What is Frequency?
Ad Frequency
Frequency is the average number of times the same person saw your ad over a time period.
Frequency = Impressions ÷ ReachCold prospecting: 1-3 ideal · Retargeting: 5-15 · Above 4 on cold = saturation
- Frequency
- Frequency is the average number of times the same person saw your ad over a time period.
Why Frequencymatters
Watch frequency by ad set. When a cold prospecting ad set hits 3+, CPA usually doubles. Kill or refresh at that point.
Worked example
Plug a real number into the formula to see Frequencyin action:
Numbers are illustrative.Try our ROAS Calculatorfor your real numbers.
Common mistakes with Frequency
- 1
Trusting platform attribution. Meta and Google overstate their contribution by 30-60% on most accounts.
- 2
Scaling winning ad sets too fast. 30%/week is the safe ceiling, faster usually breaks the algorithm and learning resets.
- 3
Ignoring creative fatigue. Most ads peak by week 2-3. If frequency exceeds 3, plan refresh.
How to improve Frequency
Set up a creative testing cadence: 8-12 fresh ad concepts per week, retire any ad with frequency > 3 or CTR drop > 30%.
Use server-side conversions API on Meta and enhanced conversions on Google. Match rates 70%+ unlock algorithm performance.
Build a 4-tier audience structure: cold prospecting, warm engagers, retargeting, post-purchase. Different creative, different targets.
Common questions about Frequency
What is Frequency?▾
How is Frequency calculated?▾
What is a good Frequency benchmark?▾
Why does Frequency matter for marketing teams?▾
Related terms
Need help applying Frequencyto your business?
Book a free 30-min audit. We will benchmark your Frequencyagainst your industry and flag what to fix first.
Book a free audit