> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.instantcampaign.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Ad Studio overview

> Run Meta and Google Ads campaigns from your contact audiences, sync segments to ad platforms and bring Meta lead-ad leads back into your lists.

Ad Studio connects your contacts to paid advertising. You can show ads to people you already know, keep existing customers out of prospecting ads, reach new people who resemble your best customers, and turn leads from Facebook and Instagram lead forms into contacts, all without exporting CSV files.

Open it from the **Advertising** group in the sidebar. The group has four pages:

| Page             | What it's for                                                                                                      |
| ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Overview**     | Connection status for Meta Ads and Google Ads, lifetime totals for your campaigns, and your most recent campaigns. |
| **Ad campaigns** | Create, publish, pause and track campaigns on Meta and Google Ads.                                                 |
| **Audiences**    | Sync segments to Google Ads Customer Match and Meta Custom Audiences, and build Meta lookalikes.                   |
| **Lead capture** | Turn submissions on Meta instant forms into contacts on a list.                                                    |

## What each platform supports

| Feature                          | Meta Ads                                            | Google Ads                                                    |
| -------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Sync a segment to an ad audience | Yes (Custom Audience)                               | Yes (Customer Match list)                                     |
| Lookalike audiences              | Yes                                                 | No                                                            |
| Ad campaigns                     | Yes: one campaign, ad set and ad in your ad account | Yes: one Display campaign, ad group and responsive display ad |
| Lifetime budgets                 | Yes                                                 | No, daily budgets only                                        |
| Lead capture from instant forms  | Yes                                                 | No                                                            |
| Journey steps                    | Yes                                                 | Yes                                                           |

## Before you start

<Steps>
  <Step title="Check your plan">
    Ad audience sync, ad campaigns and lead capture are included in the **Pro** and **Enterprise** plans. On other plans the **Ad Studio** overview, **Campaigns** and **Lead capture** pages show an upgrade card that links to **Plan & Billing**, and so does the **Ad Platforms** section on the Integrations page for audience sync.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Connect an ad account">
    A workspace Owner or Admin connects Meta Ads, Google Ads or both under **Settings → Developers → Integrations**. See [Connect your ad accounts](/guides/ads/connect-ad-accounts).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Build the audience you want to reach">
    Ads target the audiences you sync from your segments. Create the segment first, then [sync it to an ad platform](/guides/ads/audiences).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create a campaign">
    Pick a platform, objective, budget, audience and creative, then publish. See [Create an ad campaign](/guides/ads/create-campaign).
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Nothing spends money until you say so. Every campaign is created **paused** on the ad platform, and it only starts delivering when you click **Resume**.
</Note>

## Who can do what

| Action                                                            | Who can do it                                                                    |
| ----------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Connect or disconnect Meta Ads and Google Ads                     | Owners and Admins                                                                |
| Create, sync, check or delete ad audiences, and create lookalikes | Owners and Admins                                                                |
| View ad campaigns and their performance                           | Members with permission to view campaigns                                        |
| Create, edit and delete draft ad campaigns                        | Members with permission to edit campaigns                                        |
| Publish, pause, resume and archive ad campaigns                   | Members with permission to **send** campaigns, because these actions spend money |
| Set up, pause and test lead capture                               | Members with permission to manage integrations                                   |

## The Overview page

The **Ad Studio** overview shows:

* A card for **Meta Ads** and one for **Google Ads**, each showing the connected ad account, or **Not connected**. The card's button opens Integrations.
* Lifetime **Spend**, **Impressions**, **Clicks**, **CTR**, **Reach** and **Conversions** across all your campaigns, including archived ones, because that money was spent. Spend is shown in each ad account's currency. If your Meta and Google Ads accounts use different currencies, you see one amount per currency, because they aren't converted or added together.
* Shortcuts to **Campaigns**, **Audiences** and **Lead capture**.
* **Recent campaigns**, with **View all** to open the full list.

If neither platform is connected, the page says "Connect Meta Ads or Google Ads before creating a campaign." and **New campaign** is disabled.

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Connect your ad accounts" icon="plug" href="/guides/ads/connect-ad-accounts">
    Link Meta Ads and Google Ads to your workspace.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Sync audiences" icon="users" href="/guides/ads/audiences">
    Keep ad audiences in step with your segments.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Create a campaign" icon="megaphone" href="/guides/ads/create-campaign">
    Build and publish an ad on Meta or Google.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Capture leads" icon="user-plus" href="/guides/ads/lead-capture">
    Send Meta lead-ad leads straight to a list.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>