Frequency
ad frequencyFrequency tells you how many times the same person saw your ad on average during a campaign. It is calculated by dividing impressions by the number of people reached. A frequency of 3.0 means each person reached saw the ad three times on average.
Good to know
A message needs repetition to sink in, but too much turns against you: click prices rise and the ad starts to annoy. In conversion campaigns a healthy weekly frequency is typically 1.5–3; awareness campaigns tolerate more. Rising frequency with small reach tells you the audience is running dry.
The best tool for managing frequency is creative rotation: three rotating ad versions tolerate several times the repetition of one. When the same person sees different angles of one message, repetition builds memory instead of irritation.
FORMULA
How frequency is calculated
Frequency is the number of impressions divided by the number of people reached.
Frequency = impressions ÷ people reached
Platforms report the number at campaign level; watch it weekly, not across the whole campaign.
EXAMPLE
Each person reached saw the ad three times on average. For a conversion campaign that is at the upper limit.
PITFALLS
Two ways to misread frequency
The whole-campaign number hides the weekly level
A frequency of 6 over two months is moderate; the same in a week is too much. Watch the number on a rolling weekly basis.
Retargeting runs without a cap
Without a frequency cap the same site visitor can see the ad dozens of times. Set a cap and exclude people who already bought.
Each channel’s frequency lives its own life
Meta and Google each report their own, and neither sees the other. The same person can see your message twice the reported amount.
FREQUENTLY ASKED
Frequently asked questions
What is a suitable frequency?+
1.5–3 per week in conversion campaigns, 3–6 in awareness. Retargeting tolerates higher repetition as long as the creatives rotate.
What do I do when frequency runs away?+
Broaden the audience, rotate creatives or lower the budget. Showing the same tired audience more ads costs more and returns less.
Why does frequency rise by itself?+
When the audience is small relative to the budget, the platform has to repeat the ad to the same people. Frequency is then the ratio of budget to audience size.
How do I use a frequency cap?+
In reach campaigns, cap at for example 2–3 impressions per person per week. In conversion campaigns the platform’s automation usually handles it well enough.
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Maintained by the VSCY editorial team · Updated 6 Aug 2026 · Part of the marketing glossary (99 terms)
