Performing a Meta Ads Audit (formerly Facebook & Instagram Ads) is essential for optimizing ad performance, improving ROI, and ensuring alignment with your business objectives. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to perform a comprehensive Meta Ads audit:

📊 1. Review Campaign Structure
Are campaigns organized logically? (e.g., by funnel stage, product, audience segment)

Is campaign objective aligned with goals? (e.g., conversions vs. traffic vs. brand awareness)

✅ Best Practice: Use naming conventions for easy tracking and management.

🎯 2. Check Targeting and Audience Segments
Are you testing multiple audience types? (Lookalikes, custom audiences, interests, broad)

Are you excluding overlapping audiences to prevent cannibalization?

Is frequency too high? (Frequency > 3 may signal fatigue)

✅ Tip: Use Audience Insights and A/B testing to refine segments.

🧠 3. Analyze Ad Creative & Copy
Is creative tailored for each platform (FB vs IG vs Reels)?

Are you using scroll-stopping visuals and clear CTAs?

Are you running creative fatigue checks?

✅ Tool: Use Meta's "Ad Relevance Diagnostics" for feedback on quality, engagement, and conversion ranking.

💰 4. Evaluate Budget Allocation
Are budgets aligned with top-performing campaigns or audiences?

Is CBO (Campaign Budget Optimization) or ABO (Ad Set Budget Optimization) used appropriately?

Any signs of budget constraints limiting delivery?

✅ Recommendation: Shift budget to highest ROAS ad sets while testing new creatives.

📈 5. Check Performance Metrics
Focus on:

CTR (Click-Through Rate): <1% may need creative or targeting improvements.

CPM (Cost per 1,000 Impressions): Gauge competitiveness.

CPC (Cost per Click): Monitor rising trends.

ROAS (Return on Ad Spend): Primary profitability measure.

Conversion Rate: Ensure your landing page supports the ad promise.

✅ Tip: Compare week-over-week and month-over-month performance to find trends.

⚙️ 6. Inspect Pixel and Conversion Events
Is Meta Pixel properly firing on all conversion events?

Are events prioritized correctly in Events Manager?

Are offline events or API integrations in place?

✅ Tool: Use Meta Pixel Helper (Chrome extension) for quick checks.

🧪 7. Assess A/B Testing and Learning Phase
Are you running active A/B tests?

Are campaigns frequently stuck in the learning phase?

✅ Fix: Consolidate low-volume ad sets or pause underperforming variants to exit learning.

📋 8. Review Compliance & Policy Violations
Any disapproved ads or policy warnings?

Is copy in compliance with Meta's Advertising Standards?

✅ Check: Go to Account Quality in Business Manager.

🔍 9. Audit Landing Pages
Do they load fast and match ad messaging?

Is the user journey seamless from click to conversion?

✅ Test: Use mobile-first experience checks and heatmaps (e.g., Hotjar).

🧾 10. Report & Action Plan
Summarize findings by section (structure, creative, performance, etc.)

List action items with timelines

Track changes in a shared doc or dashboard

✅ Tool Suggestion: Google Data Studio or Supermetrics for live Meta ad reporting.