This guide is intended for agencies managing Moloco Ads campaigns on behalf of their clients to help troubleshoot common errors and provide best practices for successfully launching and scaling campaigns. Learn more about common reasons why a campaign may not spend or why creatives get stuck in review. 

Things to check

Be sure to check the following before troubleshooting.

• MMP postbacks are configured correctly for each client app and KPI event the campaign is optimizing toward (e.g., install, purchase, or action events).
• You have access to your client’s Moloco Ads account, including the Assets tab for their app (to check postbacks, targets, and user lists), and the Campaign and Ad Group overviews (to check budgets, campaign status, and creatives).
• Your client’s campaign goals and KPIs (e.g., ROAS or a specific action event) are accurately mapped to events available in their MMP integration.

How to resolve common issues

Campaign not spending

If a newly created campaign isn't spending or spending very little, proceed with the following steps.

Step 1: Check unattributed postback volume. 

1. Go to the Assets tab and click the app.
2. Under Postback Dashboard, confirm the count of unattributed postbacks for the KPI event the campaign is optimizing toward (e.g., purchase or registration).
3. If fewer than 1,000 unattributed postbacks of the targeted KPI event have been received, Moloco’s models may not have enough data to start spending for a new campaign. If the unattributed postback volume is low, review the postback integration settings in your client’s MMP to make sure the KPI event is being sent to Moloco with the correct configuration and frequency.
4. Once the KPI event is correctly configured and enough unattributed postbacks accumulate, the campaign will be able to start spending.

Step 2: Check targets and/or user lists

Overly restrictive or conflicting targeting is a common reason a new campaign doesn’t spend, especially when agencies set up multiple targets for specific regions or audiences. To learn how to set up targets and/or user lists, see the campaign audience configuration guide. 

From the Assets tab, select the target or user list associated with the campaign to review its settings. Check for the following issues.

• Overly narrow targeting (e.g., very restricted geo-location(s), strict device or OS filters, heavy publisher blocklists, etc.).
• Overlapping or canceling logic in audience lists such as including a fixed audience and then excluding the same (or highly similar) audience, or combining multiple targets in a way that unintentionally filters out users you want to reach.
• Multiple separate geo targets created instead of a combined target (e.g., separate targets for CA and TX that conflict, rather than a single target including both).

If you find any of these patterns, simplify your approach. Start with broader targets (e.g., combined geo-locations, fewer exclusions) and minimal blocklists so Moloco’s models can find high-value users first. Then, refine targeting once the campaign has stable delivery and performance data.

Step 3: Check campaign budget level and budget type

Budget settings that are too restrictive can prevent campaigns from entering or exiting the learning phase. A fixed daily budget at or below 350 USD can be too limiting given typical bid levels and target KPIs, especially for ROAS or action-optimized campaigns. For ROAS or action-focused campaigns, we recommend a minimum daily budget of around 350 USD to collect enough signals for model training. Here are some recommended actions for improving ad delivery.

• Increase the daily budget above 350 USD where possible, or relax campaign parameters (e.g., broaden targeting or reduce blocklists) to be more compatible with the current budget level.
• If you manage smaller markets, consider grouping them into a multi-geo campaign so the system can more flexibly allocate spend across markets where it sees opportunity.

Step 4: Confirm creatives are assigned to ad groups

Even after creatives have been uploaded, they won’t be reviewed or served until they have been added to an ad group. 

From Campaign Home, scroll down to Ad Groups. Confirm that each ad group has creatives assigned. The creative review process only starts once creatives are linked to an ad group. If creatives are uploaded but not assigned, assign them to the relevant ad group(s). This will trigger the approval workflow and enable ads to be served once approved. To learn how to add creatives to an ad group, see the ad group configuration guide. 

Creatives are stuck in review

If creatives have been under review longer than expected, follow these steps.

Step 1: Check unattributed postback volume

For new campaigns, low unattributed postback volume for the KPI event can prevent the campaign from launching and can also delay creative review. From Postback Dashboard, confirm that there are at least 1,000 unattributed postbacks for the targeted KPI event. If volume is low, verify MMP postback configuration and wait until enough signals are collected.

Step 2: Check how long the campaign has been active

If a new campaign has been active for more than 48 hours with no spend and you have already confirmed postback data is healthy, reach out to your Moloco representative for support.

If the campaign is already active and spending but specific creatives remain stuck in review, also reach out to your Moloco representative for assistance.

Step 3: Confirm creatives are assigned and compliant

Be sure that all uploaded creatives are assigned to an ad group. Unassigned creatives won’t be sent for review. Review the current creative specs and policy requirements for your client’s vertical to ensure assets meet all requirements with regard to size, format, and content policies.

Review probabilistic attribution settings

If you see an alert (like the one below) asking you to review probabilistic attribution settings when working on a campaign, this usually indicates that probabilistic attribution isn’t enabled or correctly configured in the client’s MMP settings.

1. From your client’s MMP dashboard, navigate to the Moloco integration or partner settings.
2. Confirm that probabilistic attribution (or the equivalent term in the client's MMP) is enabled for the correct app (including bundle ID) and the KPI event the campaign is optimizing toward.
3. Review Moloco’s postback integration guide for the MMP to ensure all required postbacks are being sent with the correct configuration.

Once probabilistic attribution is correctly enabled and postbacks start flowing, the alert will no longer block campaign activation or delivery.

Best practices for successful campaign launch and ad delivery

Maximize creative coverage for your clients

Running a variety of creatives helps Moloco’s models learn faster and find the best-performing combinations. Review the checklist for your target region for a list of all requirements. For each campaign, we recommend the following.

• Around three creative groups per format (for example, multiple groups for banner and video), where a banner group includes all sizes of banners for that concept.
• A video group includes portrait, landscape, and end card variations of that concept.

This setup gives the system more options to match creative formats to inventory, and increases the likelihood of finding top-performing creative concepts for each client.

When you are managing multiple clients, align each client’s creative plan with their primary KPIs (e.g., performance vs. brand) while still providing a diverse set of formats and sizes to Moloco’s system.

Maximize inventory opportunities

Campaigns with heavy blocklists or very narrow targeting can struggle to ramp, especially during early learning. To improve performance, we recommend the following.

• Minimize publisher and exchange blocklists so Moloco’s models have full access to inventory where high-value users may be found.
• Avoid applying the same restrictive blocklists across many client campaigns by default. Instead, tailor blocklists to clear brand safety or policy needs.

Remember that campaigns without inventory blocks typically achieve higher conversion rates and faster ramp-up than those with strict restrictions. If budgets are limited, you can still combine multiple smaller markets into multi-geo campaigns, letting the system direct budget to where it sees the best opportunity.

Optimize ad delivery and learning phases

Moloco’s models rely on both unattributed data and live campaign signals to learn and optimize.

• Plan ahead: For new bundles or new optimization goals (e.g., shifting from install to a deeper action event), we require around 8 days of unattributed data prior to a weekend to generate a model for a new bundle and optimization goal.
• For best results, set up campaigns at least 7 to 8 days before launch, so the system can learn from unattributed data before scaling spend.
• For new optimization goals (for example, moving further down the funnel), expect the campaign to enter a learning phase again while the system adapts to the new KPI. During learning, avoid frequent or drastic changes to budgets, targets, or creatives so the model can stabilize around a consistent configuration.

Frequently asked questions 

Can we run a campaign with two KPI events?

For ROAS campaigns, you can select up to two events for the campaign goal. All other campaigns are designed to optimize for a single KPI event at a time. If your client wants to optimize for two distinct KPIs (e.g., registrations and purchases), you must set up two separate campaigns, each optimizing toward its own KPI event. Each new campaign will go through its own exploration and learning phase, so you must plan budget and timelines accordingly.

What do we need to ensure the client’s campaign is successful?

To set your client up for success, focus on the following areas.

• Use up to 3 creative groups per format, encompassing all required sizes and orientations for each concept. Follow Moloco’s creative guidelines and specs for each creative type (banner, video, etc.).
• Ensure Moloco receives enough unattributed postbacks for the KPI event. For new bundles or new optimization goals, expect a fresh learning phase that requires 8 days of unattributed data ahead of a weekend to generate a robust model.
• For ROAS or action-optimized campaigns, target a minimum daily budget of around 350 USD, or group smaller markets into multi-geo campaigns so the system can efficiently distribute spend.

How often should we adjust campaign budgets, and by how much?

For scaled campaigns, budget increases and decreases should be applied in 20% increments. 
Allow performance to stabilize 7 to 10 days before changing the budget again. 

What should we expect when we increase our client’s campaign budget?

Increasing the campaign budget will allow our system to bid more aggressively to reach new, valuable users. As a result, key metrics can fluctuate after budget increases.