Snapchat just released Smart Campaign Solutions, its answer to Google's Performance Max and Meta's Advantage+. The suite includes Smart Ads (automated creative optimization), Smart Bidding (target CPA automation), and Smart Budget (automatic budget reallocation). Early adopters report 8.8% higher conversions with Smart Targeting, and Snapchat now processes campaigns for over 900 million monthly active users.
If you're already running automated campaigns on Google or Meta, you'll recognize the approach. Snapchat's version works similarly but includes an API Eligibility Endpoint that prevents launching campaigns your pixel can't support, something Performance Max and Advantage+ don't do.
What Each Smart Solution Actually Does
Smart Ads (currently in early testing): Finds the best combination of images, videos, and text automatically. You upload 5-10 creative variations, and the system tests combinations without manual A/B testing. Unlike Meta's Advantage+ Creative that generates variations from one asset, Snapchat tests your uploaded variations but doesn't create new creative.
Smart Bidding: Set a target cost-per-action, and Snapchat's machine learning adjusts bids to consistently deliver within range of that target. Works like Google's Target CPA strategy.
Smart Budget: Automatically shifts spend to the highest-performing ad sets within a campaign. If Ad Set A generates conversions at $4.20 CPA while Ad Set B hits $8.50, the system reallocates budget to Ad Set A.
Smart Targeting: Identifies additional high-value users based on your initial targeting. According to Snapchat's Q3 2025 data, this delivered an average 8.8% increase in conversions for adopted ad sets.
When Snapchat added Waze inventory in November 2025, advertisers running Performance Max for store goals saw their existing creative automatically start showing as navigation pins to nearby drivers. The system used their uploaded assets (product images, headlines) without requiring additional setup.
The API Eligibility Endpoint Prevents Wasted Spend
Before September 2025, you could create a Snapchat campaign optimizing for any goal, launch it, then discover three days later your pixel didn't have enough conversion data to support that optimization window. Budget already spent.
The API Eligibility Endpoint now checks upfront whether your pixel or app data supports your chosen optimization goal and conversion window.
For example, if you try launching a campaign optimized for 7-day conversion windows with a brand-new pixel that has minimal purchase data, the system will reject the campaign creation request immediately. It will suggest either using a broader conversion window (28-day) or waiting until the pixel accumulates more conversion events.
The endpoint checks:
- Optimization goals (Purchase, Add to Cart, Sign Up, etc.)
- Conversion windows (1-day view, 7-day swipe, 28-day swipe + 1-day view)
- Pixel/app data quality and volume thresholds
You need 50+ conversions in the optimization window you plan to use. Below that threshold, manual CPC bidding works better until you accumulate sufficient data.
Smart Campaigns vs Manual: When to Use Each
Smart automation isn't always the right choice.
Use Smart Campaign Solutions when:
Testing new audiences or creatives at scale. If you're launching in a new market or testing 8 different creative concepts, Smart Ads identifies winning combinations faster than manual testing. Australian fintech MoneyMe achieved 22% more conversions while reducing CPA by 20% using Snapchat's automation during their six-week campaign.
You have limited time for optimization. Small teams managing 5+ ad platforms don't have hours daily for bid adjustments. Snapchat's automation particularly helps SMBs "operate at the velocity they need with leaner resources," according to their chief business officer.
Your conversion volume supports it. If you're generating 50+ conversions weekly, the system has enough signal. Below that, stick with manual CPC bidding.
Manual campaigns work better when:
You need precise control over specific placements. Smart Campaign Solutions distributes across all inventory (Chat Feed, Stories, Spotlight, Maps, Waze). If you specifically want only Chat Feed Sponsored Snaps, build a manual campaign.
Brand safety requires tight restrictions. You can add negative keywords for Search and Shopping inventory, but you can't exclude specific topics on Display-like inventory with the same granularity as manual campaigns.
You're spending under $500/month. The learning period for automated campaigns typically requires 2-4 weeks and consistent spend. Low budgets extend learning periods, making manual control more predictable.
KEH Cameras transitioned from Standard Shopping to Performance Max over six months, achieving a 76.3% increase in advertising revenue in Q1 2023 versus the prior year. But they spent that six-month period testing and refining before scaling. Similar to what we covered in our Performance Max guide, automated campaigns need time to learn.
Attention Measurement: DoubleVerify and IAS Integration
In June and July 2025, both DoubleVerify and Integral Ad Science launched attention measurement products specifically for Snapchat, using eye-tracking technology from Lumen Research.
Traditional metrics (impressions, viewable impressions, clicks) tell you an ad appeared on screen. They don't tell you if anyone actually looked at it.
DV Authentic Attention for Social (DoubleVerify):
- Ad Focus: Evaluates the ad's ability to capture eye gaze
- Dwell Time: Measures how long users actually view the ad
- Attention Index: Overall attention score with comparative benchmarks by vertical
Snap Attention Measurement (IAS):
- Combines Lumen eye-tracking with IAS's AI-powered media quality data
- Creates a bespoke Snapchat attention score within the IAS Signal platform
- Provides metrics like attentive seconds per thousand impressions (APM)
Lumen doesn't use your device camera. They conducted large-scale eye-tracking studies with thousands of participants, then built predictive models that estimate attention based on ad characteristics (placement, format, size, content type, user behavior patterns).
Early adopters using these attention metrics have discovered that shorter ad formats often achieve better dwell time than longer versions. When users actually watch the entire ad instead of swiping away after a few seconds, conversion performance typically improves even when the cost per impression stays the same.
Both tools require existing contracts with DoubleVerify or IAS to access the Snapchat-specific attention metrics.
Setting Up Your First Smart Campaign
1. Check your pixel eligibility
Navigate to Ads Manager, Events Manager, Select your pixel, Review conversion events from the past 30 days.
If you're below 50 conversions, start with a broader optimization (28-day window instead of 7-day) or run manual campaigns until you accumulate more data.
2. Create campaign with Smart Budget enabled
In Ads Manager:
- Click Create Campaign
- Select your objective (Conversions, App Installs, etc.)
- Under Budget & Schedule, toggle "Campaign Budget Optimization"
- Set your total daily budget at campaign level, not ad set level
3. Set up Smart Bidding
Within your campaign's ad sets:
- Select "Bid Strategy", "Target Cost"
- Enter your target CPA
Start with your current average CPA if you have historical data. If launching fresh, use 1.5x your maximum acceptable CPA to give the system room to learn.
4. Build asset groups
Smart Ads requires:
- 3-5 different images or videos
- 3-5 headline variations
- 2-3 description variations
- Call-to-action button
Quality over quantity: 5 strong concepts outperform 20 mediocre ones.
5. Configure targeting
Smart Targeting enhances (doesn't replace) your initial targeting:
- Set your base audience (demographics, interests, behaviors)
- Smart Targeting will identify similar high-value users beyond your initial parameters
For example, if you're targeting "business decision makers, 30-50, interested in productivity tools," Smart Targeting might identify adjacent segments like "small business owners, 25-35" or "freelance consultants" that show similar conversion behavior at potentially lower costs.
6. Launch with proper tracking
Add UTM parameters to your destination URLs:
?utm_source=snapchat&utm_medium=paid_social&utm_campaign=smart_campaign_test&utm_content=video_a
This ensures you can track performance in Google Analytics 4 even if Snapchat's attribution window differs from your internal tracking.
7. Let it learn (14-21 days minimum)
Don't touch bid adjustments or budget for at least two weeks. The learning period requires:
- Minimum 50 conversions in the optimization window
- Consistent budget (don't cut budget by 50% on day 5)
- No major creative changes during learning
After the learning period, check performance against your target CPA. If you're consistently 20%+ above target, either increase your target CPA or improve your creative/offer.
How Smart Campaign Solutions Compares to Performance Max and Advantage+
All three platforms use similar approaches, but implementation differs:
The biggest difference: Snapchat's Eligibility Endpoint prevents launching campaigns your pixel can't support. Performance Max and Advantage+ will take your money even if you only have 10 conversions and are trying to optimize for 7-day windows.
We covered Performance Max's negative keywords feature in detail previously. Snapchat's version works the same way but only for Search and Shopping inventory.
Meta's Advantage+ approach generates creative variations (text overlays, aspect ratio adjustments, basic video from images) from your base assets. Snapchat's Smart Ads tests your uploaded variations but doesn't generate fundamentally new creative.
As of 2025, all three platforms improved reporting transparency. None provide full manual control over budget allocation between channels, but you can now see where your budget actually went.
Tracking Performance Across Multiple Platforms
If you're running Smart Campaign Solutions on Snapchat, Performance Max on Google, and Advantage+ on Meta simultaneously (which many advertisers do for diversification), consolidated reporting becomes critical.
Each platform uses different attribution windows and conversion counting methods:
- Snapchat: 28-day swipe + 1-day view (default)
- Google: 30-day click + 1-day view (default for most objectives)
- Meta: 7-day click + 1-day view (default)
A conversion might appear in all three platforms if the user clicked ads on each. Without unified tracking, you're either double/triple counting conversions or making decisions based on incomplete cross-platform data.
Solution options:
- Google Analytics 4 with UTM tracking: Add consistent UTM parameters across all platforms. GA4 becomes your source of truth for cross-platform attribution. You lose some platform-specific metrics (like Snapchat's video completion rates) but gain unified conversion tracking.
- Server-side tracking: Implement Snapchat's Conversions API, Google's Enhanced Conversions, and Meta's Conversions API. Send conversion data directly from your server, bypassing browser-based tracking limitations.
- Automated reporting consolidation: You can export data manually from each platform weekly, or automate with tools like Dataslayer if pulling from multiple sources. This connects Snapchat Ads, Google Ads, Meta Ads, and 50+ other platforms directly to Google Sheets, Looker Studio, BigQuery, or Power BI.
Pick one attribution model as your decision-making source and use platform data for optimization within each platform rather than cross-platform budget allocation.
FAQ
When will Smart Ads (creative optimization) be widely available?
Currently in early testing with select advertisers as of February 2026. Snapchat plans to expand in 2026 but hasn't specified exact dates. Smart Bidding and Smart Budget are available now to all advertisers.
Can I use Smart Campaign Solutions with Sponsored Snaps?
Yes. Sponsored Snaps (ads in Chat Feed) work with Smart Budget and Smart Bidding. When you enable campaign budget optimization, the system can shift spend between Sponsored Snaps and other ad formats based on performance.
Do Smart Campaign Solutions work for app install campaigns?
Yes. The App Power Pack bundles target cost bidding, Sponsored Snaps for apps, App End Cards, and Playable Ads. Early data shows up to 25% more installs compared to manual app campaigns. You need your Snap App ID connected with sufficient install data to use automated bidding.
Can I run A/B tests between Smart Campaigns and manual campaigns?
Yes, but structure it properly: run both campaign types simultaneously for the same product/offer, split budget 50/50, and let both run for minimum 30 days before comparing. Don't just test for one week. Automated systems need time to optimize.
Next Steps
Snapchat Smart Campaign Solutions are available now if your pixel meets the eligibility requirements. The system works best for advertisers already seeing results on Snapchat who want to reduce manual optimization time, or those looking to diversify beyond Google and Meta.
Start by checking your pixel's conversion volume in Events Manager. If you're hitting 50+ conversions in your desired optimization window, you're ready to test. If not, run manual campaigns for another 2-4 weeks to build up conversion data, then transition to Smart Campaigns.
The Eligibility Endpoint prevents the worst-case scenario of launching campaigns that can't optimize properly. That alone makes Snapchat's automation less risky than alternatives that will take your budget regardless of data quality.
