How to Automate Meta Ad Copy Testing with Leadpages Routines

You're running a Meta ad that performs well, so naturally you want to keep testing new copy against it. But between managing campaigns, checking results, and everything else you have on your plate, writing those variations to test can easily fall to the bottom of your to-do list.

That's where the Meta creative optimizer comes in. This Leadpages routine checks your Meta ads on a schedule that you choose, identifies your top performers, and drafts new versions of copy for you to test. We call these new versions challengers.

You still decide which ads to test, and the routine won't publish anything to Meta without your approval.

Log into your Leadpages account, then open Routines to set up your Meta creative optimizer. Not on Leadpages yet? Start a free trial today.

Here's a look at how to set up the Meta creative optimizer

Before you get started

You'll need two things in place before setting up the routine:

1. A connected Meta Ads account. The routine needs access to the ad account you want it to review in order to identify top performers and prepare new copy to test.
2. Ads with recent activity. The routine looks at ads that were delivered in the past 7 days. If none of your ads have been running during that time, it won't have a winner to use as a starting point.

Set up the Meta creative optimizer in six steps

01: Start a new routine

In your Leadpages dashboard, go to Routines and start a new one.

02: Pick Meta creative optimizer

Under What should it do?, choose Meta creative optimizer. You'll see a short description of what it does, which includes finding your top performing Meta ads and drafting challenger copy for each. It also confirms that nothing goes live without your approval so your existing live ads won't be changed.

03: Name your routine

Give your routine a name that you'll recognize later. You can keep the default or use something more specific, like "Fall campaign creative tests."

04: Pick a schedule

Choose how often the routine should run. Once a week is a good starting point, giving your ads time to gather results between runs. You can also choose which day it runs, such as Monday.

05: Set the time and timezone

Choose a time and timezone for your routine, and Leadpages displays a summary of your schedule beneath, so you can double-check when it'll run. Keep in mind that runs start about 12 minutes past the hour.

06: Choose where updates go

Add up to 20 email addresses, pick a Slack channel, or both, so you know when new content is ready for your review. Click Create routine and you're all set. You'll land on the routine page, where you can see your schedule and next run date.

How the Meta creative optimizer works

Once your routine is up and running, here's what happens:

• It looks at your top performers. The routine reviews ads that received delivery in the past 7 days and uses the strongest performers as the starting point for new copy.
• It gives you new angles to test. Each challenger offers a variation on your existing ad copy, giving you another way to reach your audience without starting from scratch.
• You decide what goes live. Review each challenger and choose whether to add it to Meta. New ads are added switched off, and your existing live ads stay untouched.
• Your budget stays the same. Each new ad goes into the same ad set as the original, sharing its existing budget.
• You get notified when there's something to review. The routine sends updates to your email or Slack, depending on how you set it up.

Review your challengers

When new copy is ready, you'll see it on the My Routines page. Open your routine and take a look.

Find your latest run

Scroll down to Activity. Each run gets its own row, and the latest one is open by default. It shows how many ads the run checked from the last 7 days and how many credits it used.

Compare the original with the new copy

The Ad running now panel shows the original ad. Beside it, you'll find the challenger, labeled with the type of change it makes, such as New opening line.

The changed copy is highlighted, making it easy to spot what's different.

Understand the thinking behind each version

Each ad comes with a brief explanation of why it might perform well. For the original, that could mean pointing to its conversion performance compared with other ads in the campaign. For the challenger, the explanation highlights what might make the new approach more effective, like opening with a familiar frustration instead of an instruction.

These explanations give you context for the suggested changes as you decide which ones are worth testing.

Compare options

If there's more than one challenger for an ad, switch between them with the Option tabs at the top.

Choose which challengers to test

Found a version you like? Select Add to Meta. If a challenger isn't right for your campaign, select Skip instead.

Any challenger you add goes into the original ad set with its status switched off. When you're ready to test it, turn it on in Ads Manager. It shares the existing ad set budget, so you don't need to increase your budget to add the test.

Once you've reviewed everything, select Mark all reviewed to clear the list.

Turn it on and track the results

Turn on the challengers you added in Ads Manager, then come back to the routine to see how each test is doing. From there, you can monitor how they perform against your original ads and use those results to guide your next round of testing.

Want a hand setting up your first Meta creative optimizer? Book a walkthrough.

Not a customer yet? Start a free trial.

Easily manage your routine

• Want results sooner? Hit Run now.
• Need a different schedule? Use Edit.
• Taking a break from ads? Pause the routine anytime.

What the Meta creative optimizer is for

Testing new copy against a winning ad is the step that's easiest to let slip. The Meta creative optimizer routine takes care of the drafting on a schedule, so you'll always have fresh copy lined up to test against your best ads, and your part is deciding which challengers are worth a shot.

What stays in your hands

• You choose the ad account it works on, how often and when it runs, and where updates go.
• Nothing goes to Meta until you click Add to Meta.
• It never changes an ad that's already live.
• New ads arrive switched off. You decide when to turn them on in Ads Manager.
• Your budget doesn't change. A new ad shares its ad set's existing budget.
• You can run the routine on demand, edit it, or pause it anytime.

Common questions

What's the Meta creative optimizer? The Meta creative optimizer is a Leadpages routine that reviews your Meta ads on a schedule you choose, identifies top performers, and drafts new copy, called challengers, for you to test against them.

What do I need before setting up the Meta creative optimizer? Before setting up the Meta creative optimizer, you'll need a connected Meta Ads account and ads that received delivery in the past 7 days. Without recent ad activity, the routine won't have a winner to work from.

Will the Meta creative optimizer change my live Meta ads? No, the Meta creative optimizer won't change your live Meta ads. Nothing is added to Meta until you select Add to Meta, and any new ads are added as switched off.

Will the Meta creative optimizer increase my ad spend? No, the Meta creative optimizer won't increase your ad spend. New ads are added to the same ad set as the original and share its existing budget, even when you turn them on.

How often should I run the Meta creative optimizer? You can start by running the Meta creative optimizer once a week. This gives your ads time to collect results between runs, so the routine has recent performance data to work with.

How will I know when new copy is ready to review? You'll know when new copy is ready by receiving a notification by email, Slack, or both, depending on your settings. You can also find new challengers on the My Routines page.

Why didn't my Meta creative optimizer run at the exact scheduled time? Your Meta creative optimizer starts its scheduled runs about 12 minutes past the hour, so a short delay between the scheduled time and the actual run is expected.

Can I run the Meta creative optimizer before its next scheduled run? Yes, you can run the Meta creative optimizer manually at any time before its next scheduled run. Open the routine and select Run now. You can also edit its schedule or pause it whenever you need to.

This is just one part of our Routines series. If you haven't set up a routine before, try starting with how to automate weekly marketing performance reports for the basics.

Thank you for building with us. Log into your Leadpages account and set up your Meta creative optimizer. New to Leadpages? Start a free trial.