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Understanding campaign, ad set, and ad tabs

Describes the structure of campaigns, ad sets, and ads, how data is separated across tabs, and how navigation between levels works.

Igor Simovic avatar
Written by Igor Simovic
Updated over 3 weeks ago

Summary

The Campaign Insights table organizes your advertising data into three hierarchical levels: Campaigns, Ad Sets, and Ads. Each level is accessed via its own tab and mirrors how Meta structures campaigns. This makes it easy to navigate from high-level performance down to individual ad details, while preserving context across the parent-child structure.

How It Works

Campaigns follow a three-tier hierarchy:

  • Campaigns contain ad sets

  • Ad sets contain ads

Each tab in the interface represents one of these levels:

  • Campaigns tab: Top-level view showing campaigns and aggregated metrics from their children

  • Ad Sets tab: Middle level showing all ad sets under visible campaigns

  • Ads tab: Bottom level showing individual ads within those ad sets

When you select an item at any level, the interface can filter the lower levels to show only related child items. Filters, column configurations, and available actions are always contextual to the currently active tab.

Before You Begin

  • Understand how Meta campaign structures work (Campaign > Ad Set > Ad)

  • Know that metrics roll upward through the hierarchy (ad to ad set to campaign)

  • Be aware that columns and actions differ between tabs

Step-by-Step Instructions

Navigating Between Tabs

  1. Locate the Campaigns, Ad Sets, and Ads tabs above the table

  2. Click any tab to switch levels

  3. The table updates to reflect the selected level

  4. Filters and search remain active across tab switches

Understanding Hierarchy Relationships

Campaigns Tab

  • Shows campaigns matching your current filters

  • Metrics reflect totals from all ad sets and ads beneath each campaign

  • Displays campaign-level settings like budget (for CBO campaigns)

Ad Sets Tab

  • Shows all ad sets under visible campaigns

  • Includes a “Campaign” column showing each ad set’s parent

  • Metrics reflect totals from all ads within the ad set

Ads Tab

  • Shows individual ads under visible ad sets

  • Includes “Campaign” and “Ad Set” columns for context

  • Metrics are specific to each ad

  • Displays creative-level info

Drilling Down Through Levels

  1. Start on the Campaigns tab

  2. Select a campaign using the checkbox

  3. Switch to the Ad Sets tab — only ad sets from the selected campaign appear

  4. Select an ad set and switch to the Ads tab — only ads from the selected ad set appear

Viewing Parent Context and Mixed Selections

On the Ad Sets or Ads tab, use the “Campaign” and “Ad Set” columns to understand hierarchy.

  • Selecting multiple campaigns will show all their ad sets or ads on lower tabs

  • To clear selections:

    • Uncheck items manually

    • Use the header checkbox to deselect all

Use Cases / Troubleshooting

  • Investigating poor performance: Start at Campaigns, select a weak performer, and drill into ad sets and ads

  • Comparing ad performance: Go directly to the Ads tab and search or filter within a specific ad set

  • Managing budget strategies: View CBO budgets on the Campaigns tab or ad set budgets on the Ad Sets tab

  • Missing ad sets or ads? Check if a parent item is selected or if filters are hiding expected results

  • Make quick edits directly from fields that support inline editing, such as budgets, names, or statuses

FAQs

Q: Do I need to configure columns separately for each tab?

A: No. There is one column setup that dynamically displays columns relevant to the current tab level, depending on the data available at that level.

Q: How do metrics aggregate?

A: Metrics roll up from ad to ad set to campaign.

Q: Can I see all ads across all campaigns?

A: Yes. Go to the Ads tab without selecting any campaigns or ad sets.

Q: Why do some columns only show on certain tabs?

A: Each level has unique properties — e.g., “Audience” is ad set-specific, “Creative Type” applies to ads.

Q: What happens to my selections when I switch tabs?

A: Selections are cleared, but child-level filtering based on prior selection remains active.

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