Ad Configurations
Set up audience types, targeting, locations, CTAs, and lead forms once per workspace so every playbook deploys with the right settings automatically.
Ad Configuration is where each workspace's targeting lives: audience types, geographic radius, custom audiences, call-to-action URLs, and lead forms. When a playbook deploys, it pulls these settings from the workspace automatically, so there is no per-campaign setup. Set it up once, keep the status dots green, and every campaign launches with the right targeting.
Throughout this guide we follow Paul's Yoga Studio, one location getting its Ad Configuration ready to launch playbooks.
Who sets what
Hub admins create the audience types and set the network-wide Default baseline, and can lock fields so every location stays on brand. Workspace owners fill in their own location, radius, CTA, and lead form. Whether a workspace can edit these fields depends on its Paid Ads Management permission (see Permissions below).
How The Table Is Organized
Open it directly at studio.flamel.ai/paid/configuration, or from the sidebar under Social Media Ads > Configuration. The page has three things to know:
- Tabs across the top:
Defaultplus one tab per audience type. - A status dot on each tab: green means the location is set, red means it is missing. A red dot blocks deployment for that audience type.
- Collapsible sections within each tab (Demographics, Custom Audiences, Custom Locations, Call to Action, Lead Capture, and more).
The Default tab is the baseline every campaign inherits. Each audience-type tab overrides only the fields you fill in; anything you leave blank falls back to Default.
Hub Admins: Create Audience Types And The Default Baseline
Create the audience types you will use
Click Manage Audience Types next to the audience tabs. Name them by strategy (for example Core Customer, Lookalike, 90 Day Website Visitors), never generically (avoid Type 1, Test). Add a one-line description, since workspaces see it when they pick an audience. Start with 2 to 3 types: each new one adds setup work for every workspace.
Configure the Default tab
The Default tab sets the baseline targeting every campaign inherits unless an audience type overrides it. Fill in each section: Demographics, Custom Audiences, Languages, Advanced Targeting, Custom Locations (or Cities / Zip Codes / Countries), Call to Action, and Lead Capture.
Keep the Default age range wide
The Default age range constrains every campaign in the network. Set it wide here, then narrow it per audience type only where a tighter range makes sense.
Override only what differs per audience type
On each audience tab, override only the fields that should differ from Default. Anything left empty inherits the Default value. Typical examples:
- Core / ideal customer: your default segment, built from the demographics, locations, and interests of the customer you most want to reach.
- Lookalike: a 1 to 3 percent lookalike that finds new people who resemble your existing customers.
- Retargeting: a pixel-based audience of people who already visited your site or engaged with you.
Set the per-workspace row
For each workspace, complete its location, audience, URL, and lead-form values. This is the main onboarding step for a new franchisee, and it is the same flow a workspace owner follows below.
When to Enable Advantage+
Advantage+ is Meta's AI-driven targeting that expands beyond your defined audiences.
- Enable it when the objective is conversions, when you want Meta to expand beyond your audiences, or when you are testing new markets.
- Skip it when you have strict geographic requirements, when the campaign is a special category (housing, credit, employment), or when you have a small, well-defined audience you do not want to dilute.
Set Up a Workspace, Step By Step
This is the core flow. Paul follows it to get his studio ready to launch.
Before you start
Confirm your Meta ad account and Facebook Page are connected in Connected Accounts. Ad Configuration only works on a connected workspace.
Set your location first
Open the Default tab, expand Custom Locations, and add your business address with a radius suited to your market: 5 to 10 miles for urban, 15 to 25 for suburban, 25 to 50 for rural. This is required before any campaign can deploy.
Paul adds his studio address with a 10 mile radius.
Location is required
Every audience tab needs a valid location before campaigns launch. If a tab still shows a red dot, finish its location before you opt into a playbook.
Set Demographics
Set the Age Min / Max (13 to 65) and Gender (All, Men, or Women). Start wide and narrow only when a playbook calls for it.
Paul sets 18 to 55, all genders.
Sync and pick Custom Audiences
Under Custom Audiences, click Sync Audiences to pull the latest lists from Meta (based on the workspace's Facebook Page), then include or exclude the relevant ones, such as lookalikes or website-visitor audiences.
Paul includes his website-visitor lookalike.
Fill in the Call to Action
Paste the destination page in Website URL. If you want a different visible link, set the Display URL.
Paul uses paulsyogastudio.com/join as the destination and paulsyogastudio.com as the display URL.
Attach a lead form (if needed)
If the playbook uses lead generation, open Lead Capture, click Sync Forms, and pick the correct Meta Instant Form. For Messenger-objective playbooks, select the Messenger Template too.
Paul picks his "Free Class Pass" form.
Fill in the rest as needed
The settings above are the essentials. Complete the optional sections only if they are part of your strategy: Languages (locale targeting), Advanced Targeting (interests and behaviors, used sparingly since over-targeting shrinks reach), and Cities / Zip Codes / Countries (alternative location fields most workspaces skip in favor of Custom Locations).
Review each audience tab
Open the remaining audience tabs and override only the fields that truly need local changes. Anything left blank inherits from Default. Paul leaves his tabs inheriting Default, except he widens the age range on his Lookalike tab.
Confirm every tab is green
Make sure every tab shows a green status dot. A red dot means Custom Locations is still missing for that audience type, and campaigns on it will not deploy until you fix it.
Save behavior
Most sections autosave when you click away. Custom Locations sometimes needs an explicit save. Refresh the page after large changes to confirm everything persisted.
Field Reference
| Section | What it does |
|---|---|
| Demographics | Age Min / Max accepts 13 to 65. Gender is All, Men, or Women. Start wide; narrow only when a playbook targets a tighter range. |
| Custom Audiences | Include or exclude Meta custom audiences (CRM uploads, lookalikes, website visitors). Click Sync Audiences to pull the latest from Meta. |
| Languages | Locale targeting. Leave empty to reach all languages spoken in your targeted locations. |
| Advanced Targeting | Interests, behaviors, income, education, employers. Use sparingly; over-targeting shrinks reach and raises cost per click. |
| Custom Locations | Address or latitude/longitude plus radius. Required for campaigns to deploy. Use a market-appropriate radius (5 to 10 mi urban, 15 to 25 suburban, 25 to 50 rural). |
| Cities, Zip Codes, Countries | Alternative location-targeting fields. Most workspaces use Custom Locations instead. |
| Call to Action | Website URL is the destination page for Traffic and Conversion ads. Display URL is the link text shown inside the ad and may differ from Website URL. |
| Lead Capture | Lead Form picks from synced Meta Instant Forms (click Sync Forms if yours is missing). Messenger Template is required for Messenger-objective playbooks. |
Inheritance and CTA Fallback
The Default tab is the baseline for every campaign. Each audience-type tab overrides only the fields you explicitly fill in; any empty field falls back to Default. The Call to Action resolves in this order: the audience-type CTA, then the Default tab CTA, then the Hub default.
Status Indicators
| Indicator | Meaning | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Green dot on tab | Location set | None |
| Red dot on tab | Location missing | Set Custom Locations or campaigns will fail to deploy |
Permissions
| Action | Hub | Workspace |
|---|---|---|
| Create / delete audience types | Yes | No |
| Edit Hub-locked fields | Yes | No |
| Adjust radius, CTAs, lead forms | Yes | Yes* |
| Sync audiences and forms | Yes | Yes* |
*Workspace access depends on the Paid Ads Management permission. To set it as a Hub admin, open your profile at the bottom left, select Hub, then Permissions, and enable or disable Paid Ads Management per user. Workspace edits to non-locked fields persist normally; Hub-locked fields appear read-only on the workspace side.
Common Fixes
- Location keeps reverting: make sure you saved the Custom Locations section.
- A tab shows a red dot: Custom Locations is missing for that audience type. Set it before opting into a playbook.
- Lead form is missing: click Sync Forms and confirm the form is published in Meta.
- Audience tabs are missing: ask your Hub admin to confirm they created them.
- Need more control as a workspace: ask your Hub admin to enable Paid Ads Management for your user.