Facebook Ad Analytics Guide (2025): + 11 Key Metrics To Watch

Facebook ad analytics shows how campaigns perform across spend, engagement, and conversions. It helps you track results, compare campaigns, and decide what to adjust. 

Tracking metrics like return on ad spend (ROAS), cost per action (CPA), and conversion rate (CVR) are a part of the process, but the real value comes from using analytics to guide your strategy. 

In this guide, I’ll explain what Facebook ad analytics covers, what it can and can’t do, and the 11 metrics worth paying attention to in 2025.

What does Facebook ad analytics do?

Facebook ad analytics tracks and reports the results of your paid campaigns. It records data like reach, impressions, clicks, conversions, demographics, and cost measures such as cost per mille (CPM) or cost per action (CPA). 

The tool also breaks performance down by campaign, ad set, or creative level, giving you a clear view of where your budget is working best.

What Facebook ad analytics can and can’t tell you

Facebook ad analytics can tell you how campaigns, ad sets, and creatives perform; however, they can’t tell you why ads succeed or fail. 

You can look in Ads Manager to track reporting metrics like clicks, conversions, impressions, and costs. You can even dig deeper and break the numbers down by audience, placement, or device to compare performance across segments.

The data you get from Facebook ad analytics is good for tracking delivery, spotting audience trends, and checking how your budget is pacing. Custom reports make it easy to share results with teammates or clients, but Ads Manager leaves out the creative context behind the numbers.

Tip: If you want to learn why your ads are (or aren’t) performing, you can use a tool like Bestever. We designed Bestever to help you analyze creative elements like hooks, calls-to-action, and visuals so you see what’s driving clicks and conversions.

11 Top Facebook ad metrics that matter

I know it can get overwhelming to dig into the metrics in your Meta Ads Manager since there are dozens of numbers to sort through. But if you focus on the ones that connect ad spend to revenue and actions, it gets easier to figure out your Facebook ad performance. 

Here are my top 11 metrics to track in 2025:

Performance metrics

These metrics connect spend to revenue and efficiency. Here are the ones I check first when I want to know if a campaign is worth scaling:

1. Return on ad spend (ROAS): ROAS is the clearest way to judge if your ads are making money. You calculate it by dividing revenue by ad spend. I’ve seen retargeting campaigns return $2,000 on a $300 budget, which equals 6.7 ROAS. When I see ROAS closer to 1.5, it usually signals the need to test new creative or targeting.
   ‍
2. Conversion rate (CVR): CVR matters because it shows whether clicks turn into the actions you care about. Those actions could be purchases, sign-ups, calls, or form fills. If CTR is high but CVR is low, it tells me there’s a disconnect between the ad and the landing page.
   ‍
3. Cost per action (CPA): CPA ties your costs to campaign outcomes. I look at it because it tells me what I’m paying for each purchase, sign-up, or other action I need. If I’m spending $95 to sell a $50 product, I know the campaign isn’t sustainable and needs changes fast.
   ‍
4. Purchase volume: Purchase volume matters because it gives you context for other metrics. For example, high ROAS can look impressive until you check your sales count. I’ve had campaigns with three sales at 5.0 ROAS that didn’t come close to the value of campaigns with 100 sales at 3.5 ROAS.

Engagement metrics

These numbers show how people interact with your ads beyond clicks. Here’s what to look at to see how people are responding:

5. Click-through rate: CTR matters because it shows if your ad grabbed attention. When CTR is high, it usually means your creative made people curious enough to click. If you want to learn more, check out our guide on what a good CTR is for Facebook ads.
   
   
6. Video views: Video views reveal how well your content holds attention. A 3-second view shows that someone paused to watch, while a ThruPlay (15 seconds or longer or to completion) means they stayed with the content. When most people drop off early, I take it as a signal that my opening hook didn’t land.
   
   
7. Shares, saves, and comments: Pay attention to these engagement signals because they show that your ad resonated on a personal level. For example, when I see my saves and shares climb, I know people found my ad’s message relevant enough to keep or pass along.

Delivery and budget metrics

Even strong ads need efficient delivery. Here are the signals I use to check whether my delivery and spend make sense:

8. Frequency: Frequency is important because it shows you how often the same person sees your ad. In my campaigns, I’ve noticed that my results often start slipping when it climbs above 3. If CTR falls at the same time, I treat it as fatigue and refresh my creative.
   
   
9. Cost per mille or cost per thousand impressions: CPM highlights what you’re paying to reach people. In my campaigns, this metric tells me if targeting might be too narrow. For example, when my CPM jumped from $10 to $25 without stronger engagement, I knew the audience was too limited and had to broaden it.
   
   
10. Quality ranking: This metric helps you understand how your ad compares to others aimed at the same audience. You can use it to gauge whether your ads are competitive enough to win delivery against others in the same space. In my campaigns, “below average” usually meant my creative was stale or off-message.
    
    
11. Engagement rate ranking: I look at this to see how my ad stacks up for attention in a crowded feed. For example, an ad marked Above Average (Top 20% of ads) tells me it’s grabbing attention better than most, while a Below Average (Bottom 35% of ads) score signals my creative isn’t connecting and may cost more to deliver.

How to analyze Facebook ad performance like a pro

When I dig into ad performance, I follow a simple process. Looking at the numbers in the right order saves me time and shows me what to fix first. Here’s the step-by-step approach I use (and that you can try too):

1. Campaign-level review

Start by comparing your campaigns side by side. See which one pulled the strongest ROAS or the lowest CPA. 

Keep an eye on the campaign type too. Ads built for purchases usually act differently from those built for leads. If retargeting keeps delivering and new audience ads are just burning through your budget, that’s a pretty clear signal it’s time to shift how you’re spending.

2. Ad set-level review

An ad audit at this stage could help you spot gaps in targeting and placements before they drain your budget. Here’s what to check:

• Audience performance: Compare each audience and see which one gives you the lowest cost per result. Warm audiences can look promising, but sometimes cost more than a broader group.
  
  
• Facebook placements: Review how ads perform across placements like Feed, Stories, Marketplace, and Right Column. Shifting spend toward placements with stronger Facebook ad metrics can improve efficiency.
  
  
• Formatting issues: Make sure your ad sizes fit each placement. Poor formatting can drag down your ads’ performance even if targeting is solid.

3. Ad-level review

At the ad level, the focus shifts to creative performance. This is where I typically use Bestever to break down what makes my ad work (and what needs to change). Here’s what to look at:

• Creative performance: Use creative analytics to compare ads that ran under the same audience and budget. Look at clicks, conversions, and other Facebook ad metrics to see what caused the difference.
  
  
• Message and design: Check whether the headline, call-to-action, or visuals explain why one ad outperformed another. Small creative tweaks can make a big impact, so do some testing to see if you find improvements.
  
  
• Visual fit: Make sure the creative feels natural in the placement where it runs. An ad that blends into the Feed might feel out of place in the Right Column or Marketplace.
  
  
• Scale decisions: Use these comparisons to decide which ads to keep running, which ones to pause, and which ones are worth testing again with small changes.

When to review your Facebook ad metrics for best results

Digging into Facebook ad analytics can feel overwhelming if you don’t have a routine. If you’re not sure how often to check, here’s a sample schedule that keeps ad reviews simple and effective:

Daily check

Start with the essentials. Look at spend, CTR, and conversions to confirm ads are delivering as expected. If spend is rising but conversions aren’t moving, you’ll catch the problem early. 

Facebook reporting tools are useful here because you can save a custom dashboard with these metrics and scan them in minutes. You can customize your columns in your dashboard to show the metrics you care about most.

Weekly check

Focus on efficiency. Track CPA to see how much you’re paying for results, and watch for creative fatigue. When frequency climbs while CTR drops, it’s usually a sign the audience has seen the ad too many times. 

At this point, refresh the creative with a new hook, update the call-to-action, or shift budget to a different audience segment. Weekly reviews are also a good time to check delivery across Facebook placements to see if one area is carrying more weight than others.

Monthly check

Step back for the bigger picture. Compare your results against competitor benchmarks to see if your costs and engagement rates are in line with the market. Review creative themes across your own ads and notice which hooks, visuals, or tones repeat in your top performers. 

This kind of monthly audit shows you what’s working beyond a single campaign. It also helps shape the next month’s testing plan, so you’re building on proven creatives instead of starting from scratch.

Tips to improve your FB ad performance with analytics

Looking at Facebook ad metrics is only useful if you know how to act on them. Here are four practical ways to turn numbers into better campaigns:

• Cut underperforming creatives early: Don’t wait weeks to make a call. If an ad spends heavily in the first 48 to 72 hours without clicks or conversions, shut it down and shift your budget to something stronger. Quick cuts save money and give you more room to test.
  
  
• Retarget based on engagement tiers: Create custom audiences around different levels of interest. For example, group people who watched most of a video and clicked, but didn’t convert, or if they saved your post. Follow up with fresh creative that matches where they are in the journey.
  
  
• Refresh creative when frequency climbs: Frequency above three usually means people have seen your ad too often. If your CTR starts to slide, rotate in a new visual style, headline, or call-to-action. Even small changes can reset how the ad performs. Tools like Bestever make it easier to see which elements are dragging down results.
  
  
• Build creative leaderboards: Track your top-performing ads by goal, such as traffic, engagement, or conversions. Over time, this becomes a playbook you can lean on when launching new campaigns. Pair this with insights from the Facebook Ads Library to spot trends in competitor creative.

How Bestever can help you get more from your Facebook analytics

Facebook ad analytics show what happened, but they don’t explain why some ads perform better than others. Bestever closes that gap by breaking down your creatives and highlighting exactly what drives results.

At Bestever, we use the data you collect through Facebook ad analytics and other sources to break down how your ads perform and show what needs to change for better results.

Here’s how Bestever can help you:

• Analyze your ads' effectiveness: Bestever’s Ad Analysis Dashboard gives you instant feedback on an ad's Visual Impact, Brand Alignment, Sales Orientation, and Audience Engagement. It’ll even break down each element in detail. 
  ‍
• Get suggestions to improve every frame: If an ad isn’t hitting the mark, ask Bestever to tell you what’s wrong and get instant, actionable suggestions on what to do to fix it. No more guessing or wasting time, your team can start fixing those issues asap. 
  ‍
• Understand your audience: Bestever’s audience analysis tools go beyond sharing standard demographics, helping refine both targeting and messaging. You can share your website URL or integrate it with your ad manager, and it’ll quickly let you know who wants to hear more from you. 
  ‍
• Rapid asset generation: Fetch AI-generated images, stock photos, and video clips that all fit your brand voice. Then you can share the creatives with your team to make multiple ad variations faster.

• Instant feedback loop: Know immediately why an ad variant underperforms, then pivot before wasting your budget.

Want to see this in action? Let our team show you how Bestever works alongside your Facebook ad analytics to reveal why your creatives perform the way they do.

Schedule a free demo of Bestever now.

Frequently asked questions

What’s the most important metric in Facebook Ads analytics?

Return on ad spend (ROAS) is the most important metric in Facebook ad analytics because it shows how much revenue you earn for every dollar spent. For sales, ROAS is the clearest signal of profitability. For lead generation, cost per action (CPA) or cost per lead (CPL) is more relevant, while for brand awareness, reach and impressions show how far your message has spread.

How do you know if your Facebook ads are working?

You know your Facebook ads are working when they generate results that match your campaign goal, such as sales, leads, or reach. Look at core metrics like ROAS for purchases, CPA for leads, or impressions for awareness. These numbers give you a clear signal if the ads are paying off or wasting spend.

What is a good ROAS for Facebook ads?

A good ROAS for Facebook ads is anything between 2.5 to 4.0, meaning you make $2.50 to $4 in revenue for every dollar spent. Strong retargeting campaigns often land higher, while prospecting campaigns tend to run lower. Always compare ROAS against your product margins to decide if results are sustainable.

Can Facebook Ads Manager show you why a creative underperformed?

Facebook Ads Manager does not explain why a creative underperformed; it only reports metrics like CTR, conversions, and frequency. Those numbers show what happened, but they don’t reveal if the issue was the hook, call-to-action, or visual. Creative analytics tools like Bestever add that context and suggest what to adjust.

What’s the difference between Facebook ad analytics and Meta advanced analytics?

Facebook ad analytics refers to general ad performance tracking, while Meta Advanced Analytics includes Meta’s current tools for advanced reporting and AI-driven optimization. Facebook ad analytics covers performance metrics like CTR, ROAS, and CPA, while Meta advanced analytics spans Ads Manager, Business Suite, Events Manager, and Advantage+.