skill-049-budget-overspend-underspend-alert-configuration

Skill 049: Budget Overspend/Underspend Alert Configuration

Purpose

Budget pacing issues often go unnoticed until month-end. This skill defines alert thresholds, identifies campaigns currently triggering alerts, and recommends automated monitoring rules for daily budget overspend, monthly pacing variance, and sudden spend changes.

Data Requirements

Data Source: Custom GAQL Required

The standard export provides aggregated data but not daily spend patterns needed for alert detection.

Standard Data:

• data/account/campaigns/*/campaign.md - Budget settings
• data/performance/campaigns/*/campaign_metrics_30_days.md - Total spend (baseline)

GAQL Query:

SELECT
  campaign.id,
  campaign.name,
  campaign_budget.amount_micros,
  metrics.cost_micros,
  segments.date
FROM campaign
WHERE campaign.status = 'ENABLED'
  AND segments.date DURING LAST_14_DAYS
ORDER BY segments.date DESC

Run via /google-ads:get-custom with query name budget_alerts.

Analysis Steps

1. Define alert thresholds: Daily overspend (Warning >110%, Alert >150%, Critical >200%), Monthly pacing (Under <85%, Over >115%), Sudden change (+/-30% day-over-day).

2. Calculate current alert status: Daily budget utilization, month-to-date pacing, 7-day trend, day-over-day change.

3. Identify triggered alerts: List campaigns currently triggering alerts with severity, duration, and trend.

4. Prioritize alerts: Rank by financial impact, severity level, duration, client sensitivity.

5. Configure monitoring rules: Recommend automated rules for scripts, Google Ads rules, or third-party tools.

Thresholds

Condition	Severity
Daily spend >200% budget	Critical
Multiple campaigns alerting simultaneously	Critical
Monthly pacing >130% or <70%	High
Day-over-day change >50%	High
Alert active >7 days	High
Monthly pacing 110-130% or 70-85%	Warning
Daily spend 150-200% budget	Warning
Day-over-day change 30-50%	Warning

Output

Short (default):

## Budget Alert Audit

**Account:** [Name] | **Active Alerts:** [X] | **Total Spend Affected:** $[Y]/month

### Critical ([Count])
- **[Campaign]**: [Alert type], [X]% for [Y] days → [Action]

### Warnings ([Count])
- **[Campaign]**: [Alert type], trend [improving/worsening] → Monitor

### Recommended Alert Rules
1. Daily overspend check at 6 PM: Cost > 150% of daily budget
2. Monthly pacing check: MTD spend >115% or <85% of expected

Detailed adds:

• Alert threshold configuration table (category, warning, alert, critical)
• Currently triggered alerts table (campaign, alert type, level, value, duration, trend)
• Alert summary by severity (level, count, total spend affected, campaigns)
• Campaign alert history (last 30 days) with most common alert type
• Recommended alert rule templates with conditions and frequencies