Express mode — 6-step wizard: platform, objective, audience, budget, creative, review. Publishes active by default; toggle Launch as paused first.

Launch a campaign with Express mode

Express mode is a 6-step wizard at /campaign-creator/new (default). It walks you through: platform → objective → audience → budget → creative → review. Opinionated defaults speed you through. By default it publishes active; for a safer first launch turn on "Launch as paused" and activate when confident. Total time: 5-10 min for first launch.

Who is this for

Mediabuyers launching a single campaign with one ad set. First-time users. Anyone who wants speed over granular control.

Before you start

• At least one ad platform connected (gs-104)
• A pixel if your objective is conversion-based (Sales / Leads — see meta-105)
• An ad creative ready (image / video / from Creative Hub)
• Ad copy: primary text, headline, description, CTA
• A landing page URL

The 6 steps (in order)

Verified vs apps/frontend/src/pages/campaign-creator/steps/:

1. platform-step: pick ad account
2. objective-step: pick campaign objective
3. audience-step: configure targeting
4. budget-step: daily or lifetime + amount
5. creative-step: upload/pick assets + write copy
6. review-step: final check + Publish

Step-by-step

Step 1: Open Express

In sidebar click Campaign Creator → New campaign OR jump to /campaign-creator/new. Express loads by default.

Step 2: Choose platform (Step 1 of wizard)

Pick:

• Platform: Meta / Google Ads / TikTok / Taboola / Snapchat / Outbrain
• Ad account: one of your connected accounts on that platform

Only connected accounts appear in the dropdown. If you don't see your account: connect first.

Click Next.

Step 3: Pick objective (Step 2)

Per cc-106 campaign objectives, pick the campaign goal:

Wevion's Objective enum (apps/backend/src/types/campaigns/canonical.enums.ts) covers all Meta + Google variants. Express surfaces the right ones per platform.

Click Next.

Step 4: Define audience (Step 3)

Express keeps audience simple:

• Countries or regions (target_country / target_countries / target_regions)
• Age range (default 18-65)
• Gender (default All)
• Interests (1-3 tags from platform-side taxonomy)

For advanced targeting (lookalikes, custom audiences, exclusions): switch to Pro mode OR set up in Meta/Google first then reference.

Click Next.

Step 5: Set budget (Step 4)

Pick:

• Budget type: CBO (campaign-level, default) or ABO (per-adset)
• Duration: daily (default) or lifetime
• Amount: enter in cents per the DTO (daily_budget) — UI accepts your currency, converts to cents on save

For first launch: daily $20-50 is typical for learning. See cc-108 daily vs lifetime.

Click Next.

Step 6: Add creative (Step 5)

Three options:

1. Upload now: drag-and-drop image/video file
2. Pick from Creative Hub: use stored assets (gs-117)
3. Generate with AI: Wevion creates assets from text prompt (uses AI Credits)

Then fill copy fields:

• Primary text (≤125 chars on Meta)
• Headline (≤40 chars)
• Description (≤30 chars, optional on some platforms)
• CTA (from platform's dropdown — see cc-115)
• Destination URL (your landing page)

The destination URL's tracking parameters are a free-text field — the launch flow does not auto-generate UTMs. Build them with the separate UTM Builder tool and paste them into the URL, or type them manually.

Live preview (right side) shows how the ad looks on Feed/Stories/Reels placements as you type.

Click Next.

Step 7: Review and publish (Step 6)

Review screen summarizes everything:

• Platform + ad account
• Objective + budget
• Audience size estimate
• Creative preview
• Pixel + conversion event (for Sales/Leads)
• DSA fields (for EU geo — auto-prompted if EU country selected, see cc-120)

Pre-flight validation runs (POST /api/v1/campaign-drafts/:id/preflight). If issues found: shown here. See cc-121 validation errors.

Publish controls:

• "Launch as paused" toggle — OFF by default. Leave it OFF to publish ACTIVE (campaigns start spending immediately; Wevion asks you to confirm the live publish). Turn it ON to create the campaign paused on the ad platform so you can review before any spend.

For your first launch, turn ON "Launch as paused". See cc-119 paused vs active.

Step 8: Activate when ready

Wait for Wevion to confirm the campaign was created on the ad platform (toast notification within 30 seconds). Go to Ads Manager → find the campaign → toggle Active. Money starts moving within minutes.

What gets saved as you go

Draft auto-saved via PATCH /api/v1/campaign-drafts/:id on every step. You can close the tab and resume later — your data is preserved.

Field-level validation via POST /api/v1/campaign-drafts/:id/validate-field on blur — errors surface inline.

What you'll see when it works

After clicking Publish:

• Toast: "Campaign published to [platform]"
• Campaign appears at top of /ads-manager with Paused badge
• Direct link to view in native ad manager (Meta Ads Manager, etc.)
• Audit log entry recorded (team-113)

After activating:

• Status flips to Active (green)
• Within 15-30 min: first impressions / spend visible in Ads Manager
• Within 1-3 hours: dashboard KPI strip updates

Switching to Pro mid-flow

If you realize Express isn't enough (need multi-adset, advanced bid):

• Top-right toggle: Pro mode
• All your filled fields carry over to Pro
• Pro lets you add more adsets/ads
• Switch back to Express loses any Pro-only fields (warning shown)

Common issues

• "Validation error: missing field": pre-flight catches required fields. Most common: missing pixel for Sales objective, missing DSA fields for EU geo, missing destination URL for Traffic/Sales/Leads.
• "Audience too narrow": the ad platform may report low estimated reach and slow delivery once live. Broaden country, age, or interests. (Wevion's pre-flight validation does not block on audience size — its checks cover things like PIXEL_REQUIRED_FOR_CONVERSION, BUDGET_TOO_LOW, URL_REQUIRED, and DSA_FIELDS_REQUIRED_FOR_EU.)
• Publish fails on platform side: permission issue. Confirm account has Advertiser-level access. See meta-108 troubleshooting.
• Activated but no impressions after 24h: budget too low for audience size OR ad in platform review (4-24h typical for new creative). Check the platform's native Ads Manager for review status.
• Wrong currency in budget: each ad account has its own currency (set at creation, immutable in the platform). Use a matching ad account or accept the FX rollup in cross-channel reports.

When to NOT use Express

Express is opinionated. Use Pro instead if you need:

• Multiple adsets in one campaign (A/B audiences within campaign)
• Multiple ads per adset (creative A/B within audience)
• Advanced bid strategies (Cost Cap, Bid Cap, Min ROAS)
• Custom audiences beyond simple lookalikes/retargeting
• Fine-grained per-placement controls
• Catalog campaigns with product set rules

See cc-103 Pro mode walkthrough.

FAQ

What are the steps in Wevion Express mode?

Wevion Express mode is a 6-step wizard at /campaign-creator/new: platform (pick ad account), objective, audience, budget, creative (assets plus copy), and review. Opinionated defaults speed you through, and a live preview shows the ad as you type. First launch typically takes 5-10 minutes; publish paused, then activate when confident.

Should I publish a Wevion campaign paused or active?

By default Wevion publishes ACTIVE — the "Launch as paused" toggle starts OFF, so campaigns go live and spend immediately (Wevion asks you to confirm first). For a safer first launch, turn ON "Launch as paused": the campaign is created on the ad platform but doesn't spend, so you can review it. To then go live, wait for the creation confirmation toast (within 30 seconds), open Ads Manager, find the campaign, and toggle it Active; spend starts within minutes.

Do I lose my work if I close Wevion Express mid-launch?

No — Wevion auto-saves your draft on every step via the campaign-drafts endpoint (PATCH /api/v1/campaign-drafts/:id), so you can close the tab and resume later with your data preserved. Fields also validate inline on blur. If you switch to Pro mode your filled fields carry over, though switching back to Express loses any Pro-only fields.

When should I use Pro mode instead of Express?

Use Pro mode when Express's single-adset, opinionated flow isn't enough — for multiple adsets in one campaign, multiple ads per adset, advanced bid strategies like Cost Cap or Min ROAS, custom audiences beyond simple lookalikes, per-placement controls, or catalog campaigns. You can toggle to Pro mid-flow and your filled fields carry over.

Why does my Wevion campaign show "Audience too narrow"?

This comes from the ad platform's own reach estimate, not a Wevion validation block — Wevion's pre-flight does not gate on audience size. Broaden your targeting — add countries, widen the age range, or add interests — until the estimate improves. Express keeps audiences simple; for lookalikes, custom audiences, or exclusions, switch to Pro mode or set them up in Meta or Google first.

Related articles

• Campaign Creator overview — Express, Pro, Bulk
• Launch a campaign with Pro mode
• Launch your first campaign — end-to-end walk-through