Meta’s ad platform isn’t exactly known for being simple. One area where advertisers often get stuck is bidding strategies. If you’ve ever stared at the options wondering what on earth to pick, you’re not alone.

The truth is, your bidding strategy can make or break your campaign performance. But Meta doesn’t do the best job of explaining how each one actually works in practice. So here’s a plain-English breakdown of the four core bidding strategies you’ll see when running campaigns with Campaign Budget Optimisation (CBO).

These definitions won’t just help you understand what the settings mean – they’ll help you know when and why to use each one.

1. Highest Volume (or Value): Meta’s Default Option

This is the one Meta pushes by default – and with good reason. It tells the algorithm: “Spend my full budget and get me as many results as possible.”

It’s simple, aggressive, and works well when your goal is volume. Whether you’re optimising for leads, purchases, or add-to-carts, Meta will chase the maximum number of conversions within your set budget.

When to use it:
Great for testing new audiences, creatives, or offers. If you’re just launching a campaign and want to gather data fast, highest volume is the way to go. Don’t expect the most stable CPA, but you will get traffic through the door.

2. Cost Per Result Goal (formerly Cost Cap)

This one’s a bit more nuanced. You’re telling Meta: “I’d like conversions, but only if you can keep the average cost close to my target.”

Meta will still spend, but it will try to hover around your specified cost per action (CPA). Some days it’ll go over, some days under – but over time, the goal is to land somewhere near your target.

Now here’s the catch: if your target CPA is unrealistic – say you ask for £5 per purchase on a product that normally converts at £20 – the campaign may struggle to spend at all. Or worse, it spends and completely ignores your cost goal.

When to use it:
Ideal for scaling. Once you’ve found winning audiences and creatives, cost per result goal gives you a way to control your acquisition cost while increasing budget. Just be honest with your benchmarks – this isn’t a magic wand.

3. ROAS Goal: For Revenue-Focused Campaigns

Same concept as cost per result, but instead of optimising for a fixed cost per conversion, you’re optimising for a return on ad spend (ROAS). You’re telling Meta: “I want at least X return for every pound I spend.”

It’s a great fit for ecommerce brands with clear revenue goals. The algorithm will try to prioritise purchases that are more likely to generate higher order values and hit your ROAS target.

But again, if you set the bar too high, expect limited spend or erratic performance.

When to use it:
Use this if you’re tracking revenue properly through your pixel and need to ensure profitability. Perfect for scaling up profitable campaigns once you know your average order value and margins.

4. Bid Cap: Strict Budget Control – With a Trade-Off

This one’s for control freaks. You’re telling Meta: “Only bid if you can hit my exact CPA target. If not, don’t spend at all.”

Unlike cost per result, there’s no wiggle room. If the algorithm can’t find conversions that meet your strict cap, the ad won’t show. That sounds great in theory, but in reality, it often results in limited spend and underdelivery.

When to use it:
Best for advertisers with very tight margins or in highly competitive markets where every penny counts. But tread carefully – it requires a lot of testing, and it’s easy to choke your campaign’s delivery.

So… Which Strategy Is Best?

That’s the golden question – and unfortunately, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer.

What works for one account might tank in another. But here’s a good rule of thumb:

• Use highest volume to test. It gets your campaigns moving quickly and helps you gather meaningful data fast.
• Use cost per result or ROAS goals to scale. Once you know what works, these let you increase spend while keeping performance in check.
• Use bid caps sparingly. They’re useful in very specific situations, but they’re not for the faint of heart.

And remember – no bidding strategy can fix a bad product, weak offer, or poor creative. The algorithm isn’t a magician. Get your fundamentals right first, then use these tools to fine-tune and scale.