So, your Facebook ads aren’t hitting the mark. Maybe performance is down, or maybe the ads never really worked. That’s usually when a brand turns to a Facebook ad agency and asks, “Can you take a look at our ad account?”
Here’s what happens next—not the fluffy checklist you see in every blog, but the real process great Facebook ad management agencies follow to find what’s broken, what’s inefficient, and what can unlock scale.
Why a Facebook Ads Audit Actually Matters
Let’s be honest: you wouldn’t diagnose engine problems without popping the hood. Same goes for Facebook ads. An audit gives your agency (and you) the data clarity needed to scale profitably. It’s less about checking boxes and more about spotting leaky buckets, wasted spend, and hidden opportunities.
This is why many brands hire the best Facebook ads agency they can find—to run audits that drive action.
Step 1: Access, Roles, and the Backstory
First things first: the agency gets access to your Meta Business Manager and ad account. But they don’t just jump into performance metrics. They want context:
- Who’s been running the ads?
- Is Pixel + Conversions API tracking in place?
- What’s the historical budget pacing like?
If they see wild swings (like $5K one week, $0 the next), that’s a red flag. Budget inconsistency confuses Facebook’s learning phase and tanks results. A seasoned Facebook ad management agency knows to look for patterns before performance.
Step 2: Campaign Structure and Objectives
This is where things start to unravel—or shine.
The best Facebook ad agencies check if campaigns are organized by funnel stage or if they look like a chaotic experiment zone.
Seen it all: Campaigns labeled “Lookalike Test 1” or “Broad V2” with no clear strategy.
Good agencies align structure to intent:
- Awareness for cold traffic
- Consideration for mid-funnel
- Conversion for retargeting or warm audiences
They also ensure campaign objectives match business goals. Running a traffic campaign when your goal is purchases? That’s a mismatch many Facebook ad agency catch during audits.
Step 3: Tracking Setup (AKA The Plumbing)
No tracking = no data = no optimization. This is where many accounts fall flat.
A top Facebook ad agency will verify:
- Pixel fires correctly on all key events (Add to Cart, Purchase, Lead)
- Conversions API is backing up browser-side tracking
- There’s no double-counting or missing events
“No Facebook Pixel means no data—and no data means no data-driven marketing.” — Meta Ads Manager, Heavyweight Digital
One Shopify brand using a Facebook ad agency had a theme update that broke their purchase event tracking. The fix restored both ROAS and trust in reporting.
Step 4: Audiences, Segmentation & Overlap
Time to dissect who you’re actually targeting.
Great agencies check for:
- Overlapping audiences (which compete against each other)
- Missing exclusions (like not excluding purchasers in retargeting)
- Geo-targeting mismatches
If you’re running 10 ad sets with 90% audience overlap, you’re essentially bidding against yourself. The best Facebook ads agency will catch this instantly and restructure for clarity.
Step 5: Creative That Actually Converts
Pretty doesn’t always sell. Impact does.
Facebook ad agencies review if creatives:
- Deliver the core message in under 3 seconds
- Match the intent of the audience (cold vs warm)
- Reflect the actual offer and landing page CTA
A client running generic stock photos for a B2B SaaS product saw a 37% lift in CTR after switching to carousel case studies—thanks to insights from their Facebook ad agency.
Pro Tip: Break creatives by funnel stage. Cold = attention. Warm = clarity. Hot = urgency.
Step 6: Metrics That Matter
Once the structure is solid, it’s time to dig into the numbers:
- What’s the CTR, CPC, CPA, and ROAS?
- How’s budget pacing looking over time?
- Are you hitting frequency caps before refreshing creatives?
If you see a frequency of 4+ with no new creative, it’s likely ad fatigue. The best Facebook ad management agencies use dynamic creative testing or set rules for regular updates.
Step 7: Compliance and Account Hygiene
You’d be surprised how many accounts have:
- Ads flagged or disapproved but never replaced
- Dozens of users with Admin access
- Campaign names like “Copy of Copy of Q3 Blitz”
The best Facebook ad agency will clean this up, ensure proper user permissions, and streamline the account for performance.
Step 8: Attribution and Integration
Many audits stop at Ads Manager. But great Facebook ad agencies zoom out.
They check:
- Attribution settings (7-day click vs 1-day view)
- CRM syncs and offline events
- GA4 and UTMs across the funnel
One B2B brand thought Facebook was underperforming. Turns out, leads were flowing in—but they weren’t tracked in the CRM. Fixing UTM structure and API sync solved the mystery.
Step 9: Reporting with Clarity
After all this, you don’t want a 40-page spreadsheet.
The best Facebook ads agency will deliver:
- A simple story: What’s working, what’s not, what’s next
- Actionable fixes prioritized by impact
- Test plans for the next 30–60 days
This kind of reporting is what separates a good partner from the best Facebook ad agency.
Common Pitfalls That Kill Performance
Here are five things most audits catch—and fix:
- Too many campaigns fighting for learning: Facebook can’t optimize when every campaign is in learning mode. Consolidate and simplify.
- No exclusions = wasted budget: If you’re not excluding recent buyers, you’re paying to reach people who already converted.
- Ad fatigue: If your frequency is over 3 and creatives haven’t changed in weeks, performance drops.
- Wrong attribution windows: Using a 1-day view for a 7-day sales cycle gives misleading results.
- Broken pixel: No data = no optimization. Get it fixed fast.
Final Thought
At the end of the day, a Facebook ads audit isn’t just a health check. It’s your roadmap to better ROI.
Whether you’re comparing Facebook ad agency pricing, working with a local partner, or looking for the best Facebook ad agency to scale your Shopify store—this audit is your first step to better performance.
Because sometimes, it’s not about doing more. It’s about doing the right things. And the right Facebook ad agency will help you find them.