CPA Tune Overview

Introduction

CPA Tune is MGID’s AI-powered automated bidding system designed to help advertisers drive more conversions while maintaining a target Cost Per Acquisition (CPA).

Rather than optimizing for clicks, CPA Tune shifts the focus entirely to conversion outcomes. It adjusts bids in real time based on predicted conversion probability.

Campaigns running on CPA Tune continue to be billed on a CPC basis. The algorithm decides which impressions to bid on and how much to bid, based on the likelihood of a conversion occurring. The goal is to hit your target CPA on average while maintaining a positive ROI.

CPA Tune includes two bidding strategies powered by the same AI model, but they differ in their primary optimization lever and intended use case.

#	Strategy	Primary Use Case
1	Target CPA	Achieve or outperform a specific CPA goal with strict cost-per-conversion control.
2	MaxConversions	Maximize total conversions within a daily budget, using tCPA as a directional benchmark.

CPA Tune Usage

CPA Tune is a good fit if you:

Focus primarily on driving conversions with a defined CPA target.
Want to automate bid management and reduce manual optimization.
Already use CPA-based bidding strategies on other advertising platforms.
Aim to maximize conversion volume while efficiently allocating budget.

CPA Tune is available for Product Campaigns and Search Feed Campaigns.

Choosing Between Target CPA and MaxConversions

Select the strategy that best aligns with your campaign objectives. Use the following comparison to guide your decision:

Criteria	Target CPA	MaxConversions
Primary lever	Target CPA value	Daily budget
Optimization goal	Match or beat your CPA target	Maximize conversion volume within budget
Budget behavior	Spends only when it can generate conversions that meet tCPA on average	Fully utilizes the daily budget, getting as many conversions as possible
Best for	Performance advertisers with strict CPA goals	Brand advertisers or volume-focused campaigns
tCPA role	Primary bidding control	Directional benchmark

How CPA Tune Works

CPA Tune analyzes every available impression using historical performance data and real-time contextual signals, including device type, geographic location, user behavior, time of day and other relevant engagement signals.

Based on these inputs, the system predicts the likelihood of a conversion and automatically adjusts CPC bids to maximize performance.

When a campaign is first launched, the model enters an exploration phase. It starts with higher-than-average CPCs to acquire traffic quickly and gather conversion data. During this period, CPA and spend may fluctuate, which is expected and necessary for the algorithm to learn.

As conversions accumulate, the model's predictions improve and bidding stabilizes. The more conversion data available, the more accurately the system can target high-probability opportunities.

Avoid making major changes to your budget, targeting, or creatives during the first 7-14 days, as this can interrupt the learning process.

CPA Tune Prerequisites

Minimum Account Balance

Self-registered advertiser accounts must have a minimum balance of $650 to access CPA Tune in the dashboard. Once this threshold is met, the bidding strategy options will appear in your campaign settings.

Conversion Tracking

CPA Tune requires active conversion tracking configured for at least the primary conversion goal. The algorithm is built to optimize toward the main conversion event and cannot function without it.

Tracking additional conversion events across the funnel (e.g., page views, add-to-cart, checkout) is strongly recommended. These intermediate signals help with campaign optimization.

Daily Budget

A sufficient daily budget is required for the algorithm to collect conversion data and optimize effectively. Minimum budget thresholds differ by campaign type and strategy. For product campaigns, we recommend at least 5-7x tCPA. Budget recommendations will appear in your dashboard during campaign setup.

How to Enable CPA Tune

During campaign setup, open Budget and Bidding.
Under Bidding strategy, select Target CPA or MaxConversions.
Enter a realistic target CPA.
Set a daily budget meeting the minimum threshold for your campaign type.
Configure conversion tracking for at least the main conversion goal.
Keep targeting settings broad enough to allow sufficient traffic volume.

For detailed setup instructions, optimization guidance, and strategy-specific best practices, refer to the dedicated articles: