Meta’s Advantage+ ad tools are no longer a niche feature for ecommerce brands — they’re quickly becoming a central part of the Meta Ads ecosystem. With a wave of updates released in early 2025, Meta is making it easier than ever to hand over key campaign decisions to its AI, streamlining the ad creation process and expanding automation across campaign types.

But for all its promises of efficiency and performance, the question remains: is this AI actually improving results — or just removing advertiser control in the name of convenience?

Here’s a closer look at what’s new, what works, and what to watch out for.

Understanding What Meta Advantage+ Actually Does

Originally launched in 2022 as a response to the post-iOS 14 world, Meta’s Advantage+ started with a narrow focus: helping ecommerce advertisers automate shopping campaigns using machine learning. But the product has expanded significantly, and now the “Advantage+” label appears across a wide range of campaign types – including sales, leads, placements, budget management, and creative delivery.

The goal is simple: make campaign setup faster and lean more heavily on Meta’s AI to do the hard work of targeting, optimization, and budget allocation.

In short, it’s Meta’s version of Google’s Performance Max – a consolidated, algorithm-driven approach that touches every part of the ad journey.

What’s Changing in 2025: New Features You Need to Know

Meta has rolled out several updates designed to bring more advertisers into the Advantage+ fold – whether they realise it or not.

A new unified campaign setup experience

Meta is testing a simplified setup flow where you no longer need to choose between manual or automated campaign types. Instead, AI features like Advantage+ placements, audience, and budget can be turned on or off throughout the setup process, with a new “Advantage+ On” badge showing where automation is active.

Expansion into lead generation campaigns

Advantage+ isn’t just for ecommerce anymore. Meta is now rolling out AI-powered automation for lead generation campaigns, promising a 10% lower cost per qualified lead in early tests. That sounds great – but it raises questions about the quality of those leads and how well the AI understands more complex sales funnels.

Rebranding for broader appeal

What were once called “Advantage+ Shopping Campaigns” are now “Advantage+ Sales Campaigns,” reflecting the fact that this automation isn’t just for product catalogues. Meta wants service-based and lead-driven businesses to consider handing over the reins as well.

A new ‘Opportunity Score’ to help guide campaign setup

A new diagnostic feature gives campaigns a 0–100 score based on how well they’re set up for performance. It’s tied closely to AI recommendations, suggesting changes to drive better results – and often pointing back toward using more Advantage+ features. Meta says early testers saw a 5% drop in cost per result after following these suggestions.

The Benefits: Where Advantage+ Really Does Shine

Fast, simplified campaign creation for those who don’t want to dive into the details

One of the most obvious benefits is the time saved. Advantage+ removes much of the friction from campaign setup – no more manually building out detailed audiences or micromanaging budget rules. If you’ve got your creative assets ready, you can be up and running in hours, not days.

Stronger performance in ecommerce and direct-response campaigns

For product-driven brands, Meta’s AI has shown an ability to identify high-converting behaviours and serve ads accordingly. The system seems to do particularly well when the end goal is a straightforward purchase – less so when the conversion involves a longer decision-making process.

Simplified account structures can make campaign management easier

Because the AI optimises across placements and audiences, you may find that fewer campaigns and ad sets are required. This can help keep things tidy, especially for small teams or brands with limited time to spend in Ads Manager.

The Tradeoffs: What You Lose When You Rely Too Heavily on Meta’s AI

You may find yourself opted in to AI features by default

Over the past year, Meta has increasingly nudged advertisers toward Advantage+ settings – to the point where opting out can require extra clicks or be easy to overlook. If you’re not paying close attention during setup, you may end up relying on AI even when you didn’t intend to.

Lead quality isn’t always what it seems

Lower cost per lead numbers look great on a report, but many advertisers have found that when Advantage+ is applied to lead generation campaigns, the resulting contacts are often lower quality – or, in some cases, outright junk. Bot traffic, unqualified users, and irrelevant submissions can bloat your CRM and waste sales team resources.

Experienced advertisers may feel boxed in by a lack of manual control

While Advantage+ makes sense for newcomers or those who want to move quickly, it can be frustrating for more seasoned media buyers. The AI doesn’t explain why it’s doing what it’s doing, and you lose the ability to directly refine your targeting based on firsthand knowledge of your audience.

Is Meta’s AI Ready to Run Your Campaigns for You?

That depends on what you’re trying to achieve – and how much control you’re willing to give up to get there.

For newer advertisers or small businesses without a dedicated ad manager, Advantage+ can be a helpful shortcut to better results. It lowers the barrier to entry and reduces the need for deep platform expertise.

But for B2B marketers, high-ticket service providers, and those who value precision over scale, the results may not live up to the hype. Advantage+ might get your ads in front of a large audience – but not necessarily the right one.

Letting Go vs Taking Charge

There’s no denying that Meta is moving toward a fully automated future – one where campaign inputs are minimal, and the AI takes care of the rest. The question is whether that future aligns with your business needs.

Advantage+ is a powerful tool, but it’s not a silver bullet. Use it where it makes sense, test rigorously, and keep a close eye on what’s actually driving results – not just what the AI says is working.

As with all automation: trust, but verify.

Want help navigating Meta’s changing ad landscape? AI Training Solutions help brands implement smart testing strategies, whether you’re exploring Advantage+ for the first time or refining a high-performance manual setup.