campaign-preflight

Campaign Pre-Flight Checks

Ensures campaigns are properly configured before launch to prevent wasted ad spend and spam traffic.

When to Use

• Before enabling any paused campaign
• After creating a new campaign
• When user asks to "review" or "check" campaign settings
• When user mentions geo targeting or exclusions

Pre-Flight Checklist

0. Campaign Structure Validation (CRITICAL)

Run structural validation FIRST before any other checks. This ensures the campaign has all required components to actually serve ads.

Platform-Specific Validators

Platform	Script	Checks
Google	google_ads_validate_campaign_structure	Ad groups, ads, keywords (Search), budget, conversion tracking
Meta	meta_ads_validate_campaign_structure	Ad sets, ads, targeting, budget, pixel
LinkedIn	linkedin_ads_validate_campaign_structure	Creatives, approval status, targeting, budget, insight tag
Reddit	reddit_ads_validate_campaign_structure	Ad groups, ads, targeting, budget, pixel
Microsoft	microsoft_ads_validate_campaign_structure	Ad groups, ads, keywords (Search), budget, UET tag
TikTok	tiktok_ads_validate_campaign_structure	Ad groups, ads, targeting, budget, pixel
X	x_ads_validate_campaign_structure	Line items, promoted tweets, targeting, budget, funding

Run Structure Validation

POST /tools/run
{
  "script_name": "google_ads_validate_campaign_structure",
  "platform": "GOOGLE",
  "args": ["--campaign-id", "customers/123/campaigns/456"],
  "user_id": <USER_ID>
}

Output

{
  "success": true,
  "is_complete": true,
  "checks": [
    {"name": "has_ad_groups", "passed": true, "level": "error", "message": "Campaign has 2 ad groups"},
    {"name": "ad_groups_have_ads", "passed": true, "level": "error", "message": "All ad groups have enabled ads"},
    {"name": "has_keywords", "passed": true, "level": "error", "message": "Campaign has 15 keywords"},
    {"name": "budget_configured", "passed": true, "level": "error", "message": "Budget: $50.00/day"},
    {"name": "conversion_tracking", "passed": true, "level": "warning", "message": "Account has 3 conversion actions"}
  ]
}

BLOCKING: If is_complete: false, DO NOT enable the campaign. Fix missing components first.

1. UTM Tracking Verification (ALL PLATFORMS — MANDATORY)

EVERY ad must have UTM parameters before launch. Without UTMs, you cannot attribute traffic in GA4, HubSpot, or any analytics tool.

Standard UTM Format (All Platforms)

Parameter	Value
utm_source	Platform name: google, meta, linkedin, reddit, microsoft, tiktok, x
utm_medium	cpc (search), paid-social (social), display (display), video (video)
utm_campaign	Campaign name (slugified, lowercase, hyphens)
utm_content	Ad group/ad set name (slugified)
utm_term	Keyword or ad variant name (optional)

Platform-Specific UTM Checks

Platform	Where UTMs Live	How to Verify	Fix Script
Google Ads	Final URL suffix or tracking template	run_gaql query for ad_group_ad.ad.final_urls	google_ads_set_url_suffix
Meta	Ad url_tags or URL parameters on creative link	meta_ads_get_insights — check ad URLs	meta_ads_update_adset
LinkedIn	Creative click-through URL	linkedin_ads_list_campaigns — inspect creative URLs	Manual update in creative
Reddit	click_url on ad or destination_url on post	reddit_ads_fix_utms --dry-run	reddit_ads_fix_utms
Microsoft	Final URL suffix or tracking template	Campaign export	microsoft_ads_update_campaign
TikTok	Landing page URL on ad	tiktok_ads_list_ads — check URLs	Update via ad creation
X	Website card URL	x_ads_get_analytics — check card URLs	Update card URL

Reddit-Specific UTM Issue

TEXT posts cannot have click_url. If you find TEXT-type ads without UTMs:

1. Create new IMAGE posts with UTM-tagged destination_url
2. Create new ads from those posts with UTM click_url
3. Use reddit_ads_fix_utms to batch-fix

Quick UTM Audit (Reddit)

{
  "script_name": "reddit_ads_fix_utms",
  "platform": "REDDIT",
  "args": ["--account-id", "a2_xxx", "--profile-id", "t2_xxx", "--dry-run"]
}

Look for WOULD_CREATE_POST_AND_AD (TEXT posts needing replacement) and WOULD_CREATE_AD (IMAGE posts needing UTM ads).

1b. Conversion Tracking Verification (ALL PLATFORMS — MANDATORY)

Without conversion tracking, campaigns cannot optimize for business outcomes. Always verify before launch.

Platform Tracking Requirements

Platform	Tracking Pixel/Tag	Verification Script	Required For
Google	Google Tag (gtag.js) or GTM	verify_website_tracking, google_ads_list_conversions	Smart Bidding, Maximize Conversions
Meta	Meta Pixel	verify_website_tracking, meta_ads_manage_pixel	OUTCOME_SALES, Conversion optimization
LinkedIn	LinkedIn Insight Tag	verify_website_tracking, gtm_list_tags	Conversion tracking, website demographics
Reddit	Reddit Pixel	verify_website_tracking, reddit_ads_manage_pixel --list	CONVERSIONS objective
Microsoft	UET Tag	verify_website_tracking	Conversion goals
TikTok	TikTok Pixel	verify_website_tracking	Conversion optimization
X	X Pixel (Web Tag)	x_ads_manage_web_tag	Conversion tracking

Quick Tracking Audit

{
  "script_name": "verify_website_tracking",
  "platform": "REDDIT",
  "args": ["--url", "https://example.com"]
}

This checks for ALL platform pixels on the target URL. Flag any missing ones.

What to Do If Tracking Is Missing

1. No pixel at all: Help user install via GTM or direct code injection
2. Pixel exists but no conversion events: Help create conversion actions
3. GTM not published: Use gtm_publish to publish pending changes
4. Server-side tracking (CAPI) not configured: Set up for better attribution
5. Recommend bidding strategy: Start with maximize_clicks / target_spend until conversions are verified (15-30 conversions minimum for smart bidding)

GA4 + HubSpot Attribution Check

If the client uses GA4 or HubSpot, verify UTM parameters are flowing through:

• GA4: Check Traffic acquisition report for reddit / paid-social source/medium
• HubSpot: Check contact attribution report for UTM source values

2. Geo Targeting Verification

CRITICAL: Campaigns without geo targeting will show to ALL countries including spam countries.

Check Current Geo Targeting

POST /tools/run
{
  "script_name": "google_ads_export_campaigns",
  "platform": "GOOGLE",
  "args": ["--campaign-filter", "<CAMPAIGN_NAME>"],
  "user_id": <USER_ID>
}

Look for "Geo Targets: Not set" - this is a red flag.

Tier Definitions

Tier 1 (High-value markets):

• United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand
• Germany, France, Netherlands, Switzerland
• Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland
• Austria, Belgium, Ireland
• Japan, Singapore

Tier 2 (Good secondary markets):

• Spain, Italy, Portugal
• Poland, Czech Republic
• Israel, UAE, Saudi Arabia
• South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong
• Brazil, Mexico, South Africa

Spam Countries (AVOID):

• India, Pakistan, Bangladesh
• Russia, Ukraine
• China (unless specifically targeting)

Fix Missing Geo Targeting

POST /tools/run
{
  "script_name": "google_ads_set_campaign_geo_targets",
  "platform": "GOOGLE",
  "args": ["--campaign-ids", "<CAMPAIGN_IDS>", "--tier", "1,2"],
  "user_id": <USER_ID>
}

Note: Demand Gen campaigns require ad group-level targeting. The script handles this automatically.

3. Budget Sanity Check

Review daily budgets:

• Minimum recommended: $25/day for Search, $50/day for Demand Gen
• Maximum CPC: Should be set for manual bidding strategies
• Conversion-based bidding: Requires 15+ conversions in last 30 days

4. Negative Keyword Lists (Search Campaigns)

Check for common negative keywords:

• Brand misspellings to avoid
• Irrelevant industry terms
• Competitor brands (if not conquesting)
• "free", "cheap" (if selling premium)

5. Ad Schedule

Verify ads run during business hours if B2B:

• US: 6am-8pm PT / 9am-11pm ET
• EMEA: 7am-7pm CET
• APAC: 8am-8pm local

Campaign Type Specific Checks

Demand Gen (YouTube/Discover)

1. Video requirements:

   • YouTube video must be public or unlisted
   • Minimum 10 seconds for in-stream
   • 6-15 seconds for bumper ads

2. Location targeting at ad group level (not campaign level)

3. Audience targeting:

   • Custom intent keywords recommended
   • Remarketing audiences for better performance

Search Campaigns

1. Keyword match types:

   • Broad match requires Smart Bidding
   • Phrase/Exact for manual CPC

2. Ad extensions:

   • Sitelinks (minimum 4)
   • Callouts (minimum 4)
   • Structured snippets

Display Campaigns

1. Image assets:

   • Landscape (1200x628)
   • Square (1200x1200)
   • Logo (1200x1200)

2. Placement exclusions:

   • Exclude mobile apps if not relevant
   • Exclude parked domains

Quick Pre-Flight Summary

When reviewing campaigns, output a summary like:

## Campaign Pre-Flight Report

| Check | Status | Notes |
|-------|--------|-------|
| Campaign Structure | ✅/⚠️/❌ | Complete / Missing components |
| UTM Tracking | ✅/⚠️/❌ | All ads tagged / X ads missing UTMs |
| Conversion Tracking | ✅/⚠️/❌ | Pixel installed + events firing / Missing |
| Geo Targeting | ✅/⚠️/❌ | Tier 1+2 / Not set |
| Budget | ✅/⚠️ | $X/day |
| Ad Schedule | ✅/⚠️ | 24/7 / Business hours |
| Negative Keywords | ✅/⚠️ | X keywords / None |

**Recommendation:** [Enable/Fix issues first]

BLOCKING checks (must fix before launch):

• ❌ Campaign Structure incomplete
• ❌ UTM tracking missing on any ads
• ❌ Conversion tracking not installed (for conversion-optimized campaigns)
• ❌ Geo targeting not set

Warning checks (recommended but not blocking):

• ⚠️ No negative keywords
• ⚠️ Budget below platform minimum
• ⚠️ No ad schedule (24/7 running)

Automation Workflow

For bulk campaign review:

1. Export all campaigns with geo targeting info
2. Flag campaigns with issues
3. Offer to fix automatically
4. Re-verify after fixes