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Ad Budget Pacing Guard · Marketing

Know in week one when your ads will blow the monthly budget

Every morning Google Ads and/or Meta Ads spend is projected to month-end in code and compared with your budget; over pace, Slack tells you.

Available now $79 one-time · never renewsIncluded in Enterprise
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Free account to start. Buying and running live need a paid plan.

  • Runs on a schedule
  • 1 AI step
  • A person approves before it acts
  • About 15 min to set up

Sound familiar?

The job, before and after this agent.

What it feels like today

  • “We find out we overspent on ads when the invoice arrives.”
  • “Two ad accounts, one budget, and nobody checks both every day.”
  • “A campaign can run away over a weekend before anyone looks.”

What you get with the agent

  • This month's spend is read every morning from Google Ads and/or Meta Ads.
  • Code projects month-end spend from the month so far and compares it with your budget per network.
  • Only when a network is over pace, a Slack alert shows the figures, worked out in code.
  • With the pause switch on, you can approve pausing each over-pace network's top-spending campaign; nothing is paused otherwise.

Before

On the 28th the owner sees Meta spent far more than planned because a campaign's budget was raised for a test and never lowered.

After

On the 9th Slack says Meta Ads is on track for 1,240 against a 600 budget, naming the top campaign. The owner approves pausing it before lunch.

How it works

The whole workflow, step by step.

Every morning the agent reads this month's spend from Google Ads and/or Meta Ads (connect one or both). Code works out the spend per day so far, the projected month-end spend and how it compares with the monthly budget you set for each network. When a network is on track to go over, AI words a short alert and code fills in every figure; it's posted to your Slack channel. If you switch pausing on (off by default), you're also asked to approve pausing each over-pace network's top-spending campaign this month; nothing is paused without that approval. It never changes budgets, bids or ads.

  1. TriggerEvery day at 9:00
  2. LogicYour monthly budgets
  3. LogicDay of the month
  4. App callRead Google Ads spend this month
  5. App callRead Meta Ads spend this month
  6. LogicWork out the pace
  7. AI stepWrite the alert
  8. LogicFill in the figures
  9. LogicOver pace?
    • Over pace:Alert you in Slack
    • On pace:On pace
  10. OutputOn pace
  11. App callAlert you in Slack
  12. LogicPause switch on?
  13. LogicOffer to pause?
    • Pause switch on:Approve pausing the top-spending campaign
    • Alert only:Alerted
  14. OutputAlerted
  15. Human approvalApprove pausing the top-spending campaign
    • Approved:Google over pace?
    • Approved:Meta over pace?
  16. LogicGoogle over pace?
    • Pause:Pause the top Google campaign
    • On pace:Google not paused
  17. App callPause the top Google campaign
  18. OutputGoogle campaign paused
  19. OutputGoogle not paused
  20. LogicMeta over pace?
    • Pause:Pause the top Meta campaign
    • On pace:Meta not paused
  21. App callPause the top Meta campaign
  22. OutputMeta campaign paused
  23. OutputMeta not paused

This is the workflow that opens in your workspace when you set the agent up. Every step can be edited.

  1. Step 1Every day at 9:00Checks your ad spend every morning. Set your time zone on the trigger (the day of the month is counted in it).
  2. Step 2Your monthly budgetsYour monthly budget for each ad network and the pause switch (off by default).
  3. Step 3Day of the monthIn code: today's day of the month and how many days the month has, in your time zone.
  4. Step 4Read Google Ads spend this monthReads this month's cost per enabled campaign (highest spend first) and the total, in your account's currency. Skipped when Google Ads isn't connected.
  5. Step 5Read Meta Ads spend this monthReads this month's spend per campaign and the total. Skipped when Meta Ads isn't connected.
  6. Step 6Work out the paceIn code, not AI: spend per day so far × days in the month = projected month-end spend, compared with your monthly budget, per network; and Meta's top-spending campaign.
  7. Step 7Write the alertAI writes the alert's wording from the pace worked out in code, with placeholders that code fills with the checked figures.
  8. Step 8Fill in the figuresIn code: copies the checked figures from “Work out the pace” into the alert's placeholders.
  9. Step 9Over pace?In code: a network whose projected month-end spend is above its budget triggers the alert.
  10. Step 10On paceEvery connected network is on track to stay within its budget.
  11. Step 11Alert you in SlackPosts the alert (figures from code) to your Slack channel.
  12. Step 12Pause switch on?In code: is “pause after approval” set to yes on “Your monthly budgets”? Off by default.
  13. Step 13Offer to pause?Switch off (the default): the alert is all. Switch on: you're asked to approve pausing.
  14. Step 14AlertedThe alert was posted; nothing was paused.
  15. Step 15Approve pausing the top-spending campaignAsks you to approve pausing, on each network that's over pace, the campaign that spent most this month. Reject to pause nothing.
  16. Step 16Google over pace?In code: pause on Google only when Google Ads is over pace.
  17. Step 17Pause the top Google campaignPauses the enabled Google Ads campaign with the highest spend this month. Skipped when Google Ads isn't connected.
  18. Step 18Google campaign pausedThe run history keeps which campaign was paused.
  19. Step 19Google not pausedGoogle Ads wasn't over pace.
  20. Step 20Meta over pace?In code: pause on Meta only when Meta Ads is over pace.
  21. Step 21Pause the top Meta campaignPauses the Meta campaign with the highest spend this month. Skipped when Meta Ads isn't connected.
  22. Step 22Meta campaign pausedThe run history keeps which campaign was paused.
  23. Step 23Meta not pausedMeta Ads wasn't over pace.

Example run

What goes in, and what comes out.

Example with fictional data

Comes in

Day 10 of a 31-day month: Google Ads spent 600 of a 1,500 budget; Meta Ads spent 400 of a 600 budget.

The agent produces

Code projects Google at 1,860 (124% of budget) and Meta at 1,240 (207%). Slack gets the alert; with the pause switch on, the owner approves pausing each network's top-spending campaign.

What you need

Everything it takes to run it.

About 15 minutes from purchase to live. A checklist above the canvas takes you through each step.

Plan

Included in Enterprise; on other paid plans it's $79 once. Agents run live on paid plans, from Basic ($39/mo).

Your AI key

Connect any of 15 AI providers on your own key. Your provider bills usage directly, at cost; we add no markup.

Apps

Checklist

  • A paid plan (agents run live on paid plans).
  • An AI provider key (Settings → AI Providers).
  • Slack, plus Google Ads, Meta Ads or both, connected in Settings → Integrations.
  • A monthly budget for each network you watch.

Setup, about 15 minutes

  1. Connect your AI provider. The AI steps run on your own key (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and more). Add one in Settings → AI Providers.
  2. Connect Google Ads, Meta Ads or both. Connect the ad accounts to watch (Settings → Integrations). One is enough; the steps for a network you don't connect are skipped.
  3. Connect Slack. Connect the Slack workspace for alerts (Settings → Integrations → Slack).
  4. Your budgets and pause switch. Open “Your monthly budgets” and replace the placeholders with your monthly budget per network and yes or no for pausing.
  5. Pick your ad accounts. Open the read steps and the two pause steps and pick the accounts you use (Google, Meta or both).
  6. Slack and your notes. Open “Write the alert” and replace the placeholder, then pick the Slack account and channel on “Alert you in Slack”.
  7. Test it with Dry Run. Press Dry Run: the agent runs on sample data with no messages sent and nothing written to your apps.
  8. Switch the trigger on. Open the trigger, set your time zone and switch the schedule on. It runs every day at 9:00.

Is it a fit?

Who it's for, and what it won't do.

Built for

  • Small businesses running Google Ads and Meta Ads
  • Agencies watching client budgets
  • Founders who manage their own ad spend

What it doesn't do

  • It never pauses anything without your approval, and never changes budgets, bids or ads.
  • The projection is a straight line from the month so far; it doesn't know about planned launches or seasonality.
  • It watches spend against budget, not results (clicks, conversions, return on ad spend).
  • Days with every network on pace post nothing.

We list the limits up front so you can decide before you buy.

Price

$79 one-time

Per workspace. It never renews.

Available now
  • Included at no extra cost on Enterprise.
  • Buying and running it live need a paid plan, from Basic ($39/mo).
  • Dry Run costs nothing: simulated AI and app calls, nothing sent.
  • AI usage is billed by your own provider, at cost. No AI credits to buy from us.
Get this agent See how it works

One-time agent purchases aren't covered by the 30-day money-back guarantee. Refund policy

FAQ

Questions about Ad Budget Pacing Guard.

Will it pause my ads without asking?

No. Pausing is off by default, and even when you switch it on, every pause waits for your approval.

How accurate is the projection?

It's a straight line from the month so far (spend per day × days in the month), computed in code. Launches or seasonal spikes can make the real month differ.

Which apps do I need?

Slack, Google Ads and/or Meta Ads, and your own AI provider key. The agent's page shows whether each app is ready to connect.

Is it worth it?

It's a one-time purchase that never renews, and catching one runaway campaign early usually pays for it. Running it live needs a paid plan; Dry Run is free.

How is the projection worked out?

In code: this month's spend so far ÷ today's day of the month × the number of days in the month, compared with your monthly budget. It's a straight-line projection; a weekend-heavy or launch-heavy month can differ.

Will it pause my ads?

Only if you write “yes” in the pause switch, and even then only after you approve each time. It pauses one campaign per over-pace network: the one with the highest spend this month.

How is this different from the Ad Performance Reviewer?

That agent reviews exported reports. This one reads live spend from Google Ads and Meta Ads every day and watches it against your monthly budget.

Is this a subscription?

No. Ad Budget Pacing Guard is a one-time purchase of $79 per workspace and never renews. The Enterprise plan includes it at no extra cost. Running it live needs a paid plan (from Basic ($39/mo)), and your AI provider bills you directly for usage.

Can I test it before it touches real data?

Yes. Once it's set up in your workspace, Dry Run plays every step on sample data with simulated AI and app calls: nothing is sent and nothing in your apps changes. Switch the trigger on only when you're happy.

Put Ad Budget Pacing Guard to work.

Free account, no credit card. Your Agents page opens with Ad Budget Pacing Guard ready to buy and set up, then Dry Run it before it goes live.

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