The playbook
Ad Campaign Experiments: Checklist
Use this ad campaign experiments checklist before a new release, a handoff, or a scheduled review. Its purpose is to verify the decisions that affect evidence supporting the campaign decision. Check an actual campaign or conversion record; a box marked complete without evidence does not show that the customer journey works.
Put the task in context
Write the hypothesis, comparison, outcome, and decision rule before launch. Record concurrent changes and allow for delayed outcomes. If results are uncertain, say so and decide whether the next useful action is more observation, a revised test, or stopping.
Before you use the checklist
Name the exact item being checked and its purpose. Gather hypothesis, comparison, outcome, decision rule. If one of those details is unknown, mark it as unknown and assign a way to resolve it. An invented value makes the checklist look complete while weakening every later decision.
Working checklist
| Check | Evidence to keep | Responsible role |
|---|---|---|
| State the decision the experiment will inform | A dated observation showing how hypothesis was verified | campaign lead |
| Choose meaningful outcomes and comparable conditions | A dated observation showing how comparison was verified | creative or tracking owner |
| Document duration uncertainty and rollout criteria | A dated observation showing how outcome was verified | budget owner |
Check the failure path
- Look specifically for this failure: stopping as soon as one variant temporarily appears ahead.
- Use a preplanned review and consider variability before deciding. Record the actual correction, not just the intention to make it.
- Repeat the affected task after the correction and check decision rule.
- Make sure the next owner can find the decision and supporting evidence.
Use three outcomes for each check
Mark an item as complete only when the expected behavior or information has been observed. Mark it as incomplete when a required condition is absent. Use not applicable when the condition genuinely does not belong to the chosen scope, and write a short reason. These states keep a review useful without forcing every process into an identical mold.
For example, if the check is “State the decision the experiment will inform,” a meeting about the subject is not the evidence itself. Retain the relevant hypothesis and comparison, the decision made from them, and the result of checking that decision. The record should allow someone who missed the meeting to understand what changed.
Decide what must be resolved first
An incomplete item that prevents test a specific advertising hypothesis using a planned comparison deserves attention before a cosmetic improvement. Assign an owner and a next action to that issue. Keep optional refinements visible, but do not let them obscure a failure in the core process.
Close the review
Recheck corrected items and note anything still uncertain. The checklist is finished when the next owner understands what was verified and what remains open. Follow evidence supporting the campaign decision using a consistent definition so later reviews can connect execution quality with useful results.
Keep advertising spend, platform-reported conversions, and confirmed business outcomes distinct. Different platforms may claim credit for the same sale. A combined report needs reconciliation or a clear explanation that figures cannot be added.
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