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The short answer
A target set far from what the account actually does fails in one of two ways. Far stricter than the actual, and it throttles the campaign. Far looser, and it does nothing while someone manages a number that means nothing. Oppy flags targets set far from the actual, in either direction.
Why it matters
A target CPA of €20 on a campaign that really costs €60 per conversion tells Google to bid for conversions it cannot find at that price. The campaign shrinks, spend drops, and conversions drop with it.
A target of €200 on a campaign that costs €60 changes nothing. Google beats it easily, and the target stops being a control. Both directions need attention, for opposite reasons.
How Oppy decides
The check runs once the account has enough conversions to judge each campaign fairly.
Checks that weigh money or clicks judge what they find on your own account's numbers, not on one figure applied to every account, so what counts as a problem on a small account is not the same on a large one. Checks on settings read how the account is set up.
When there is too little to go on, the check says so instead of guessing. A finding always comes with the rows behind it, so you can read the evidence before you decide.
| This check | |
|---|---|
| Step of the audit | Spend |
| What it reads | Campaigns, their settings and their results |
| Needs trustworthy conversions | Yes. It stays silent when the tracking step fails. |
| What happens next | Reported in the audit with the rows behind it. The decision stays with you. |
Check it yourself in Google Ads
- In Google Ads, open Campaigns for the last 30 days and add Target CPA or Target ROAS, Cost / conv. and Conv. value / cost.
- For each campaign with a target, divide the target by the actual result.
- When the target is a fraction of the actual, or several times it, it is far from what the campaign does.
- Check whether the campaign's spend has fallen, a sign the target is throttling it.
What to do about it
For a throttled campaign, move the target toward the actual in steps of 10 to 20%, waiting a week or two between steps. For a target doing nothing, bring it closer to the actual so it controls something again.
Make each change on a known date and note it, so the learning period is not mistaken for a problem.
Terms on this page
Other checks in this area
The checks next to this one in Bids and targets, each with its own page.