# Ad alert rules template

> A copyable table of five starter ad alerts (High CPA, spend with no results, CTR falling, monthly spend, Friday cost check) with thresholds, windows and channels.
- **Author**: Marxx
- **Published**: 2026-11-07
- **Category**: Alerts
- **URL**: https://marxx.ai/library-templates/ad-alert-rules-template

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This template gives you five starter ad alerts with every setting filled in: metric, threshold, window, level, severity, how often to check and where to send it. Copy it, put in your own target cost per result, and you have a working alert set in 15 minutes.

## The template

```
AD ALERT RULES: [Client], set up [date], target cost per result [T]

1. HIGH CPA
   Metric:     Cost per result
   Threshold:  Over T x 1.5
   Window:     Last 3 days
   Level:      Ad set (only if spend in window > T x 3)
   Severity:   High
   Check:      Daily
   Send to:    Slack #[client]-alerts + email

2. SPEND WITH NO RESULTS
   Metric:     Spend, with results = 0
   Threshold:  Spend over T x 2
   Window:     Today
   Level:      Ad set
   Severity:   High
   Check:      Weekdays
   Send to:    Slack #[client]-alerts

3. CTR FALLING
   Metric:     CTR (link)
   Threshold:  Down 25% vs previous 7 days
   Window:     Last 7 days
   Level:      Ad (only if impressions > 5,000)
   Severity:   Medium
   Check:      Mondays
   Send to:    Slack #[client]-alerts

4. MONTHLY SPEND CHECK
   Metric:     Month-to-date spend vs expected
   Threshold:  More than 15% over or under pace
   Window:     This month
   Level:      Ad account
   Severity:   Medium
   Check:      Monthly, plus mid-month
   Send to:    Slack #[client]-alerts

5. COST PER RESULT BY FRIDAY
   Metric:     Cost per result, this week
   Threshold:  Over T x 1.2
   Window:     Monday to today
   Level:      Campaign
   Severity:   Low
   Check:      Fridays
   Send to:    In-app or email, for the weekly report
```

Expected spend for rule 4 = monthly budget x days passed / days in the month.

## A filled-in example

Say Wanderlast Holidays sells holiday packages with lead ads. Its target cost per lead is INR 600 and its November budget is INR 2,40,000.

| Alert | Fires when | Window | Severity | Where |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High CPA | Cost per lead over INR 900, ad set spent over INR 1,800 | Last 3 days | High | #wanderlast-alerts + email |
| Spend with no results | Ad set spent over INR 1,200 today, 0 leads | Today | High | #wanderlast-alerts |
| CTR falling | Ad's CTR down 25%, over 5,000 impressions | 7 days vs 7 before | Medium | #wanderlast-alerts |
| Monthly spend check | On 15 Nov, spend outside INR 1,02,000 to INR 1,38,000 | Month to date | Medium | #wanderlast-alerts |
| Cost per result by Friday | Week's cost per lead over INR 720 | Mon to Fri | Low | Email |

The mid-month range works like this. Expected spend on 15 November is INR 2,40,000 x 15 / 30 = INR 1,20,000. Fifteen percent either side is INR 1,02,000 to INR 1,38,000.

## Tips

- **Start with these five, not twenty.** Add a rule only when you miss a problem.
- **Change T per client.** A INR 600 lead and a INR 4,000 sale need different numbers.
- **Review after two weeks.** Widen any rule that fired with nothing wrong. See [CPA](/glossary/cpa) and [CTR](/glossary/ctr) if a metric is new to you.
- **Keep the alerts channel separate** from leads, so High alerts are seen.

For Google Ads, the same rules work with "conversions" in place of "results". We make Marxx. Its alerts follow the same pattern, each with a severity and Slack switched on per alert; see [Meta ads alerts in Slack](/guides/how-to-set-up-meta-ads-alerts-in-slack).

## FAQ

### Why is rule 1 limited to ad sets with enough spend?

Small spend swings wildly. One lead more or less can double or halve the cost per lead, so the alert waits until the numbers mean something.

### Should I send every alert to Slack?

Send High and Medium alerts to Slack. Low alerts can go to email or into your [weekly ad report](/templates/weekly-ad-report-template).

### Can I use this template in any tool?

Mostly. Every setting is a plain metric, number, window and channel, so you can rebuild it in most alert tools or your own script. Check which windows each tool offers.

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- [More Alerts articles](https://marxx.ai/library-templates/category/alerts)
- [All articles](https://marxx.ai/library-templates)