy

   1. Navigate to an advertiser.

   2. In the left navigation panel, click Bid strategies.

      The Greek letter  Δ is appended to budget bid strategy names in the Bid strategy column.

      To view only budget bid strategies on the "Bid strategy" tab:

      1. Click the arrow ▼ next to View to display a list of predefined and custom reports.
      2. Click Budget bid strategy performance.
   3. Click the name of the budget bid strategy.
2. Above the tabs, click View all plans.
   Search Ads 360 displays the Budget plans tab.

3. Select the checkbox of the running plan.

4. Click the Edit ▼ menu, and then click Edit details.
   The budget plan editor opens.
5. In the left navigation, click View pacing and allocations.
6. Do either of the following:
   • In the allocation table, remove any remaining custom allocations.
   • Under "Target spend", specify a different amount.
7. Optional. Change other settings in the plan.
8. In the left navigation, click Review plan details, and then click Save.

Entire budget spent before end of plan

The budget bid strategy spent the entire budget before the end of the plan. The budget bid strategy will reduce spending severely.  If you want your campaigns to run for the length of the budget plan, increase the budget. If you want to wait until the next plan starts, you aren't required to change anything in either plan.

How to fix the issue: Edit the budget plan to increase the budget

1. Navigate to the budget bid strategy.

   Steps for navigating to a budget bid strategy

   1. Navigate to an advertiser.

   2. In the left navigation panel, click Bid strategies.

      The Greek letter  Δ is appended to budget bid strategy names in the Bid strategy column.

      To view only budget bid strategies on the Bid strategy tab:

      1. Click the arrow ▼ next to View to display a list of predefined and custom reports.
      2. Click Budget bid strategy performance.
   3. Click the name of the budget bid strategy.
2. Above the tabs, click View all plans.
   Search Ads 360 displays the "Budget plans" tab.

3. Select the checkbox of the running plan.

4. Click the Edit ▼ menu, and then click Edit details.
   The budget plan editor opens.
5. In the left navigation, click View pacing and allocations.
6. Under "Target spend", specify a larger amount.
7. Optional. Change other settings in the plan.
8. In the left navigation, click Review plan details, and then click Save.