---
name: budget-optimization
description: Use when reallocating spend across channels/ad sets or setting guardrails
  to stay on plan.
---

# Budget Optimization & Pacing Skill

## When to Use
- Weekly/monthly budget reviews.
- Mid-flight adjustments after performance shifts.
- Preparing reforecast scenarios for finance.

## Framework
1. **Reference Plan** – planned vs actual spend, CPA/CPL, pipeline, ROAS.
2. **Efficiency Bands** – thresholds for pulling back or scaling (e.g., ±20% vs target CPA).
3. **Scenario Modeling** – reallocate budget to best-performing ad sets while respecting learning phase minimums.
4. **Guardrails** – set daily caps, alerts, and auto rules for overspend or underdelivery.

## Checklist
- Align reporting windows with attribution (24h, 7d click, 28d view if available).
- Confirm finance approvals before large shifts.
- Document rationale for every reallocation.
- Update forecast + capacity plans (e.g., SDR follow-up) when pipeline mix changes.

## Templates
- Budget tracker spreadsheet (plan vs actual vs forecast).
- Scenario calculator (impact of shifting X% spend).
- Alert configuration guide (platform and BI tools).

## Tips
- Reserve 5–10% of spend for rapid experiments.
- Keep retargeting budgets proportional to audience size to avoid fatigue.
- Sync with lifecycle team so automation throughput can handle new volume.

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