[Update live as of May 23, 2025]
At eBay, we’re committed to empowering sellers with tools that enhance their marketing strategies. As part of this commitment, we’re excited to announce an update to our budget management approach for priority campaigns. Starting 18 June 2025, we’ll introduce budget pacing for priority campaigns and transition from weekly to monthly budget averaging, offering greater flexibility and optimisation opportunities.
What’s changing
- Currently, priority campaigns optimise daily budgets over a week, ensuring your spend does not exceed seven times your target daily budget. This approach has facilitated effective budget management, but we’re evolving to provide even more strategic advantages.
- Beginning 18 June 2025, we’ll enhance our priority campaigns by implementing budget pacing and transitioning from weekly to monthly budget averaging.
- This means your campaigns will optimise spending over a calendar month, without exceeding 30.4 times your target daily budget. On any given day, you could spend less than your target daily budget, or up to double the highest target daily budget in effect on that day.
- This change allows us to allocate your budget more efficiently, capitalising on peak traffic days to boost sales, while ensuring opportunities are consistently captured each day.
How it works
- Your target daily budget will serve as a guideline for calculating your potential monthly spend. We will optimise spending across the month, helping you spend more of your advertising budget on high-opportunity days and less on others. This approach ensures your campaigns are more effective, leveraging busy periods for better results.
Understanding changes made during the month
With the shift to monthly budget pacing, consider these important scenarios:
- Mid-month campaign start: Your total monthly spend will not exceed your target daily budget multiplied by the remaining days in the calendar month, including the start day.
- For example: If you start a new campaign with a $10 target daily budget on 15 January, there are 17 days left in the month (including the 15th & 31st). Therefore, the maximum spend for the remainder of the month would be $170 ($10×17 remaining days).
- Mid-month budget adjustment: Your total monthly spend will not exceed the amount already spent plus your new target daily budget multiplied by the remaining days in the calendar month.
- For example: If you raise your campaign’s target daily budget from $10 to $15 on 15 January, assuming you’ve spent $150 by then, your total monthly budget will increase from $304 to $405 [i.e. $150 + (17*$15)]. Therefore you will have $255 left to spend for the rest of the month.
- Mid-month campaign end: Your total monthly spend will not exceed your target daily budget multiplied by the number of days from the start of the calendar month up to and including the campaign’s end date.
- For example: If your campaign starts on the 1st with a $10 daily budget and is set to end on the 15th of the month, the maximum spend for the month would be $150 ($10×15 days, including the 15th).
No action is needed on your part. On 18 June 2025, your priority campaigns will automatically begin using a monthly budget pacing window.
FAQs
Why is eBay Advertising moving to monthly pacing of target daily budget for priority campaigns?
eBay Advertising is transitioning to monthly pacing for priority campaigns to provide advertisers with greater spend efficiency, flexibility and optimization opportunities. Monthly budget pacing leverages machine learning and traffic signals to optimize your budget, helping to deliver maximum return on ad spend.
eBay Advertising is transitioning to monthly pacing for priority campaigns to provide advertisers with greater spend efficiency, flexibility and optimization opportunities. Monthly budget pacing leverages machine learning and traffic signals to optimize your budget, helping to deliver maximum return on ad spend.
How does eBay's monthly pacing model take into account my target daily budget?
eBay’s pacing model is designed to optimize your spend by using your target daily budget as a signal toward the average daily amount you expect to spend over the course of a calendar month (or partial month, if you set a campaign end date during the month). The model opportunistically allocates spending during certain days in the month, with safeguards designed to help avoid premature spend exhaustion before month end. It’s important to note that mid-month changes to a lower target daily budget may affect this distribution, so adjustments should be made thoughtfully to maintain optimal pacing.
eBay’s pacing model is designed to optimize your spend by using your target daily budget as a signal toward the average daily amount you expect to spend over the course of a calendar month (or partial month, if you set a campaign end date during the month). The model opportunistically allocates spending during certain days in the month, with safeguards designed to help avoid premature spend exhaustion before month end. It’s important to note that mid-month changes to a lower target daily budget may affect this distribution, so adjustments should be made thoughtfully to maintain optimal pacing.
What factors influence how eBay paces my spend?
eBay takes into account several variables to help pace your spend throughout the month. We use real-time platform data and forecasted traffic to anticipate periods of high engagement, such as Black Friday, and consider historical data and seasonal trends to optimize budget allocation. Our systems also account for factors like current market trends and category-specific traffic to shift your advertising budget to times with better sales potential.
eBay takes into account several variables to help pace your spend throughout the month. We use real-time platform data and forecasted traffic to anticipate periods of high engagement, such as Black Friday, and consider historical data and seasonal trends to optimize budget allocation. Our systems also account for factors like current market trends and category-specific traffic to shift your advertising budget to times with better sales potential.
What are best practices if I’d like to maintain more control of my target daily budget?
You can leverage campaign end dates to maintain more control over your target daily budget. Your total monthly spend will not exceed your target daily budget multiplied by the number of days from the start of the calendar month up to and including the campaign’s end date, allowing you to shorten the spending window of a campaign, if desired.
You can leverage campaign end dates to maintain more control over your target daily budget. Your total monthly spend will not exceed your target daily budget multiplied by the number of days from the start of the calendar month up to and including the campaign’s end date, allowing you to shorten the spending window of a campaign, if desired.
How do I calculate my target daily budget?
To calculate your target daily budget, assuming your campaign will be active the entire calendar month, divide your total monthly budget by 30.4 (the average number of days in a month). This helps your spending align with your monthly goals while accommodating daily fluctuations.
To calculate your target daily budget, assuming your campaign will be active the entire calendar month, divide your total monthly budget by 30.4 (the average number of days in a month). This helps your spending align with your monthly goals while accommodating daily fluctuations.
What happens if my campaign spends more than my target daily budget on a given day?
We may exceed your target daily budget on some days to capitalize on sales opportunities for you. This is balanced by spending less on other days, ensuring the monthly budget limit, based on the 30.4-day average, is not exceeded over the course of the entire month.
We may exceed your target daily budget on some days to capitalize on sales opportunities for you. This is balanced by spending less on other days, ensuring the monthly budget limit, based on the 30.4-day average, is not exceeded over the course of the entire month.
What is the maximum my priority campaign can spend each day?
While your target daily budget sets a baseline, our pacing algorithm allows for some daily fluctuation to optimize performance. The maximum spend on any given day can exceed the target you’ve specified, but your total monthly spend will not exceed 30.4 times your target daily budget.
While your target daily budget sets a baseline, our pacing algorithm allows for some daily fluctuation to optimize performance. The maximum spend on any given day can exceed the target you’ve specified, but your total monthly spend will not exceed 30.4 times your target daily budget.
How does the target daily budget affect my campaign's maximum spend?
Your target daily budget serves as a guideline for daily spending, but our pacing system allows for flexibility to optimize performance. On high-opportunity days, spending may exceed the target to capitalize on increased opportunities, balanced by lower spending on other days. The maximum monthly spend will not exceed 30.4 times your set target daily budget, unless you adjust the budget during the month. Changes made to your target daily budget during the month can impact your campaign’s maximum monthly spend. For planning purposes, the calendar month begins on the first of the month.
Your target daily budget serves as a guideline for daily spending, but our pacing system allows for flexibility to optimize performance. On high-opportunity days, spending may exceed the target to capitalize on increased opportunities, balanced by lower spending on other days. The maximum monthly spend will not exceed 30.4 times your set target daily budget, unless you adjust the budget during the month. Changes made to your target daily budget during the month can impact your campaign’s maximum monthly spend. For planning purposes, the calendar month begins on the first of the month.
How does eBay optimize the spend of my target daily budget?
Our pacing algorithm dynamically adjusts daily spend based on traffic, competition, and performance opportunities to maximize results within your budget constraints. This ensures efficient use of your budget throughout the month.
Our pacing algorithm dynamically adjusts daily spend based on traffic, competition, and performance opportunities to maximize results within your budget constraints. This ensures efficient use of your budget throughout the month.
How will my priority campaign cost be calculated?
Campaign costs are calculated based on actual clicks on your ads within the constraints of your budget.
Campaign costs are calculated based on actual clicks on your ads within the constraints of your budget.
How am I charged for clicks on my ads?
Priority strategy campaigns use a cost-per-click model. You only pay for clicks on your ads. Your target daily budget determines how much you could be charged per month for clicks on your ads.
Priority strategy campaigns use a cost-per-click model. You only pay for clicks on your ads. Your target daily budget determines how much you could be charged per month for clicks on your ads.
How does eBay determine the cost-per-click for my listings?
We take into account a variety of factors when calculating your cost per click, including competition, listing quality, item price, ad placement, and budget. Your budget helps inform performance goals, which we use as a signal for improving when and where to show your ads. For campaigns using manual keyword targeting, you can control your bid amounts by setting a Maximum CPC. For campaigns using smart targeting, you can manage your spend by adjusting your target daily budget or by setting a Maximum CPC in advanced settings.
We take into account a variety of factors when calculating your cost per click, including competition, listing quality, item price, ad placement, and budget. Your budget helps inform performance goals, which we use as a signal for improving when and where to show your ads. For campaigns using manual keyword targeting, you can control your bid amounts by setting a Maximum CPC. For campaigns using smart targeting, you can manage your spend by adjusting your target daily budget or by setting a Maximum CPC in advanced settings.
How is my monthly spend determined if my campaign starts during the month?
If your campaign launches mid-month, your total monthly spend will not exceed your target daily budget multiplied by the remaining days in the calendar month, including the start day.
- Example: If you start a new campaign with a $10 target daily budget on January 15th, there are 17 days left in the month (including the 15th & 31st). Therefore, the maximum spend for the remainder of the month would be $170 ($10×17 remaining days).
If your campaign launches mid-month, your total monthly spend will not exceed your target daily budget multiplied by the remaining days in the calendar month, including the start day.
- Example: If you start a new campaign with a $10 target daily budget on January 15th, there are 17 days left in the month (including the 15th & 31st). Therefore, the maximum spend for the remainder of the month would be $170 ($10×17 remaining days).
How is my monthly spend determined if my campaign ends during the month?
If your campaign has an end date scheduled in the middle of the month, your total monthly spend won’t exceed your target daily budget multiplied by the number of days from the start date to the end date, unless you end the campaign prior to the originally scheduled date.
- Example: If your campaign starts on the 1st with a $100 daily budget and is set to end on the 15th of the month, the maximum spend for the month would be $1,500 ($100×15 days, including the 15th).
If your campaign has an end date scheduled in the middle of the month, your total monthly spend won’t exceed your target daily budget multiplied by the number of days from the start date to the end date, unless you end the campaign prior to the originally scheduled date.
- Example: If your campaign starts on the 1st with a $100 daily budget and is set to end on the 15th of the month, the maximum spend for the month would be $1,500 ($100×15 days, including the 15th).
How is my monthly spend determined if I change my target daily budget during the month?
If you adjust your daily budget during the month, your monthly spending limit will be recalculated that day based on the new budget and the remaining days in the month. Your total monthly spend will not exceed the amount already spent plus your new target daily budget multiplied by the remaining days, including the day of the change.
- Example: If you raise your campaign’s target daily budget from $10 to $15 on January 15th, assuming you’ve spent $150 by then, your total monthly budget will increase from $304 to $405 [i.e. $150 + (17*$15)]. Therefore you will have $255 left to spend for the rest of the month.
If you adjust your daily budget during the month, your monthly spending limit will be recalculated that day based on the new budget and the remaining days in the month. Your total monthly spend will not exceed the amount already spent plus your new target daily budget multiplied by the remaining days, including the day of the change.
- Example: If you raise your campaign’s target daily budget from $10 to $15 on January 15th, assuming you’ve spent $150 by then, your total monthly budget will increase from $304 to $405 [i.e. $150 + (17*$15)]. Therefore you will have $255 left to spend for the rest of the month.
What happens to my campaign’s spend if I manually end my campaign during the month or before its scheduled end-date?
If you manually end your campaign during the month or before its scheduled end date, it may have spent more than the average of your target daily budget for the elapsed days, as the system optimizes for the full calendar month (or full campaign duration, if scheduled with an end date).
- Example: If you launched a campaign on the 1st with a $100 target daily budget and ended it on the 6th, it might have spent more than $100/day or <$600 because eBay aims to optimize your budget across 30.4 days, not just the first 6 days.
If you manually end your campaign during the month or before its scheduled end date, it may have spent more than the average of your target daily budget for the elapsed days, as the system optimizes for the full calendar month (or full campaign duration, if scheduled with an end date).
- Example: If you launched a campaign on the 1st with a $100 target daily budget and ended it on the 6th, it might have spent more than $100/day or <$600 because eBay aims to optimize your budget across 30.4 days, not just the first 6 days.
How can I change my target daily budget, and what should I expect?
You can change your target daily budget at any time. If the campaign’s spend for the day already exceeds the new budget, the change will take effect the following day. Adjusting the budget impacts the month’s spending limit, recalculating based on the new budget and days left in the calendar month.
You can change your target daily budget at any time. If the campaign’s spend for the day already exceeds the new budget, the change will take effect the following day. Adjusting the budget impacts the month’s spending limit, recalculating based on the new budget and days left in the calendar month.
How does eBay define a month for campaign budgeting purposes?
We define a month as a calendar month, meaning it begins on the first day and ends on the last day of the month, regardless of the number of days in that month. For budgeting calculations, we use an average of 30.4 days to account for varying month lengths.
We define a month as a calendar month, meaning it begins on the first day and ends on the last day of the month, regardless of the number of days in that month. For budgeting calculations, we use an average of 30.4 days to account for varying month lengths.
