Most advertisers chase clicks and conversions. But when your goal is to build long-term brand recognition and assess the effectiveness of your creative, you need a smarter metric. That’s where Ad Recall Lift comes in—Meta’s performance metric designed to measure how many people remember your ad within two days of seeing it.

Ad Recall Lift is not only crucial for branding campaigns, but also for testing the quality and impact of your ads. If your ad is forgettable, chances are it’s also ineffective. With this guide, you’ll discover what Ad Recall Lift is, why it’s important, how to set it up, and how to use it in strategic ways—both in regular campaigns and Meta’s advanced Experiments tool.

Ad Recall Lift estimates the number of people who are likely to remember seeing your ad if asked within two days. It’s not based on clicks or engagements. Instead, it relies on modeled data, behavioral signals, and in some cases, Facebook surveys (e.g. “Do you recall seeing an ad for Brand X?”).

You can measure Ad Recall Lift using three key metrics:

What it means: The number of people likely to remember seeing your ad within two days.

Example: If your campaign has a reach of 10,000 people and 700 are estimated to remember your ad, that’s your recall lift.

Use it for: Measuring the effectiveness of your ad creative in making a lasting impression.

What it means: The percentage of people reached who are likely to recall your ad.

Example: A 7% lift rate means 7 out of every 100 people reached will likely remember your ad.

Use it for: Comparing the memorability of different creatives or campaigns.

What it means: The average cost to reach one person who’s likely to recall your ad.

Example: If you spend $350 and 700 people are estimated to recall your ad, your cost per recall is $0.50.

Use it for: Evaluating cost-efficiency in building brand awareness.

Ad Recall Lift is most valuable when your campaign goal isn’t direct response (like clicks or sales) but long-term brand-building and message retention.

It helps answer:

• Is your creative memorable?

• Is your message sticking with the audience?

• Is your brand top of mind for future action?

When to use it:

• Launching a new brand, product, or service

• Running top-of-funnel awareness or engagement campaigns

• Testing the quality of creative assets without focusing on short-term performance

Campaign Setup:

• Objective: Awareness

• Performance Goal: Maximize Ad Recall Lift

• Creative Tips:

  • Use eye-catching visuals and emotionally resonant storytelling

  • Short-form video often performs best

  • Reinforce your brand message early in the ad

• Frequency Tips: Aim for a frequency between 1.5 to 3 to avoid forgettable or fatiguing content

What to expect:

• Recall rates of 5–15% are typical

• Use cost per recall as a benchmark across campaigns—not just a fixed target

You can run an Ad Recall Lift test in Meta’s Experiments tool. This differs from a basic A/B test in Ads Manager:

Why use Experiments:

• Scientifically measures brand impact

• Uses surveys to validate whether ads were remembered

• Great for large-scale, statistically confident decisions

Why use Awareness Campaign + Ad Recall Goal:

• Ideal for limited budgets

• Lets you test with your actual audience

• More control over your campaign and targeting

Ad Recall Lift isn’t the end—it’s your warm-up. Use it to build brand memory, then follow up with performance.

How to activate the strategy:

1. Run a campaign optimized for Ad Recall Lift
2. Build a custom audience from viewers (e.g., video views or post engagement)
3. Retarget them with a lead generation or conversion campaign

Why it works:

• Warm audiences are more likely to convert
• Lower cost-per-conversion
• Higher ROAS due to better awareness

• A/B test ad creatives using recall metrics to identify top performers

• Use Ad Recall Lift as a secondary validation metric alongside engagement

• Combine with frequency capping and smart placements to reduce fatigue and boost impact

If brand growth is your goal, Ad Recall Lift is your metric.

It’s not about clicks. It’s not about conversions. It’s about what sticks—and who will remember you when it’s time to buy.

Use it wisely to:

• • Test creatives

  • Build brand memory

  • Lay the foundation for long-term performance

Meta’s Standard Event Metrics go beyond basic ad performance and help advertisers track what actually matters: user actions. These events give you a clear view of customer behavior—from submitting a form to making a purchase. Whether you run an eCommerce store, SaaS platform, app, or service business, standard events help you measure what success looks like.

Here’s a breakdown of key standard events in Ads Manager, including what each one means and how you can use them to improve results.

• Adds to Cart / Wishlist / Payment Info – Shows how users are moving through the purchase funnel. More adds to cart = strong interest; fewer adds of payment info = checkout friction.

• Checkouts Initiated – A sign of bottom-funnel intent. Someone is about to buy.

• Purchases – Final sale events. You can track total count, purchase value, and cost per purchase.

• Purchase ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) – How much revenue you made for each dollar spent on ads. Key profitability metric.

• App Installs / Activations – Tracks downloads and first opens.

• In-App Ad Clicks / Impressions – Useful for monetized apps with ads.

• Trials Started / Subscriptions – Measures SaaS or subscription-based performance.

• Mobile App D2/D7 Retention – Retention after 2 or 7 days. Important for growth teams.

• Applications Submitted / Appointments Scheduled – Ideal for service businesses and universities.

• Contact / Leads / Phone Number Clicks – Tracks when someone reaches out or taps to call.

• Landing Page Views – Visitors who actually wait for the page to load.

• Registrations Completed – Event-based sign-ups (e.g., webinar, event, account creation).

• Get Directions Clicks / Location Searches – Good for local businesses or multi-location chains.
• Orders Created / Shipped – Tracks full eCommerce fulfillment pipeline.
• Custom Events – Events that don’t fall under Meta’s default set—flexible and highly specific to your product.

Each event can have three columns:

• Total – Number of times the event happened.

• Value – Monetary value tied to the event (e.g., purchase amount).

• Cost – Average cost to get that event to happen.

🧠 Why it matters: This helps you understand ROI and see where budget goes—e.g., if you’re paying more to get a trial than it’s worth.

Standard events turn raw performance into insights that matter. Whether your ad led to a purchase, install, or form submission, tracking these events helps you make smarter decisions. Once you understand your cost per event and ROAS, you can optimize campaigns that drive growth—not just engagement.

If you’re running video ads on Meta (Facebook and Instagram), success isn’t just about views. You need to know how long people are watching, where they’re dropping off, and which videos are actually getting attention. Meta provides a rich set of video performance metrics to help you analyze viewer behavior in detail. Here’s your simple guide to understanding each metric—and how to use it to create better content that performs.

• Video Plays – Any time a video begins to play, even for a second.

• 2-Second Continuous Video Plays – When a video is watched continuously for 2 seconds or more.

• 3-Second Video Plays – Considered a more qualified view; the video played for at least 3 seconds.

• ThruPlays – When a video ad is watched to completion (if under 15 seconds) or for at least 15 seconds (if longer). This is one of Meta’s most important video ad benchmarks.

🧠 Use these to compare video hook strength and early engagement.

• Video Plays at 25%, 50%, 75%, 95%, 100% – Tracks how many people watched a quarter, half, three-quarters, almost all, or the full video.

• Video Average Play Time – The average number of seconds viewers spent watching the video.

🧠 Use this to identify which part of your video loses viewers—and where it holds attention.

• Cost per ThruPlay – How much it costs to get a ThruPlay.

• Cost per 2-Second Continuous Play / Cost per 3-Second Play – Measures how much you’re spending for very short but valid views.

🧠 Use this to track cost efficiency of video engagement—not just impressions.

If your video is part of an Instant Experience ad (full-screen format), Meta tracks video activity inside that immersive space:

• Instant Experience View Time – Total time spent watching video inside the experience.

• Instant Experience View Percentage – What percentage of the Instant Experience was viewed.

• Instant Experience Reach – Number of people who saw your Instant Experience.

• Instant Experience Impressions – Total number of times it was shown (can be higher due to repeat views).

🧠 Use these to evaluate storytelling ads, product walkthroughs, or catalog previews inside Instant Experience.

Video metrics give you more than a view count—they show how people are reacting to your content, how long they stick around, and whether your message hits home. By tracking metrics like ThruPlays, average watch time, and percentage watched, you can refine your video strategy, improve storytelling, and maximize your ad spend.

In the world of Meta advertising, not every campaign is about website clicks or purchases. Sometimes, the goal is simple: start a conversation. Whether you’re using Messenger for sales, support, or bookings, Meta provides a set of unique Messaging and Calling Metrics to help you track these interactions. This blog breaks them down in easy language, so you know exactly what each number means and how to use it to improve your results.

If you’re running a click-to-call Messenger campaign, these metrics track real-time calls and user actions:

• 20-second Messenger Calls – Calls that lasted more than 20 seconds. A sign of serious engagement.

• 60-second Messenger Calls – Even deeper engagement. These are calls with longer conversations.

• Messenger Calls Placed – The number of users who tapped the call button and placed a call via Messenger.

• Callback Requests Submitted – How many users asked to be called back (often via a form or button).

• Estimated Call Confirmation Clicks – Number of people who clicked to confirm they wanted to talk to you after viewing a prompt.

🧠 Why it matters: Longer or confirmed calls often mean real interest. These metrics are great for service-based businesses, education leads, or high-ticket sales that require real conversations.

Messaging ads are designed to spark conversations in Messenger, Instagram Direct, or WhatsApp. These are the key metrics that show how well those conversations are going:

• Messaging Conversations Started – Number of new chats initiated from your ad.

• New Messaging Contacts – First-time users who contacted you from your ad.

• Returning Messaging Contacts – People who’ve messaged you before and engaged again.

• Messaging Conversations Replied – Number of times users replied after your initial message.

• Messaging Contacts – Total people who’ve contacted you through messaging ads.

• Welcome Message Views – How many users saw your auto-response or welcome message.

• Messaging Subscriptions – How many opted into messaging updates (great for remarketing).

These metrics show how much you’re spending per action:

• Cost per Messaging Contact – How much it costs to get one new contact via message.

• Cost per Messaging Subscription – Cost to get someone to subscribe to your updates.

• Cost per Messaging Conversation Started – The average cost to start a new conversation.

• Cost per New Messaging Contact – Cost to acquire a brand new user through Messenger.

• Cost per Returning Messaging Contact – What it costs to re-engage someone who has messaged before.

🧠 Why it matters: These help you understand what it costs to generate leads or support users via chat instead of landing pages.

Blocks – Number of users who blocked your page after interacting. High block rate = red flag!

Meta’s calling and messaging metrics are essential if your strategy involves direct communication instead of traditional conversions. From tracking who messaged you, how long they talked, and what it cost—you’ll gain better insight into how conversations drive business. Use these metrics to optimize your approach, train your team, and scale real-time connection campaigns that convert.

If you’re running ads on Facebook or Instagram, you’ve probably seen lots of numbers and terms in Ads Manager. It can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re not a data expert. But don’t worry! This guide breaks down the Meta Ad Settings Metrics in plain English. These aren’t performance numbers like clicks or sales—they explain how your ad is set up, who it’s reaching, and what it’s trying to do. Let’s go step by step.

Every ad lives inside a structure: Account → Campaign → Ad Set → Ad. These metrics help you track where your ad belongs.

• Account Name/ID – The advertising account paying for the ad.

• Campaign Name/ID – The big goal (like “Promote Summer Sale”).

• Ad Set Name/ID – Defines the budget, schedule, and audience.

• Ad Name/ID – The actual post/image/video people will see.

• Tags – Optional labels you add to keep things organized.

Why it matters: Helps you identify your ads and sort reports easily.

These settings tell you the timing of your ads.

• Start and End Dates – When your ad is scheduled to begin and stop.

• Reporting Dates – The time period being analyzed in reports.

• Date Created / Last Edited – Shows when the ad was made or changed.

• Time Elapsed % – What portion of the ad’s total schedule has passed.

Why it matters: Helps you know how fresh or active your campaign is.

This section is all about your money and timing strategy.

• Budget – How much you’ve set to spend (daily or total).

• Bid Strategy – Whether you’re letting Meta choose the price or setting limits.

• Schedule / Ad Schedule – Which days or times your ad will show.

• Amount Spent % – How much of your budget has been used.

• Campaign Spending Limit – The max you’ll allow for a campaign.

• Budget Remaining – What’s left to spend.

• Objective – What you want (more sales, website visits, etc.).

• Conversion Location – Where you want people to take action (like on your website or in Messenger).

• Buying Type – Auction (bidding) or reservation (fixed placement).

Why it matters: Keeps your costs under control and your goals clear.

These settings define your audience.

• Age / Gender / Location – Who you want to show your ads to.

• Included Custom Audiences – Groups you’ve saved or created (like website visitors).

• Excluded Custom Audiences – People you don’t want to show ads to (like past buyers).

Why it matters: Better targeting = better results + lower cost.

This tells you what’s inside your ad.

• Headline / Body – The title and message.

• Link / Destination – Where you’re sending people.

• Page Name – Which Facebook or Instagram Page is posting the ad.

• Preview Link – A live view of how your ad looks.

Why it matters: Good copy + creative = more clicks and conversions.

Tracking helps you see what happens after someone clicks your ad.

• Meta Pixel – Tracks actions on your website.

• App Events – Tracks what users do inside your app.

• Offline Events – Tracks sales that happen in-store or over the phone.

• URL Parameters – Extra info added to links for tools like Google Analytics.

Why it matters: Without tracking, you won’t know if your ads are working.

These settings tell Meta how to deliver your ad.

• Optimization Event – What Meta is optimizing for (e.g., leads, purchases).

• Cost per Optimization Event – What it costs you to get that result.

• Last Significant Edit – When you last changed something important (like targeting or budget), which can reset learning.

Why it matters: Helps Meta show your ad to the right people at the right time.

Meta Ad Settings Metrics may not tell you if your ad is “winning,” but they show you how it’s built, how it’s running, and who it’s reaching. Understanding these will help you take control of your strategy, spot problems early, and make smarter decisions.