Meta ads glossary: ad terms in plain language
Ads Manager is full of short forms. Here's what the common Facebook and Instagram ad terms mean, with a one-line example each.
Results and costs
- Impressions
- How many times your ad was shown, including repeat views by the same person.
- Reach
- How many different people saw your ad at least once.
- Frequency
- Impressions ÷ reach: the average number of times each person saw it. Above about 3–4 in a week, people may start ignoring it.
- CPM (cost per mille)
- What you pay for 1,000 impressions. ₹80 CPM means ₹80 for 1,000 views.
- CTR (click-through rate)
- Clicks ÷ impressions. 1% means 1 in 100 viewers tapped.
- CPC (cost per click)
- Spend ÷ clicks. What each tap cost on average.
- Results
- Whatever your objective counts: messages, leads, purchases, website visits.
- Cost per result
- Spend ÷ results. The number to watch most closely.
- CPL (cost per lead)
- What each enquiry or lead cost.
- ROAS (return on ad spend)
- Revenue ÷ ad spend. ₹5,000 in sales from ₹1,000 of ads is a ROAS of 5.
Campaign building blocks
- Campaign
- The top level, where you choose the objective.
- Objective
- Your goal: Awareness, Traffic, Engagement, Leads, App promotion or Sales.
- Ad set
- Audience, placements, schedule and budget.
- Ad / creative
- The photo or video, text, headline and button people see.
- Placement
- Where the ad shows: Facebook feed, Instagram Stories, Reels and so on.
- Advantage+
- Meta's automated options, which let its system choose audiences, placements or creative variations.
- Learning phase
- The first period after launch or a major edit, while Meta works out who responds.
- CTA (call to action)
- The button: Send WhatsApp message, Call now, Learn more, Book now.
Audiences and tracking
- Custom audience
- People who already know you: website visitors, people who engaged with your Page, or a customer list.
- Lookalike audience
- New people similar to a custom audience.
- Meta Pixel
- Code on your website that tells Meta which ad visitors went on to buy or enquire.
- Conversions API
- A server-side way to send the same information, more reliably than the Pixel alone.
- Special ad category
- Ads about housing, employment, credit and some social issues, which have targeting limits.
Skip the jargon
GigaEasy shows you the numbers that matter (reach, clicks and enquiries) in plain words, and sets up the rest for you. Part of our Meta ads guide.
Run your first ad in about 10 minutes
Your first 3 campaigns on GigaEasy are free — no plan needed. Ad budget from ₹100/day, paid directly to Meta.
Start freeFrequently asked questions
What is a good CTR for Facebook ads?
It varies by business and format, but around 1% is a common reference point for local ads. Compare your own ads against each other rather than chasing a single number.
What is CPM in Facebook ads?
CPM is the cost for 1,000 impressions (views) of your ad. It changes with season, city and audience.
What is ROAS?
Return on ad spend: the revenue your ads brought divided by what they cost. A ROAS of 4 means ₹4 in sales for every ₹1 spent.