{"section":"tutorials","requestedLocale":"en","requestedSlug":"monitor-budget-consumption","locale":"en","slug":"monitor-budget-consumption","path":"docs/en/tutorials/vtex-ads/budget-campaigns/monitor-budget-consumption.md","branch":"main","content":"This article explains how to access and interpret the **budget consumption report** for campaigns with Budget Pacing on VTEX Ads. The report allows media operators and account managers to track the campaign's delivery pace and quickly identify consumption deviations.\n\n> ⚠️ The budget consumption report is available only for campaigns of publishers with Budget Pacing active. To understand how the mechanism works, see [Budget Pacing](https://help.vtex.com/en/docs/tutorials/budget-pacing).\n\n## Accessing the report\n\n1. In the Admin, under VTEX Ads, scroll down the page to the campaign listing.\n2. Locate the desired campaign and click the corresponding row.\n3. In the **Investment** section, click `View consumption report`.\n\n> ℹ️ You can share the report link directly with the account manager or the client.\n\n## Information in the report\n\nThe report is composed of overview cards, consumption charts, and a time-of-day heatmap.\n\n### Overview cards\n\nThe cards display the following data for the current cycle:\n\n| Card | Displayed information |\n| --- | --- |\n| **Consumption of the day** | Total spent today up to the last query. |\n| **Consumption of the week** | Total spent over the last 7 days. |\n| **Total cycle consumption** | Cumulative total for the current cycle. |\n| **Closing forecast** | Projected total spend at the end of the cycle, based on the current consumption pace. |\n\nThe **pacing status badge** is displayed inside the consumption card and indicates the campaign's current delivery pace. See the description of each status in the section [Interpreting the pacing status](#interpreting-the-pacing-status).\n\n### Consumption charts\n\nThe report displays three main charts:\n\n- **Total campaign spend:** Evolution of cumulative spend in the cycle, with three curves:\n  - **Actual:** What has already been consumed.\n  - **Target:** What should have been consumed up to now.\n  - **Forecast:** Estimated final value.\n- **Daily spend:** Bars per day, showing days above and below the consumption target.\n- **Cumulative daily spend with closure projection:** Consumption pace for the current day and projected remaining spend for the day.\n\n### Hourly heat map\n\nThe heat map displays the campaign's hour-by-hour consumption. The columns represent the hours of the day (12 AM–11 PM), and the rows represent days within the selected period.\n\n| Element | Meaning |\n| --- | --- |\n| **Cell color intensity** | Proportional to the amount consumed in that hour. The stronger the color, the greater the spend. |\n| **Distinct visual marker** | Indicates periods when the daily budget was exhausted, distinguishing these from cells with zero spend due to lack of inventory. |\n| **Tooltip** | Displayed when hovering over the cell. Shows time, date, amount consumed, and the campaign status at that moment. |\n\nThe component also displays a **daily consumption projection** based on the pace of hours already elapsed.\n\n> ℹ️ The daily consumption projection assumes a constant pace throughout the day. Inventory variations throughout the day aren't considered in the projection.\n\n## Interpreting the pacing status\n\nThe status badge indicates the campaign's consumption pace relative to what's expected for the period:\n\n| Badge | Consumption range | What's happening |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| **On track** (green) | Between 90% and 110% of expected | The campaign is consuming at the expected pace. No action is needed. |\n| **Underpacing** (yellow) | Below 90% of expected | Consumption is below the expected pace. The engine is already performing ramp-up, automatically accelerating delivery. |\n| **Overpacing** (orange) | Above 120% of expected | Consumption is above the expected pace. The engine has automatically reduced the daily cap. |\n| **Critical underpacing** (red) | Below 60% over the last 3 days | Consumption is far below expected for 3 consecutive days. The engine is ramping up, but there may be a setup issue in the campaign that Budget Pacing can't resolve on its own. |\n\n### Investigating critical underpacing\n\nWhen the status is **critical underpacing**, the engine is already trying to recover the pace. If the campaign continues with consumption well below expected, check for restrictions in the configuration:\n\n- **Overly narrow targeting:** Few products or categories eligible for display.\n- **CPM below the competitive value:** The campaign may be losing auctions due to an insufficient bid.\n- **Low inventory at the publisher:** The publisher may not have enough traffic volume for the period.\n\n> ⚠️ Avoid making manual adjustments to the allocation value while investigating the problem. Manual intervention during the cycle restarts the engine's calculation and may make diagnosis more difficult.\n\n## Navigating between cycles\n\nThe cycle selector, displayed in the report header, allows you to view previous cycles:\n\n- **Campaigns with an end date:** The selector is limited to the campaign's duration dates.\n- **Always-on campaigns:** The selector allows navigation between the campaign's 30-day cycles, from the current cycle to previously completed cycles.\n\n> ℹ️ The cycle displayed in the report is calculated from the cycle start date defined by the engine, not the calendar month."}