What is reach and frequency buying on Meta?
Reach and frequency was Meta's buying type for booking awareness and engagement campaigns in advance at a fixed CPM. Meta renamed it reservation starting October 2023. You get a prediction of reach and frequency before booking, can control how often people see your ads, and pay only for ads delivered.
If you search Ads Manager for “reach and frequency” today, look for reservation instead. Meta’s help centre says reach and frequency is now called reservation, a change that started in October 2023. It remains the way to plan and book awareness and engagement campaigns ahead of time at a fixed cost per 1,000 impressions, rather than bidding in the auction. Meta gives you a delivery prediction first, so you know the price before you book.
How does reservation work?
When you set up a reservation campaign, Meta predicts how many people you will reach with your budget and frequency settings, and quotes a fixed CPM. You can plan and book brand campaigns up to six months in advance. Reservation estimates let you simulate the campaign’s lifetime results by trying different budgets, durations and frequency settings. Meta says delivery is predictable but not 100% guaranteed, that you are charged only for ads delivered, and that you can cancel a reservation campaign after it starts.
Who is reservation for?
Meta describes reservation as suited to advertisers who want to:
- Reach an audience of more than 200,000 people.
- Have predictable reach for their ads.
- Control how many times people see their ads.
- Plan and book campaigns in advance.
How is reservation different from auction?
| Setting | Reservation | Auction |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | Lifetime | Daily or lifetime |
| CPM | Fixed once you place the order, unless the campaign is paused | Dynamic, set by the auction |
| Performance goals | Reach (default), ad recall lift, ThruPlay | Reach (default), impressions, ad recall lift, ThruPlay, 2-second continuous video views |
| Frequency controls | Target frequency (default) or frequency cap | Frequency cap |
| Ad sequencing | Available | Not available |
| Prediction before buying | Reach, frequency distribution, spend per day and placement distribution | Daily reach only |
Meta also says reservation campaigns do not include premium or exclusive placements; the placements are the same as auction.
What changed when it became reservation?
Meta lists these changes from October 2023: the new name, target frequency as the default frequency option, and the performance goals narrowed to reach, ad recall lift and ThruPlay. Link click, impressions and post engagement were removed as goals.
From October 2024, you can pause and unpause reservation ad sets and edit targeting, placements and ad formats after publishing. Those edits need a new prediction quote, so your original reach, frequency and fixed CPM stop applying. You also no longer need to reserve and publish an ad set before creating an ad.
How do the frequency controls work?
Target frequency sets the average number of times per week you want people to see your ads. It needs a campaign of at least 7 days, and Meta says it works best for campaigns of 2 to 4 weeks. Frequency cap sets the maximum number of times people see your ads in a period, has no minimum duration, and suits you when broad reach matters more than repeat exposure. Both are available with the reach and ThruPlay performance goals. Meta notes that your frequency choices affect the cost of the campaign and trigger a new prediction whenever you change them.
FAQ
Is reach and frequency still available on Meta?
Yes, under a new name. Meta renamed reach and frequency to reservation starting in October 2023. Reservation still lets you plan awareness and engagement campaigns in advance with a fixed CPM, a delivery prediction before booking, and controls over how often people see your ads.
Is reservation delivery guaranteed?
No. Meta says reservation offers predictable delivery of reach, but delivery is not 100% guaranteed. You are charged only for the ads that are actually delivered, and Meta allows you to cancel a reservation campaign after it has started.
What happens to my fixed CPM if I edit a reservation ad set?
Since October 2024, you can edit targeting, placements and ad format after publishing, but each of those edits requires a new prediction quote. Meta says your initial reach, frequency and fixed CPM will then no longer apply, so check the new quote before you confirm.
Sources
- About reservation (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- Choose the right buying type for your brand campaign (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- About frequency controls for reservation (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- Choosing your frequency controls for a reservation campaign (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
Drafted with AI and checked claim by claim against the pages linked under Sources. Found a mistake? Tell us via the corrections policy.