In brief
When you create your first ad in TikTok Ads Manager, the tool offers a guided flow (“Getting started”): it asks a few questions and sets the rest for you. Custom mode gives access to all the settings. In this mode, you also choose between a manual campaign, a Smart+ campaign (highly automated) and, for some objectives, a search campaign.
Why it matters
- The guided flow is quick, but it hides choices that affect cost and delivery: budget, targeting, placements, bids.
- Custom mode requires more knowledge, but it lets you understand what automation decides for you.
- Knowing how to switch between the two keeps you from feeling stuck in the tool.
The steps
- Log in to TikTok Ads Manager and click Create ad from the dashboard, or Create from the campaign list.
- In the guided flow, you first choose a goal: awareness, sales or lead generation. Each goal offers more specific objectives.
- To access all settings, use the Switch to custom mode link at the bottom of the screen.
- Choose the advertising objective (see the guide on choosing the objective).
- Depending on the objective, choose the campaign type: manual (the most control), search (ads in TikTok search results, with keywords) or Smart+ (TikTok sets targeting and creatives).
- Name the campaign, set the budget, then click Continue to move on to the ad group.
Pitfalls to avoid
- Letting Smart+ set everything without knowing what was chosen: you won’t be able to explain or correct the results.
- Changing the objective midway: the tool warns that ad groups and ads already entered will be reset.
- Believing guided mode is "worse": it's useful for getting started, but it doesn't teach you the detail of the settings.
Frequently asked questions
Are my drafts kept? Yes: an unfinished campaign stays saved as a draft in the campaign list, where you can resume it.
Can I duplicate a campaign? Yes, from the campaign list, with the copy action: it’s handy for testing a variant.
What’s the difference between manual and Smart+? In manual, you set targeting, creatives and bids yourself. In Smart+, a large part of these choices is automated based on your instructions.
Key takeaways
- Guided = quick but limited; custom = all the settings.
- Manual, search or Smart+: three ways to run a campaign.
- Changing the objective resets the ad groups and ads.
Practice in TRIALO
Create a campaign: TRIALO uses custom mode. Change the objective after filling in an ad group and see the message warning of the reset.