Few problems are more frustrating than Meta ads that won’t spend.
You launch a campaign… and it delivers $0.00.
Or spends $1.32 and freezes.
Or only serves a few impressions over several hours.

Under Meta’s Andromeda delivery system, this behavior is far more common - and the reasons are different from the pre-iOS era.

This guide breaks down every real cause of low/no spend and exactly how to fix it fast.

The Truth: “Not Spending” Is a Signal Problem, Not a Budget Problem

When your ad isn’t spending, Meta isn’t “ignoring” your campaign - it’s telling you:

“I can’t find enough predictable opportunities at your bid, budget, settings, or signals.”

Your job is to identify which constraint is blocking delivery.

Let’s break down the actual causes.

Reason #1 - Your Budget Is Too Low for the Optimization Event

This is the #1 reason ads don’t spend.

If your budget is below Meta’s threshold for meaningful exploration, the system will hesitate to enter the auction.

For Purchase optimization, the minimum depends on vertical, but generally:

If your budget < 3× your target CPA → expect no spend.

Examples:

• $60 CPA → budget needs to be at least $180/day
• $25 CPA → budget needs to be at least $75/day

Fix:

• Increase daily budget
• Switch to a cheaper optimization event (ATC/VC)
• Consolidate budget into fewer ad sets

Reason #2 - Your Bid Strategy Is Too Restrictive

If you’re using:

• Cost Cap
• Minimum ROAS
• Bid Cap

…and the thresholds are too low, Meta simply won’t enter the auction.

Example:

• You set a Cost Cap of $20
• The real auction floor is $35
• Your ads spend $0

Fix:

• Loosen cost/bid caps
• Use Highest Volume (no bid cap)
• Let Meta explore before tightening constraints

Bid restrictions are one of the most common causes of frozen delivery.

Reason #3 - Your Learning Phase Reset and Meta Is Re-Evaluating

Many advertisers see $0 spend in the first few hours after:

• adding new ads
• editing budgets
• changing audiences
• switching optimization events
• resetting a campaign
• switching ABO ↔ CBO
• changing placements

When Andromeda resets, it often holds spend until it is confident enough to explore.

Fix:

• Stop editing
• Wait 4–12 hours
• Avoid panicking and making further changes

Over-editing is the #1 cause of self-inflicted no-spend.

Reason #4 - Your Audience Is Too Small

If your targeting is narrow (especially in ABO), the system may not find enough people to serve.

Small audiences ≠ cheap delivery.
Small audiences = unstable delivery.

Examples of audiences too small to scale:

• < 200k in size
• narrow layered interests
• local geos with strict filters
• 1% lookalike in a small country
• retargeting pools under 3k users

Fix:

• Expand your audience
• Reduce layers
• Use Broad or larger interest clusters
• Combine multiple lookalike ranges

Big audiences = stable spend.

Reason #5 - Your Pixel/CAPI Signals Are Damaged

If Meta loses trust in your conversion data, it slows or stops spend to avoid wasting budget.

This happens when:

• pixel fires duplicate events
• CAPI deduplication breaks
• events are missing values
• GTM double-fires events
• server-side events are too delayed
• wrong event is optimized

Fix:

• Check Events Manager diagnostics
• Remove redundant pixel scripts
• Fix deduplication issues
• Verify that Purchase/Lead events fire properly

Signal problems = delivery problems.

Reason #6 - Your Creative Is Underperforming at Launch

Andromeda measures early creative signals aggressively.

If your first few hundred impressions produce:

• low hook rate
• low watch time
• poor CTR
• poor engagement

…Meta will minimize delivery to avoid burning budget.

Fix:

• Add new angles
• Use creator-led intros
• Simplify hooks
• Reduce over-polished design
• Use more native-feeling creative

Creative determines whether or not the algorithm wants to explore.

Reason #7 - Your Ad Is Stuck in Review (or Limited)

A very common reason for no spend:

• the ad is technically “active”
• but it’s still in internal review
• or flagged as limited
• or restricted due to policy concerns

The UI often does NOT show the true reason.

Fix:

• Duplicate the ad into a new ad set
• Make a small variation
• Change a word in the copy
• Swap an image
• Re-upload the video
• Request a manual review if needed

Meta’s review system is imperfect — duplicating usually works.

Reason #8 - Your Geo or Placement Is Too Competitive

Small countries, small radiuses, or rare placements can restrict spend.

Examples:

• UAE with narrow interests
• AUS with niche hobbies
• Canada with tight filters
• Instagram-only
• Reel-only
• Shop ads
• Advantage+ Creative Only

Fix:

• Add more placements
• Expand the geo
• Increase audience range
• Switch to Advantage+ placements

More freedom = more spend.

Reason #9 - Your Account Structure Is Too Fragmented

If you’re running:

• too many ad sets
• too many campaigns
• too many testing branches
• multiple conversion events simultaneously

…your budget is being sliced too thin to hit meaningful velocity.

Fix:

Follow the 2025 structure:

1. Scaling CBO
2. Creative Testing ABO
3. Retargeting BO or CBO

Fewer paths → more stable delivery.

Reason #10 - You Tried to Scale Too Fast

If you:

• doubled budget
• increased by 50%
• increased by 100%

Meta may pause spend temporarily to recalculate your delivery route.

Fix:

Follow the 20% scaling rule daily.

The 2025 “No Spend” Recovery Checklist

To fix delivery fast:

1. Check your bid strategy.

Remove restrictive caps.

2. Check budget vs target CPA.

Use 3× your CPA as your minimum.

3. Check for learning resets.

Stop editing for 24–48 hours.

4. Check pixel/CAPI health.

Look for warnings in Events Manager.

5. Expand your audience.

Go broader or simplify filters.

6. Add new creatives.

Poor initial signals → no spend.

7. Avoid panic edits.

Let the system stabilize.

8. Duplicate problematic ads.

Review flags often fix themselves on duplication.

9. Contact Meta support.

When all else fails open a chat with their support team.