The Meta Ads Leak Checklist.
The Meta Ads Leak Checklist is 20 checks across tracking, account set-up, the ads themselves, the page each ad sends people to, and follow-up. Together they show where a Facebook and Instagram ad account quietly loses money. Tick what is true of your account and get a leak score out of 20, free, in about three minutes.
This is the checklist we run on real client accounts, updated for how Meta works now: Advantage+ campaign set-up, the Conversions API and ads that do the targeting for you. No sign-up needed to use it.
0 / 20
Tick every statement below that is true of your account. Honest answers only; the score is for you, not for us.
Tracking and signal
0/4
Account structure
0/4
The ads
0/4
Offer and the page
0/4
Follow-up
0/4
Tracking and signal
Everything Meta's delivery system does is trained on the signal you feed it. Weak signal means every other section underperforms, whatever you spend.
Account structure
Meta has consolidated campaign set-up around Advantage+ and broad delivery. Accounts still shaped like 2022 pay a structural tax on every auction.
The ads
With targeting largely automated, the ads themselves are the biggest lever you still control. They deserve the same discipline as budget.
Offer and the page
The click is the halfway point. Most accounts lose more money after the click than in the auction.
Follow-up
The most expensive leak of all: leads you already paid for going cold. This is where good ad accounts still lose the money.
Email me the printable checklist and my leak score.
A clean PDF version to print, pin up and re-run every month, plus your score, sent to your inbox.
Before you ask.
What is the Meta Ads Leak Checklist?
A 20-point audit of a Meta ads account across five areas: tracking and signal, account structure, the ads, the offer and the page they land on, and follow-up. It is the same set of checks we run when we take over an account. Tick what is true of yours and the score shows how much of your budget is protected.
Do I need to hand over my email to use it?
No. The checklist and your leak score are free to use on this page. Your email is only needed if you want the printable PDF version and your score sent to your inbox.
What does my leak score mean?
Each ticked check is one leak closed, scored out of 20. Under 9 means the account is leaking at almost every stage. 9 to 14 means the foundations exist but real money is escaping. 15 or more means the account is healthy and the conversation moves to scaling.
Is this checklist up to date with how Meta works now?
Yes. It was last updated in July 2026 and reflects the current platform: Advantage+ campaign set-up, the Conversions API with event deduplication, consolidated budgets and a wider mix of ads. It contains none of the folklore that no longer applies, and we revise it as Meta changes.
What should I fix first?
Your weakest section, and if tracking is among the weakest, always tracking first. Every other improvement trains on the signal you feed the platform, so weak tracking quietly caps everything else you do.
More free tools on the resources page, and the numbers behind our thinking in the Malta Ads Benchmark Report.