| name | ad-performance-report |
| description | Creates ad performance reporting templates with ROAS analysis, creative insights, and optimization recommendations. Use when you need structured ad campaign reports. |
| allowed-tools | Read Write Glob |
| metadata | {"author":"matthewhitcham","version":"1.0"} |
Ad Performance Report
When to Use This Skill
Use this skill when you need to:
- Create a weekly or monthly ad performance report
- Analyze ROAS, CPA, and other key advertising metrics
- Deliver creative performance insights and optimization recommendations
- Build a reusable reporting template for ongoing campaigns
DO NOT use this skill for organic social media analytics, SEO reports, or general business dashboards. This is specifically for paid advertising performance reporting.
Core Principle
EVERY METRIC IN THE REPORT MUST LEAD TO AN ACTION — IF A NUMBER DOES NOT INFORM A DECISION, REMOVE IT.
Phase 1: Report Setup
Required Inputs
| Input | What to Ask | Default |
|---|
| Ad platforms | "Which platforms? (Meta, Google, TikTok, LinkedIn, all)" | Meta + Google |
| Reporting period | "What date range? (weekly, monthly, custom)" | Last 30 days |
| Campaign goals | "Primary KPI? (ROAS, CPA, leads, traffic)" | ROAS |
| Budget spent | "What was the total spend this period?" | No default — must be provided |
| Revenue or conversions | "What revenue or conversion count resulted?" | No default — must be provided |
| Comparison period | "Compare against what? (previous period, same period last year)" | Previous period |
GATE: Do not proceed without spend and conversion/revenue data.
Phase 2: Metrics Analysis
Calculate and present core metrics with context.
Metric Calculations
## Core Metrics
| Metric | This Period | Last Period | Change |
|--------|------------|-------------|--------|
| Total Spend | $X | $X | +/-X% |
| Revenue | $X | $X | +/-X% |
| ROAS | X.Xx | X.Xx | +/-X% |
| CPA/CPL | $X | $X | +/-X% |
| Impressions | X | X | +/-X% |
| Clicks | X | X | +/-X% |
| CTR | X.X% | X.X% | +/-X% |
| CPC | $X.XX | $X.XX | +/-X% |
| Conversions | X | X | +/-X% |
| Conversion Rate | X.X% | X.X% | +/-X% |
Platform Breakdown
If running on multiple platforms, break metrics down per platform:
## Platform Performance
| Platform | Spend | Revenue | ROAS | CPA | CTR |
|----------|-------|---------|------|-----|-----|
| Meta | $X | $X | X.Xx | $X | X.X% |
| Google | $X | $X | X.Xx | $X | X.X% |
Benchmarks
Compare against industry benchmarks and the account's historical averages. Flag any metric that is significantly above or below benchmark.
Phase 3: Insights and Recommendations
Creative Performance
## Top Performing Creatives
1. [Creative name/ID] — ROAS: X.Xx, Spend: $X, CPA: $X
Why it works: [Analysis of hook, format, messaging]
2. [Creative name/ID] — ROAS: X.Xx, Spend: $X, CPA: $X
Why it works: [Analysis]
## Underperforming Creatives
1. [Creative name/ID] — ROAS: X.Xx, Spend: $X, CPA: $X
Recommendation: [Pause / revise hook / change audience]
Optimization Recommendations
Provide 3-5 specific, prioritized actions:
## Recommended Actions
1. **[Action]** — [Rationale] — Expected impact: [High/Med/Low]
2. **[Action]** — [Rationale] — Expected impact: [High/Med/Low]
3. **[Action]** — [Rationale] — Expected impact: [High/Med/Low]
Phase 4: Executive Summary
Write a 3-5 sentence summary for stakeholders who will not read the full report.
## Executive Summary
[1-2 sentences on overall performance vs. goal]
[1 sentence on the biggest win]
[1 sentence on the biggest concern or opportunity]
[1 sentence on next steps]
Report Delivery Format
report/
└── ad-performance-[YYYY-MM].md
Include: Executive summary, core metrics table, platform breakdown, creative analysis, recommendations, and raw data appendix.
Example: Monthly Meta + Google Report
Executive Summary:
"Total ad spend of $8,400 generated $29,400 in revenue for a blended ROAS of 3.5x — up from 2.8x last month. The top-performing Meta creative (UGC testimonial video) drove 42% of all conversions at a $12 CPA. Google Search CPA increased 18% due to rising keyword competition — recommend expanding to branded terms and adding negative keywords. Priority for next month: scale the UGC creative format on Meta and audit Google keyword match types."
Anti-Patterns
- Data dumps without insight — a table of numbers is not a report. Every metric needs context and a recommendation.
- Reporting on vanity metrics — impressions and reach without tying to revenue are noise. Lead with ROAS or CPA.
- Missing comparison context — raw numbers mean nothing without period-over-period or benchmark comparison.
- Burying the recommendations — lead with what to do, then support with data. Stakeholders read the top, not the bottom.
- Reporting too infrequently — monthly is minimum. Weekly for campaigns spending $5K+/month.
Recovery
- Incomplete data: Note which metrics are missing and why. Provide analysis on available data with caveats.
- ROAS below 1.0: Flag immediately. Recommend pausing underperformers, reallocating budget, or revising creative before next spend cycle.
- No conversion tracking: Cannot produce a meaningful report. Help the user set up conversion tracking as a prerequisite.
- First month of ads (no comparison data): Use industry benchmarks as the comparison baseline. Flag that historical context will improve future reports.
