Meta Ads: What is Advantage+?

Like many tech companies in recent years, Meta has been rolling out AI-powered ad tools to simplify campaign setup and improve performance. One of the most talked-about in 2025 is Advantage+, designed to maximise conversions using best practices and Meta’s own AI algorithms.

This post from the Adhesion team explains what Advantage+ is, how it works, and whether NZ businesses should include it in their Meta Ads strategy.

What is Meta Advantage+?

Advantage+ (formerly known as Automated Ads) is Meta’s AI-driven campaign tool that automates ad creation, targeting, placements, and budget allocation. In other words, it’s Meta’s answer to Google’s Performance Max.

Designed to drive results with minimal manual input, it’s ideal for ecommerce and conversion-focused campaigns — those with clear objectives. Advertisers simply upload creative assets (images, video, text), select a goal (e.g. purchases), and Meta handles the rest. Machine learning tests combinations and optimises campaigns in real time, saving you time and effort.

Advantage+ campaign types include Sales (formerly called Shopping), App, and Leads; it all depends on your marketing objective.

Key Features

• Automated Targeting: Meta AI finds the most likely converters based on historical data.
  
  
• Creative Variations: Multiple ad variations are tested automatically to see what performs best.
  
  
• Auto Placements: Ads can be shown across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and Audience Network.
  
  
• Learning Algorithm: Advantage+ improves over time as it gathers more data.
  
  
• Performance Reports: Breakdowns of key metrics like return on ad spend (ROAS), click-through rate (CTR), cost per action (CPA) are still provided, but with less granular control than manual campaigns.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Faster setup — there’s no need to build separate ad sets.
  
• Great for businesses with large product catalogues or strong creative assets.
  
• Conversions are optimised for automatically.
  
  

Cons:

• Limited control — advertisers can’t see audience breakdowns or placement-level performance.
  
• Advantage+ may not suit niche or local businesses with specific targeting needs.
  
• It requires trust in the algorithm and good-quality input data.

Is Advantage+ Right for NZ Businesses?

Advantage+ is a strong fit for ecommerce businesses running conversion-focused campaigns, especially those with multiple SKUs or sales-driven ads. You can apply Meta’s AI either across the full campaign journey or at a single stage, offering flexibility based on your goals.

However, it may be less suitable for brand awareness or service-based industries where tight audience control is crucial. As with all automated tools, there's a trade-off: you lose some control in exchange for convenience and scale.

To get the most out of Advantage+, start with strong creative and clean data (like well-set pixel events and product feeds). The more creative assets you provide, the more Meta can optimise — mixing and matching to see what resonates best with your audience.

Consider running a small test budget to evaluate performance before shifting more spend, especially if you’re new to automated campaigns.

Conclusion

Advantage+ makes Meta Ads simpler and smarter — but every business is different. By aligning it with your campaign objectives, you can determine if it’s the right next step to take.

If you’re curious about automated campaigns or want help optimising your Meta strategy, the team at Adhesion can help. Get in touch to learn how Adhesion can make Advantage+ work for you.