Last updated: June 2026
Overview
If you need to set up a large number of new budgets at once - for example, onboarding a bunch of new clients, you can do this in one go using the budget upload template.
This process creates new parent budgets with your account tags already applied. Automation settings (AutoPacing, AutoPause) are intentionally left off in the template. We recommend reviewing each budget after creation before enabling automation - you can do that in bulk using the bulk update process.
Step 1 — Download the template
Download the budget upload template (at the bottom of this article)
Open it in Excel, Google Sheets, or any spreadsheet tool.
Step 2 — Complete the template
Each row in the template creates one new parent budget. Add one row per budget you want to create.
Required fields
Column | What to enter |
Platform | The ad platform. Use: google, meta, microsoft, linkedin, amazon, or tiktok |
Ad Account | The name of the ad account |
Account ID | The account ID as it appears in Adpulse |
Ad Account Tags | Tags to apply to this budget. Separate multiple tags with commas. |
Budget Name | The name you want to give this budget |
Start Date | Budget start date in YYYY-MM-DD format |
End Date | Budget end date in YYYY-MM-DD format |
All Campaigns? | Enter "all" to include all campaigns in the account |
Budget Target | The spend target for this budget |
Pacing Type | Always use "linear" here - it can be updated later |
Rollover Strategy | Always use "zero" - it can be updated later |
Budget Schedule | The budget period type. Use monthly, weekly, or daily |
Schedule From | The start date for the first scheduled budget period (YYYY-MM-DD) |
Schedule Repeat Start | The day of the month your budget period starts (e.g. 1 for the 1st) |
Schedule Repeat Length | Enter 1 for a monthly budget, 2 for a two-monthly budget, and so on |
Schedule Budget Target | The spend target for the recurring budget |
Fields to leave blank
Leave the following columns empty — they are either auto-assigned on creation or calculated once the budget is live:
Budget ID and Entry ID — Adpulse assigns these when the budget is created. If you enter a value here, the import will treat the row as an update to an existing budget rather than a new one.
Rollover, Spent, % Spent, Pacing, Ideal Daily Spend, Yesterdays Spend, Forecast Spend — these are live performance figures and have no value on a budget that doesn't exist yet.
KPI Actual, KPI Benchmark, KPI Percentage — calculated automatically.
Parent Budget ID — leave blank. This template creates parent budgets. Child budgets can be added separately once the parent exists.
AutoPacing Active?, AutoPause Active? — leave as FALSE. Add automation after you've reviewed the budgets (see below).
KPI fields (optional)
If you want to set a KPI target on each budget, complete these columns:
Column | Example |
KPI Type | cost_per_conversion |
KPI Current Source | last_30_days |
KPI Details | previous_period |
KPI Period | 3 |
Leave them blank if you don't need KPI tracking on the budget.
Step 3 — Upload the file
Go to the Budgets dashboard
Click the upload icon
Select your completed CSV file
Set the date format to match the dates in your sheet. The default is YYYY-MM-DD, but Excel and Google Sheets can change this depending on your region — check before you upload
Run the import
Adpulse will create each budget immediately. You'll see a confirmation for each row. The new budgets will appear on the Budgets dashboard within seconds.
Step 4 — Review and add automation
Once your budgets are created, open each one and check that the settings look correct — account, campaigns, target, and schedule.
When you're satisfied, you can enable AutoPacing, AutoPause, or other automation settings across all budgets at once using the bulk update process.
Common issues
The import updates existing budgets instead of creating new ones Check that the Budget ID and Entry ID columns are blank on every row. A value in either field tells Adpulse the row is an update, not a new budget.
Date format errors If dates aren't importing correctly, check the format in your sheet matches the format you selected in the upload modal. YYYY-MM-DD is the safest format to use regardless of region.
Tags aren't applying Make sure tags are entered exactly as they appear in Adpulse, including capitalisation. If you have multiple tags, separate them with a comma. If any tag name contains a comma, wrap the entire field in double quotes.
Import fails on a row Send us the file and we'll review it and tell you exactly what to fix.
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