When configuring a Line Item, you can choose how the budget is distributed over time. There are two available options for Budget Spend Behavior:
- As soon as possible
With As soon as possible behavior, the system attempts to spend the budget as soon as possible, without any pacing.
Optional setting: You can define a Daily Budget to limit daily spend.
- Evenly
With Evenly selected, the system attempts to distribute the total budget evenly across the active days/hours between the Start Date and End Date.
Requirements:
- Budget is mandatory
- Start Date and End Date are mandatory
- A Period granularity must be selected.
Key Formulas:
Hourly Budget = (Remaining Budget / Remaining Hours)
Daily Budget = (Remaining Budget / Remaining Hours) × Hours in Current Day
Weekly Budget = (Remaining Budget / Remaining Hours) * Current Week Hours
Monthly Budget = (Remaining Budget / Remaining Hours) * Current Month Hours
Lifetime Budget = (Remaining Budget / Remaining Hours)
Budget Recalculation Triggers
The system automatically recalculates budget distribution under the following conditions:
- Updates to the “Budget” field in the Line Item
- Changes to the Start or End Dates
- Start of a new day (based on the account’s time zone)
Important:
If any of these parameters are modified, the distribution of the budget - whether by day or hour - will be recalculated accordingly to reflect the new configuration.
Example: Evenly Behavior with Daily Granularity
Let’s walk through an example where the campaign starts and ends during partial days:
Key Formula: Daily Budget = (Remaining Budget / Remaining Hours) × Hours in Current Day
- Start Date: May 5, 2025 - 17:35 (5:35 PM)
- End Date: May 7, 2025 - 16:00 (4:00 PM)
- Total Budget: $200
- Budget Spend Behavior: Evenly
- Period Granularity: Day
Step 1: Calculate Total Active Hours per Each Day
Split the LineItem by day:
- Day 1 (May 5): 6.42 hours* (from 17:35 to midnight)
- Day 2 (May 6): 24 hours
- Day 3 (May 7): 16 hours (midnight to 16:00)
Total Active Time = 6.42 + 24 + 16 = 46.42 hours
*6.42 hours is based on the actual time conversion. 35 minutes = 0.58 of an hour (35 ÷ 60), so the time from 17:35 to 00:00 equals 6.42 hours — not 6.25, which would incorrectly assume 35 minutes is 0.25 of an hour.
Step 2: Budget Distribution by Day
Day 1 (May 5)
- Remaining Budget: $200
- Remaining Hours: 46.42
- Budget = (200 / 46.42) × 6.42 = $27.66
- Actual Spend: $8
Day 2 (May 6)
- Remaining Budget: $200 − $8 = $192
- Remaining Hours: 46.42 − 6.42 = 40 hours
- Budget = (192 / 40) × 24 = $115.20
- Actual Spend: $90
Day 3 (May 7)
- Remaining Budget: $192 − $90 = $102
- Remaining Hours: 40 − 24 = 16 hours
- Budget = (102 / 16) × 16 = $102
Example: Evenly Behavior with Hourly Granularity
Let’s walk through an example where the campaign starts and ends during partial hours:
Key Formula: Hourly Budget = (Remaining Budget / Remaining Hours)
- Start Date: May 5, 2025 - 17:35 (5:35 PM)
- End Date: May 7, 2025 - 16:00 (4:00 PM)
- Total Budget: $200
- Budget Spend Behavior: Evenly
- Period Granularity: Hour
Step 1: Calculate Total Active Hours
Split the Line Item by chosen period: May 5, 2025 - 17:35 (5:35 PM) - May 6, 2025 - 16:00 (4:00 PM)
- Total Active Hours = 46.42
Step 2: Budget Distribution - First Hour
Let’s calculate the budget for the first hour of the campaign (starting at 17:35):
- Remaining Budget: $200
- Remaining Hours: 46.42
- Budget = 200 / 46.42 = $4.31
- Actual budget spend: $4.31
Step 3: Hourly Recalculation
At the beginning of each new hour, the system recalculates the hourly budget based on the updated remaining budget and time.
Hour: 19:00
- Remaining Budget: $200 - $4.31 = $195.69
- Remaining Hours: 46.42 - 1 = 45.42
- Hourly Budget = 195.69 / 45.42 = $4.31
- Actual spend: $1
Hour: 20:00
- Remaining Budget: $195.69 - $1 = $194.69
- Remaining Hours: 45.42 -1 = 44.42
- Hourly Budget = (194.69 / 44.42) = $4.38
- Actual budget spend: $2
Hour: 21:00
- Remaining Budget: $194.69 - $2 = $192.69
- Remaining Hours: 44.42 - 1 = 43.42
- Hourly Budget = 192.69 / 43.42 = $4.43
- Actual budget spend: $4
Note: This recalculation continues every hour, adjusting the pacing based on actual spend and time remaining. If actual spend is below the expected hourly budget, the system redistributes the remaining funds over the rest of the hours.
Example: Evenly Behavior with Week Granularity
Instead of calculating budget “per day,” we calculate per week, but still based on active hours in each week.
Key Formula Weekly Budget = (Remaining Budget / Remaining Hours) * Current Week Hours
- Start Date: November 10, 2025 - 18:45 (6:45 PM)
- End Date: November 27, 2025 - 23:59 (11:59 AM)
- Total Budget: $2000
- Budget Spend Behavior: Evenly
Period Granularity: Week
Step 1: Calculate Total Active Hours- Hours in Week 1 (partial): ~149.25 (5.25 hrs-from 18:45 to midnight) + remaining full days (24 hrs each) of that week (144).
- Hours in Week 2: full 7 days (168 hrs).
- Hours in Week 3 (partial): until 2025-11-27 23:59 (95.98 hrs).
Total duration: ~413.23 hours
Step 2: Budget Distribution by Week
Week 1 (Nov 10 -16)
Weekly Budget = (2000 / 413.23) × 149.25
Weekly Budget = 4.84 × 149.25
Weekly Budget = $722.35
Actual spend: $705
Week 2 (Nov 17 -23)
- Remaining Weekly Budget: ($2000 - $705) / (413.23 - 149.25) ×168 hrs
- Remaining Weekly Budget: ($1,295 / 263.98)×168 hrs
- Weekly Budget = $824.14
Actual Spend: $806
Week 3 (Nov 24 -27)
- Remaining Weekly Budget: ($1295 - $806) / (263.98hrs - 168hrs) × 95.98hrs
- Remaining Weekly Budget: ($489 / 95.98)× 95.98hrs
Weekly Budget = $489
Example: Evenly Behavior with Month Granularity
Period spans multiple months
Key Formula Monthly Budget = (Remaining Budget / Remaining Hours) * Current Month Hours
- Start Date: February 5, 2025 - 17:35 (5:35 PM)
- End Date: March 7, 2025 - 16:00 (4:00 PM)
- Total Budget: $2000
- Budget Spend Behavior: Evenly
- Period Granularity: Month
Step 1: Calculate Total Active Hours
- Hours in February (partial): ~580 hrs
- Hours in March (partial): ~190 hrs
Total hours : ~770 hours
Step 2: Budget Distribution by Month
February (05 - 28.02)
Monthly Budget = (2000 / 770) × 580
Monthly Budget = 2.60 × 580
Monthly Budget = $1,508
Actual spend: $1400
March (01 - 07.03)
- Remaining Monthly Budget: ($2000 - $1400) / (770 - 580) ×190 hrs
- Remaining Monthly Budget: ($600 / 190)×190 hrs
Monthly Budget = $600
Example: Evenly Behavior with Lifetime Granularity
Lifetime pacing distributes evenly per hour, across the whole span
Key Formula Lifetime Pacing = Remaining Budget / Remaining Hours
- Start Date: November 10, 2025 - 19:35 (7:35 PM)
- End Date: November 12, 2025 - 23:59 (11:59 AM)
- Total Budget: $2000
- Budget Spend Behavior: Evenly
- Period Granularity: Lifetime
Step 1: Calculate Total Active Hours
Hours in day 1 (partial): 4.42 hrs - from 19:35 to midnight.
Hours in day 2: 24 hours.
Hours in day 3: 24 hours.
Total duration: 52.42 hours
Step 2: Budget Distribution by Lifetime
Day 1 (Nov 10)
- Remaining Budget: $200
- Remaining Hours: 52.42
- Pacing rate = 200 / 52.42 = $3.81/hr
- Actual Spend: $15.6 or $3.52/hr
Day 2 (Nov 11)
- Remaining Budget: $200 − $15.6 = $184.
- Remaining Hours: 52.42 − 4.42 = 48 hours
- Pacing rate = 184.4 / 48 = $3.84/hr
- Actual Spend: $90 or $3.75/hr
Day 3 (Nov 12)
- Remaining Budget: $184− $90 = $94
- Remaining Hours: 48 − 24 = 24 hours
- Pacing rate = 94 / 24 = $3.92/hr