Definition
Learning phase is the period when an ad platform is exploring and adjusting delivery to stabilize performance. Big changes can reset learning.
How to use it
- Avoid changing targeting, budget, and creative all at once.
- Use stable conversion definitions and enough volume to let learning complete.
Common mistakes
- Resetting campaigns repeatedly and never reaching stable performance.
- Optimizing for a low-quality conversion that is easy to get but not valuable.
Why this matters
This term matters because it affects how you interpret performance and make budget decisions. If you use inconsistent definitions or windows, ROAS/CPA can look "better" while profit gets worse.
Practical checklist
- Write a 1-line definition for "Learning Phase" that your team will use consistently.
- Keep the time window consistent (weekly/monthly/quarterly) when comparing trends.
- Segment results (channel/plan/cohort) before drawing big conclusions from blended averages.
- Sanity-check with a related calculator from the same category on MetricKit.
- Read the related guide (e.g., Paid ads bidding & budgeting hub: max CPC, target CPA, and break-even targets) for context and common pitfalls.
Where to use this on MetricKit
Calculators
- A/B Test Sample Size Calculator: Estimate sample size per variant for a conversion rate A/B test given baseline CVR, MDE, significance, and power.
- CPL to CAC Calculator: Convert cost per lead (CPL) into CAC using lead-to-customer rate (and compute targets).
- Break-even CVR Calculator: Compute the CVR required to break even (and hit a target) given CPM, CTR, AOV, and contribution margin.
- Click-through Conversion Rate Calculator: Calculate click-through conversion rate (click-to-conversion CVR) and estimate required clicks for target conversions.
- ROAS Calculator: Calculate Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) and estimate contribution profit after ad spend.
Guides
- Paid ads bidding & budgeting hub: max CPC, target CPA, and break-even targets: A practical hub for bidding and budgeting: compute max CPC from CVR and margin, set target CPA using LTV, and use break-even CTR/CVR/CPM targets to guide creative and landing optimizations.