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Is there a setting under campaigns and/or ad groups to spread out daily budget?

Todd Whit 20 Reputation points
2025-10-13T17:55:19.56+00:00

I am running search campaings with a target CPA. When Google Ads starts a similar campaign, it spreads out the daily budget as it is learning to optimize toward the targeted CPA. With Microsoft Ads, it seems to spend as much of my budget (under $200 a day currently until I understand the costs) in the first hour or two when I have ads turned on (9AM - 8PM).

Am I missing a setting that will spread out the spend throughout the day in order for it to optimize for my CPA? FYI I have the budget option set to standard.

Thanks!

Microsoft Advertising | Manage ads | Campaign budgets
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  1. MS Advertising - John Mark 150 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2025-10-14T14:54:59.4866667+00:00

    Hi Todd Whit

    Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Advertising Learn Q&A Platform! My name is John, and I will be assisting you with this query.

    We understand your concern about ensuring your ads are distributed evenly throughout the day to enhance their overall effectiveness. This behavior is often driven by Microsoft Advertising’s automated bidding algorithms, which prioritize showing ads when they are most likely to convert. If historical data suggests that users are more likely to click or convert during the 9–10 AM window or first to second hour, the system will naturally allocate more budget and impressions to that time. Additionally, if your competitors are increasing their bids or budgets during that hour, your ads may be forced to compete more aggressively, leading to a spike in activity. You may consider the following suggestions:

    1.Bid Modifiers You can apply bid adjustments to specific hours of the day. For example, reduce bids during 9–10 AM and increase them slightly during underperforming hours to encourage more balanced delivery. You can learn more about bid adjustments through this link: How to target my customers by adjusting my bids

    2.Monitor Learning Periods If you've recently changed bid strategies or launched a new campaign, the system may still be in its learning phase (typically 1–2 weeks). Avoid making frequent changes during this time, as it can reset the learning process and skew performance specially if you're using automated bidding. More information here: Let Microsoft Advertising manage your bids with bid strategies

    Additional reference: How can I get my ads in front of my customers? How to target customers Set your campaign budget and bid amounts

    I hope the information provided here will at least partly answer your question. For us to make sure that we are able to address the issue, I'll be sending a private message on your inbox, please check your private message for further assistance.

    Our support teams are happy to discuss your account in more detail via phone, chat or email to provide review assistance, please see our support page to reach out!

    Kind regards,

    John | Microsoft Advertising Support Specialist | 1-800-518-5689

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