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How to Schedule a Future Ad

Whenever you create a new ad in Ads Manager, you have complete control over if and when it launches to Facebook. If you want to create an ad now but launch to Facebook at a future date, follow the instructions below.

This article assumes that you know how to either create a new ad or edit a draft ad. If you don't, go back and view those articles first.

1. Go to Launch Parameters

The field in which you'll set your Facebook ad duration is located on the Launch Parameters screen.

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You'll arrive at this screen in different ways depending on whether you're creating a brand-new ad or editing an existing draft:

  • If you are creating a new ad, then you'll go through the first steps and click "Generate Ad." Then you'll complete these four screens, ending up on Launch Parameters as your last step. (View the entire process of creating a new ad here.)
  • If you are editing an existing ad, then you'll first need to find the ad you want to schedule by searching in the section for "Your Team Ads." Then click "Edit" to be brought to these pages, including Launch Parameters. (Learn more about filtering ads and editing draft ads.)

2. Set Your Ad Run Time

On the Launch Parameters page, you can schedule a future ad by simply entering a start date of any time in the future. It could be a few days from now or even a few weeks or months.

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In general, we recommend an ad campaign duration of at least one month in order to see the best traction on Facebook. The minimum duration is 14 days.

3. Click "Launch Ad"

Once you've set your run time and the other required Launch Parameters, the button for "Launch Ad" will turn green, indicating that is has become active.

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Clicking "Launch Ad" will bring you to the following page, where you'll confirm that your ad is ready for launch. Click "Launch Ad" again to complete the process of scheduling your future ad.

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4. Monitor Pending Ads in "Your Team Ads"

Once you've launched an ad that is scheduled for the future, that ad will be marked with the status of "Pending."

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Under "Your Team Ads" at the bottom of your Ads Manager dashboard, you can quickly scan for the "Pending" tag as shown above, or you can use the ads search filters to only show pending ads. 

Important Note: Scheduling an Ad vs. Saving a Draft

Please note that if you schedule a future ad in this way, you will not be able to substantially edit your ad in PSAI after you've clicked "Launch Ad." (You will be able to rename the campaign and edit SMS/email lead notifications, but not much more.)

If you aren't 100% sure about your ad's design, copy, or imagery and might like to change these aspects before going live, then it may be best to save your ad as a draft rather than to officially schedule it and click "Launch Ad."

To save your ad as a draft at any point, all you have to do is click "Save Draft."

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In the same way that "Pending" ads are displayed under the section for "Your Team Ads," draft ads are saved with the status "Draft." 

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You can edit a draft ad at any time and launch it (or schedule a launch) on Facebook. Learn more about editing a draft ad here.