When to Pause, Fix, or Shut Off UA Campaigns

Not every campaign deserves to keep running.

Some underperform temporarily and just need iteration. Others are fundamentally broken and will never be profitable.

The key is knowing the difference—and acting decisively.

Here's when to pause, when to fix, and when to shut off user acquisition entirely.

The Three Options

Pause

Temporarily stop spending while you iterate creative, targeting, or product.

Use when: Performance is below target but fixable.

Duration: 3-14 days while you test improvements.

Fix

Keep campaigns running while making adjustments (new creative, targeting changes, bid strategy tweaks).

Use when: Performance is close to target and small changes could push it over the line.

Duration: Ongoing optimization.

Shut Off

Permanently stop spending on that campaign, channel, or all UA.

Use when: Fundamentals are broken and iterations haven't worked.

Duration: Permanent (or until major product/business model changes).

When to Pause UA Campaigns

Trigger 1: ROAS is 20-40% Below Target for 7+ Days

If your target ROAS is 200% and you're stuck at 120-140% for a week, pause.

Why 7 days:

Daily fluctuations are normal. A few bad days don't mean the campaign is broken. But a full week below target indicates a systematic issue.

Action:

• Analyze what changed (creative fatigue, targeting drift, seasonality)
• Test new creative or targeting
• Resume once you have a hypothesis to test

Trigger 2: Day 1 Retention Drops Below 25%

If Day 1 retention falls below 25%, you're acquiring low-quality users who churn immediately.

Why it matters:

Low retention kills LTV. Even if CPI looks good, users who churn on Day 1 won't generate revenue.

Action:

• Check if creative is attracting the wrong audience
• Tighten targeting to focus on higher-intent users
• Improve onboarding to increase retention before resuming UA

Trigger 3: CPA Exceeds LTV / 2

If your LTV is $50 and CPA is above $25, you're operating at less than 2:1 LTV:CPA.

This leaves no margin for operational costs.

Action:

Pause and either:

1. Improve monetization to increase LTV
2. Lower CPA through better creative/targeting
3. Shut off if neither is achievable

Trigger 4: Creative Frequency Exceeds 4

High frequency means you're showing the same ad to the same people too many times. Performance will collapse.

Action:

• Pause the creative
• Rotate in fresh ads
• Resume the paused creative after 7-10 days to let frequency reset

Trigger 5: Campaign Re-Enters Learning Phase Repeatedly

If campaigns on Meta or TikTok keep exiting and re-entering learning, the algorithm can't stabilize.

Why it happens:

Too many changes (budget, targeting, creative) in a short time.

Action:

• Pause for 3-5 days
• Let the platform reset
• Resume with no changes for 7 days to allow learning to complete

When to Fix (Keep Running, But Iterate)

Scenario 1: ROAS is 10-20% Below Target

You're close. Small improvements could push you over the line.

Fixes to test:

• Launch 3-5 new creatives
• Adjust bid strategy (cost cap → bid cap or vice versa)
• Narrow targeting to higher-intent audiences
• Add value optimization instead of install optimization

Monitor:

Give each change 7 days to show impact. If ROAS improves, keep iterating. If it worsens or stays flat, pause.

Scenario 2: Strong Retention, Weak Monetization

Day 7 retention is 35%+ but ROAS is low because users aren't paying.

This is a product issue, not a UA issue.

Fixes:

• Improve paywall timing
• Test new pricing
• Add monetization features
• Optimize in-app purchase flow

Keep UA running at reduced spend while you fix monetization. Don't shut off entirely—you need cohort data to validate improvements.

Scenario 3: One Ad Set Performs Well, Others Don't

If one ad set has 250% ROAS and two others have 100% ROAS, don't shut down the campaign.

Fix:

• Scale the winning ad set
• Pause or reduce spend on underperformers
• Test variations of the winning ad set

Scenario 4: Seasonal Dip

If ROAS drops during a known low season (e.g., summer for productivity apps), this is temporary.

Fix:

• Reduce spend by 30-50%
• Maintain presence to collect data
• Ramp back up when seasonality improves

When to Shut Off Permanently

Trigger 1: Day 30 ROAS Below 50% After Multiple Iterations

If you've tested new creative, targeting, and optimization strategies for 60+ days and Day 30 ROAS is still below 50%, the channel isn't viable.

Why 50%:

Below 50% ROAS means you're generating $0.50 for every $1 spent. Even with strong retention, this rarely becomes profitable.

Action:

Shut off and reallocate budget to better-performing channels.

Trigger 2: LTV is Declining for 3+ Consecutive Months

If cohort LTV is dropping month-over-month for 3+ months, you have a product problem.

Example:

• Jan cohort: $30 LTV
• Feb cohort: $26 LTV
• Mar cohort: $22 LTV
• Apr cohort: $18 LTV

This trend indicates weakening product-market fit, declining retention, or worse monetization.

Action:

Shut off UA until you fix the product. Spending on acquisition while LTV collapses accelerates failure.

Trigger 3: LTV:CAC Ratio Below 1:1

If you're spending more to acquire users than they generate in revenue, growth is unsustainable.

Example:

• CAC: $30
• LTV: $25
• LTV:CAC: 0.83:1

You're losing $5 per user.

Action:

Shut off unless you can quickly:

1. Reduce CAC by 40%+
2. Increase LTV by 50%+

Trigger 4: Payback Period Exceeds Average User Lifespan

If it takes 18 months to recover CAC and your average user churns in 12 months, you're losing money on every cohort.

Action:

Shut off UA. Fix retention and monetization before resuming.

Trigger 5: Product Fundamentals Are Broken

If you have:

• <20% Day 1 retention
• <5% Day 30 retention
• No clear monetization model

UA won't fix these problems. It will only accelerate cash burn.

Action:

Shut off UA. Fix product-market fit first.

How Long to Wait Before Deciding

Minimum Data Threshold

Don't make decisions on tiny sample sizes.

Minimum:

• 1,000 installs
• 50 conversion events (purchases, subscriptions, registrations)

Why:

Smaller samples have high variance. One lucky or unlucky day can skew results.

Time Thresholds by Metric

Metric	Wait Time
CPI / CPA	3-5 days
Day 1 Retention	7 days
Day 7 ROAS	14 days
Day 30 ROAS	30-45 days
LTV Trends	90 days

Don't cut campaigns during learning phase (first 7 days on Meta/TikTok). Algorithms need time to optimize.

Case Study: When to Pause vs Shut Off

Background:

SaaS productivity app targeting $150 LTV, $30 CAC (5:1 ratio).

Scenario 1: Pause

• Day 7 ROAS: 60% (target: 80%)
• Day 1 retention: 42% (healthy)
• Creative frequency: 3.2 (high)

Decision: Pause

Why: Performance is close to target. High frequency suggests creative fatigue. Adding new creatives could restore performance.

Action: Pause for 5 days, launch 5 new creatives, resume.

Result: Day 7 ROAS recovered to 85% within 2 weeks.

Scenario 2: Shut Off

• Day 30 ROAS: 35%
• Day 7 retention: 18%
• LTV trending downward (3 months of decline)

Decision: Shut off

Why: Low retention indicates product issues. Declining LTV shows weakening fundamentals. Iterations haven't improved performance in 90 days.

Action: Shut off UA. Focus on improving onboarding and core product value.

Result: After 6 months of product improvements, Day 7 retention increased to 40%. Resumed UA successfully.

Pause vs Shut Off Decision Tree

Is ROAS within 20% of target?

• Yes → Fix (keep running, iterate)
• No → Continue

Has ROAS been below target for 30+ days?

• No → Pause (iterate offline)
• Yes → Continue

Is Day 1 retention above 25%?

• Yes → Pause and iterate
• No → Continue

Is LTV:CAC above 2:1?

• Yes → Pause and iterate
• No → Shut off

Has LTV declined for 3+ months?

• Yes → Shut off
• No → Pause and iterate

What to Do After Shutting Off

Option 1: Fix Product First

If you shut off due to retention or LTV issues, focus on product before resuming UA.

Metrics to improve before restarting:

• Day 1 retention >30%
• Day 7 retention >20%
• Clear monetization with >5% conversion to paid

Option 2: Test a Different Channel

If one channel failed, don't assume all will.

Example:

• Meta ROAS: 60% → Shut off
• Test Apple Search Ads → ROAS: 180% → Scale

Different channels attract different user quality.

Option 3: Change Business Model

If paid UA doesn't work, explore:

• Organic growth (ASO, content, viral loops)
• Partnerships
• Influencer marketing
• Referral programs

Not every app can grow profitably through paid ads.

Key Takeaways

• Pause when ROAS is 20-40% below target for 7+ days, or creative frequency exceeds 4
• Fix when ROAS is within 20% of target—small iterations can push you over the line
• Shut off when Day 30 ROAS is below 50%, LTV:CAC is below 1:1, or LTV declines for 3+ months
• Wait at least 7 days and 1,000 installs before making decisions
• Don't cut campaigns during learning phase

FAQs

When should I pause a UA campaign?

Pause when ROAS is 20-40% below target for 7+ days, Day 1 retention drops below 25%, or CPA exceeds LTV divided by 2. Pause gives you time to iterate creative, targeting, or product without burning budget.

When should I permanently shut off a campaign?

Shut off permanently when Day 30 ROAS is below 50%, cohort LTV is declining for 3+ consecutive months, or LTV:CAC ratio drops below 1:1 and shows no signs of recovery despite iterations.

How long should I wait before deciding to pause or shut off?

Wait at least 7 days for sufficient data (minimum 1,000 installs or 50 conversion events). For campaigns optimizing for Day 30 metrics, wait 30 days before making final decisions. Don't cut campaigns during learning phase.

What's the difference between pausing and shutting off?

Pausing is temporary (3-14 days) while you iterate. Shutting off is permanent because fundamentals are broken. Pause when you have a hypothesis to test. Shut off when iterations haven't worked after 60-90 days.

Should I shut off all UA if one channel fails?

No. Different channels attract different user quality. If Meta fails, test Apple Search Ads, Google, or TikTok. Only shut off all UA if you have product-level issues (low retention, weak monetization, declining LTV).

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Knowing when to cut losses is as important as knowing when to scale. Don't let sunk cost fallacy keep bad campaigns running.