# Launch a campaign

> The pre-launch setup check catches the mistakes that waste a first day on Meta. Clear it, launch, then switch the campaign on.

The **Launch** button sits at the top of the Build step. It stays greyed until every blocking check has passed, and hovering it tells you the first thing in the way.

## The pre-launch setup check

The **Pre-launch setup check** card runs as you build. Its tag reads **Checking**, then a count of blockers or warnings, or **Ready**. **Review before spend** means only warnings remain, and you can launch.

| Check                           | Blocks launch when                                                                                                                   |
| ------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Ad account selected**         | No ad account is chosen, or the chosen one is no longer reachable.                                                                   |
| **Pixel bound**                 | The objective needs a pixel and an ad set does not have one.                                                                         |
| **Conversion event configured** | A pixel-bound ad set has no conversion event. A warning if the event is unusual for sales, or if Meta has not seen it fire recently. |
| **Destination URL present**     | An ad that needs a link does not have a valid one. A warning for reused creatives whose link cannot be checked here.                 |
| **Campaign enabled**            | Never blocks. It is a reminder that campaigns are created paused.                                                                    |

Each failed row says what to do, like "Open each affected ad set and select a pixel in Tracking".

If the card says "Unable to verify Meta setup right now", select **Refresh** in the header and it re-runs.

## Launching

1. **Check the count**

   The top bar shows how many ad sets and ads are ready out of the total. Every ad set needs at least one ad.

2. **Select Launch**

   Sellify publishes the campaign, then each ad set in turn, with "Publishing to Meta. This can take a moment per ad set." as it goes.

3. **Read the result**

   **Campaign launched** means it is in Meta. The campaign's page opens. **Launch failed** shows Meta's reason and a **Back to build** button.

> **Launched campaigns start paused**
>
> Sellify creates the campaign and its ad sets in Meta switched off. Nothing spends yet. When you are ready, flip the switch on the campaign row on the **Ads** page, or turn it on in Meta Ads Manager.

## If something's not right

### Launch is greyed out

**Why this happens:** a blocking check has not passed, or an ad set has no ads.

**What to do:** hover **Launch** to see the first blocker, then fix the rows in the pre-launch check that are not green.

### It says Select an ad account first or Add at least one ad set with one ad

**Why this happens:** the campaign is missing one of the two things it cannot be published without.

**What to do:** go back to **Campaign setup** for the ad account, or add an ad to the empty ad set.

### Launch failed with a message from Meta

**Why this happens:** Meta rejected something in the campaign, usually a Page, pixel or creative it does not accept for this ad account.

**What to do:** read the reason, select **Back to build**, fix that ad set or ad, and launch again. If the message names a Page, open the ad set and pick a **Facebook Page** that belongs to this ad account.

### The campaign page says Meta is busy or Publishing did not finish

**Why this happens:** Meta accepted the campaign but one of the publishing steps was deferred or stopped part-way.

**What to do:** read the message under the banner. If it offers a retry, use it. Otherwise open **Edit campaign**, check each ad set has its ads, and save again.

## Related

[Managing campaigns](https://sellify.ai/docs/facebook-ads-manager/managing-campaigns) · [Building ad sets and ads](https://sellify.ai/docs/facebook-ads-manager/building-ad-sets-and-ads) · [Why is my campaign off after launching?](https://sellify.ai/docs/facebook-ads-manager/faq/why-is-my-campaign-off-after-launching)