What Is Budget Scheduling in Meta Ads?
Budget scheduling in Meta Ads refers to:
- Choosing Daily Budget or Lifetime Budget
- Deciding campaign duration
- Controlling when ads run (specific days or hours)
Meta then distributes your budget based on your chosen schedule and optimization goal.
Types of Budgets in Meta Ads
Meta Ads offers two main budget types:
1. Daily Budget
What it means
You set the average amount you want to spend per day.
Example:
- Daily Budget = ₹500
Meta tries to spend around ₹500 per day (some days may be slightly more or less).
Best for
- Always-on campaigns
- Lead generation
- Website traffic
- New testing campaigns
- Long-term ads
Pros
✔ Simple and flexible
✔ Easy to scale up or down
✔ Ideal for beginners
Cons
❌ Less control over exact total spend
2. Lifetime Budget
What it means
You set the total amount you want to spend over a fixed time period.
Example:
- Lifetime Budget = ₹10,000
- Campaign duration = 10 days
Meta spends the budget optimally across those 10 days.
Best for
- Short-term promotions
- Festival offers
- Event campaigns
- Product launches
- Limited-time sales
Pros
✔ Full control over total spend
✔ Allows ad scheduling (time & day control)
Cons
❌ Less flexible once set
❌ Budget changes can affect delivery
Ad Scheduling (Day & Time Control)
Ad scheduling (choosing specific days or hours) is available only with Lifetime Budget, not Daily Budget.
What Is Ad Scheduling?
Ad scheduling allows you to choose:
- Which days ads should run
- Which hours ads should appear
Example:
- Run ads only Monday–Friday
Run ads only 9 AM – 9 PM
When Should You Use Ad Scheduling?
Use ad scheduling when:
- Your business works only during fixed hours
- You want calls during office time
- You notice conversions only at certain times
- You run B2B ads (office hours work better)
You want to avoid late-night low-quality traffic
How to Set Budget Scheduling in Meta Ads
Step 1: Create a Campaign
Choose your objective (Leads, Traffic, Sales, etc.).
Step 2: Choose Budget Type
At campaign or ad set level, select:
- Daily Budget OR
- Lifetime Budget
Step 3: Set Campaign Duration
If Lifetime Budget is selected:
- Choose start date
- Choose end date
Step 4: Enable Ad Scheduling
(Only available for Lifetime Budget)
- Choose specific days
- Choose specific hours
Step 5: Publish Campaign
Meta automatically distributes the budget within your schedule.
Real-Life Examples
Example 1: Local Service Business
Business: AC Repair Service
Goal: Get calls during working hours
Setup:
- Budget Type: Lifetime
- Duration: 15 days
- Schedule: 9 AM – 8 PM only
Result:
- Fewer missed calls
- Better-quality leads
No wasted late-night budget
Best Practices for Budget Scheduling
✔ Start with the Daily Budget for new campaigns
✔ Use Lifetime Budget for short-term offers
✔ Use ad scheduling for call-based businesses
✔ Avoid too narrow time slots initially
✔ Let Meta learn for at least 3–5 days
✔ Increase budget slowly (20–30%)
✔ Monitor performance by time of day
✔ Align schedule with business hours