Schedule Meta ads in the ad set: set a start date, an end date and, optionally, the days and hours they run. To schedule changes such as pausing ads or raising budgets, use an automated rule with a custom schedule.
TL;DR
- Dates live in the ad set's Budget & schedule section. Meta requires an end date when you use a lifetime budget.
- New ads run only after review, which typically takes up to 24 hours, so schedule launches a day ahead.
- You can limit an ad set to chosen days and hours. Meta says a scheduled ad set must run for at least one hour.
- Scheduled hours follow your audience's time zone, so split campaigns by time zone when you need clean reporting.
- Automated rules with a custom schedule can turn ads off or on and change budgets at set times.
- Set schedules at launch rather than editing live ad sets often, because some edits restart learning.
Where to set each kind of schedule
| What you want | Where to set it | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Start ads on a future date | Ad set, Budget & schedule, start date | Or build the ad, leave it off and turn it on later |
| Stop ads on a set date | Ad set end date | Required with a lifetime budget |
| Run ads until you stop them | Daily budget with no end date | Runs until you turn it off |
| Run ads only on certain days and hours | The ad set's schedule options | At least one hour, in your audience's time zone |
| Pause, restart or change budgets at set times | Automated rules, Schedule, Custom | Up to 250 rules per ad account |
| Change a live schedule | Ad set, Edit, Budget & schedule | Some edits restart learning or trigger a new review |
How do I set a start and end date?
Start and end dates are set on the ad set. Meta's guide to changing an ad set's schedule lists the steps:
- In Ads Manager, click Ad sets and tick the ad set you want.
- Click Edit.
- In the Budget & schedule section, set the start date and time.
- Set an end date, or leave it open if you use a daily budget.
- Click Publish, or Close to save the changes and publish later.
A new ad becomes eligible to run after review, which typically takes up to 24 hours. If the start time arrives first, the ad starts once review ends. Meta also suggests a simple alternative: create the ad in advance, leave it off, and turn it on when you're ready.
The budget type changes what you must set. With a daily budget and no end date, the ad runs until you stop it. A lifetime budget needs an end date, as Meta's ad set API reference states.
Plan spend with Meta's budget rules in mind. A daily budget may spend up to 75% more on days with better opportunities, but no more than seven times the daily budget in a calendar week. Our guide on how to control your Facebook ad budget covers spending limits.
If an ad set has passed its end date, editing its ads shows error 1487007. Extend the end date first, then edit.
Let Madgicx's AI do the work
Its AI marketer finds what's working and prepares the next move. You approve.
Try for Free ($0 Trial)How do I run ads only at certain hours?
Meta lets you control not only the dates your ads run but also the times. Meta's help page on scheduling an ad set says this works with a lifetime or daily budget, and a scheduled ad set must run for at least one hour. In the ad set's schedule options, pick the days and hours you want.
Hour-by-hour scheduling helps when timing is part of the offer:
- Time-bound products: Meta's own examples are a breakfast brand shown only in the morning, or a show promoted near its start time.
- Live response: a call centre or live chat that is only staffed during working hours.
- Events and launches: building awareness in the days before a launch or premiere.
For most online sales, people buy at all hours, and fewer hours give Meta fewer chances to find buyers. Meta suggests checking Page Insights to see when your audience is most active. Our post on Meta campaign scheduling explains how to choose hours from your own results.
Meta notes that it controls when ads are delivered, not when people see them. A few people may see an ad shortly after your window closes.
Which time zone does Meta use for scheduled ads?
Meta says your ad appears in your audience's time zone. If you advertise across time zones and want to see how each one responds, Meta suggests a separate campaign for each time zone.
Tools that schedule ads through Meta's API can choose the viewer's time zone, which is the default, or the ad account's time zone. Both options appear in the ad set reference.
How do I schedule pauses and budget changes with automated rules?
Ad set schedules control delivery hours. To schedule actions, such as turning off a campaign every Friday, use automated rules in Ads Manager. Rules check your campaigns, ad sets or ads, then act or notify you when conditions are met. They apply at the ad account level, so they work whoever on your team builds the ads.
- In Ads Manager, go to Automated rules and create a rule.
- Choose whether it applies to campaigns, ad sets or ads. One rule covers one level.
- Choose the action. Meta's list of rule actions covers turning items off or on, sending a notification, adjusting budget or manual bid, and scaling budget or bid.
- Set the conditions that trigger the rule.
- In the Schedule section, select Custom and pick the days and times, as Meta's custom rule schedule steps show.
- Click Create.
For example, one rule can turn a promotion campaign off on Friday evening, and a second can turn it on again on Monday morning. Meta's limits on rules apply: up to 250 rules per ad account, including inactive ones, one of each condition per rule, and no rules on ads about social issues, elections or politics.
Rules are the simplest form of advertising automation. Meta still advises monitoring overall performance, so check what your rules did each week. For rule ideas beyond scheduling, see how to automate Facebook ads.
Will changing a schedule restart the learning phase?
Changing a schedule can restart learning or send an ad back to review. Meta notes that editing certain details of a campaign, ad set or ad may do either. Ad sets usually exit learning after about 50 results in the week after their last significant edit.
- Set dates and hours when you launch, not after the ad set has started learning.
- For a planned sale, build a separate sale campaign with its own dates instead of editing your evergreen ad sets.
- With a lifetime budget, you can set it for the whole campaign with Advantage+ campaign budget, formerly campaign budget optimization, or for each ad set, as Meta's lifetime budget page explains.
Our guide to the Facebook learning phase explains which edits count as significant.
Where Madgicx fits
Madgicx helps once your schedules are running. You can set automation rules and alerts on your Meta ad account, so pauses and budget changes follow the limits you choose. Its AI chat can also pause ads or change budgets for you, but only after you approve each change. Cross-channel reports and dashboards show how scheduled campaigns did across Meta, Google Ads, TikTok and Klaviyo, and you can share them by link or PDF.
FAQ
Can you schedule Facebook ads to start at a specific time?
Yes, Facebook ads can start at a specific date and time set in the ad set's Budget & schedule section. The ad must pass review first, which typically takes up to 24 hours.
Can I schedule Facebook ads without a lifetime budget?
Yes, Meta's help page says an ad set can run on a schedule of days and times with either a lifetime or a daily budget. A lifetime budget always needs an end date.
Why are my scheduled Facebook ads not running?
Scheduled Facebook ads usually don't run because they are still in review, the start date hasn't arrived, or the campaign or ad set is turned off. Also check Ads Manager for rejected ads and payment problems.
Do Facebook ads run in the viewer's time zone?
Yes, Meta says a scheduled ad appears in your audience's time zone. To compare results by region, Meta suggests a separate campaign for each time zone.
How do I turn off Facebook ads on weekends automatically?
Automated rules with a custom schedule can turn Facebook ads off on Friday and on again on Monday. Use two rules: one with the turn off action and one with the turn on action.
What does error 1487007 mean in Ads Manager?
Error 1487007 means you tried to edit an ad in an ad set that has reached its end date. Extend the ad set's end date in Budget & schedule, then edit the ad.
Can I schedule ads in the Meta Ads Manager app?
Yes, the Meta Ads Manager app lets you view and change a campaign's schedule: tap the campaign, tap Edit, then tap Schedule or Budget and schedule. If Schedule is missing, you may not have permission to edit that campaign.
Related
- Meta campaign scheduling, in depth
- How to control your Facebook ad budget, the Facebook learning phase and campaign budget optimization
- Answers: How to automate Facebook ads and How automated Facebook ads work
- Guide: Facebook ads automation
Sources
- About scheduling ads, Meta Business Help Center
- Schedule an ad set in Meta Ads Manager, Meta Business Help Center
- Change the schedule of an ad set, Meta Business Help Center
- How to change a campaign schedule in the Ads Manager app, Meta Business Help Center
- About budgets, Meta Business Help Center
- About lifetime budgets, Meta Business Help Center
- Ad set reference, Meta Marketing API documentation
- About automated rules in Meta Ads Manager, Meta Business Help Center
- About actions for automated rules, Meta Business Help Center
- Set a custom automated rule schedule, Meta Business Help Center
- Limits to automated rules, Meta Business Help Center
- About the learning phase, Meta Business Help Center
