Budget Management: Alert Thresholds & Auto-Pause

Stay on top of your Amazon ad budgets using smart alerts, automated pauses, and flexible control across all periods.

Use Budget Management to maintain full control over your account-level budgets and ensure spending aligns with your goals. With this feature, you can:

• Set Alert Thresholds to receive email notifications when spend reaches a defined percentage of your budget.
• Enable Auto-Pause to automatically prevent overspend once your defined budget is fully consumed.
• Reduce manual monitoring by automating campaign pauses and resumes.

Maintain visibility and control across daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly budgets. 

Accessing the Budget Management Dashboard

You can access the Budget Management dashboard in two ways:

1. From Navigation Panel
   Amazon Sponsored Ads → Settings → Budget Management
   
2. From Overview Dashboard
   Click the Settings icon in the Budget Overview card to navigate directly to the Budget Management dashboard.

How Budget Management Works

Step 1: Alerts Trigger

• The system monitors spend in real time using Amazon Marketing Stream (AMS) data.
• Email notifications are sent to the selected watchers when spend crosses defined thresholds (e.g., 70%, 90%).

Step 2: Budget Exhaustion

• When total spend reaches or exceeds your defined budget, Auto-Pause activates (if enabled).
• All active campaigns within the account are automatically paused.

Step 3: User Overrides

• Any manual user action or campaign state change rule created after Auto-Pause triggers will execute and take precedence.
  Example: If Auto-Pause triggers at 6 PM and the user re-enables or creates a campaign state change rule at 7 PM, those campaigns will resume.

Step 4: Resume Behavior

Campaigns automatically resume when:

• The budget period resets (daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly).
• The budget is increased mid-period.

Auto-Pause is manually disabled.

Key Features

Feature	Description
Alert Thresholds	Receive email notifications when spend reaches set thresholds (e.g., 70%, 90%).
Auto-Pause	Automatically pauses all active campaigns when total spend reaches 100% of the budget.
Resume Logic	Auto-resume occurs after a period reset, budget top-up, or manual Auto-Pause disable.
User Intervention Priority	Manual user actions (enable/disable, new campaigns, or newly created state change rules post auto pause enabled rule triggers) always take precedence — even beyond the set budget.
Automation Rules	Existing automation rules are suppressed during Auto-Pause. Any new campaign state change rule created after Auto-Pause triggers is treated as a valid user action and will execute normally.
Timing Note	Once the budget hits 100%, pausing may take 30–60 minutes due to AMS data latency and rule execution time. Minor overspending during this time is expected.

Notes on Data Updates and Timing

Intentwise relies on Amazon Marketing Stream (AMS) data for real-time spend tracking.
Occasional AMS reporting delays may cause a lag between budget exhaustion and campaign pausing, which can lead to minor overspending. This is expected behavior and not a system error. A few things to consider:

• Delays: During high-traffic periods, updates may be delayed by a few hours
• Campaign support: AMS doesn’t yet support Legacy Sponsored Brands or Sponsored TV
• Spend threshold logic: Updates occur when spend shifts by ~5%

Auto-Pause Use Cases

Scenario	System Behavior	Notes
Budget Exhausted (100%)	All active campaigns are paused automatically.	Campaigns resume after period reset or budget top-up. Automation suppressed.
User Enables Campaign Post-Pause	Manual enable honored.	User actions always take precedence; campaigns may exceed budget.
Budget Decreased Mid-Period (Spend > New Budget)	Pauses all campaigns.	Prevents spend from exceeding new reduced budget.
Budget Increased Mid-Period	Resumes auto-paused campaigns.	Previously paused campaigns by auto pause enabled rule resume automatically.
New Campaign Created During Exhausted Budget	Campaign is created and active.	Treated as user action; may exceed budget.
Automation / AI Conflicts	Suppresses existing automation.	Auto-Pause cannot be overridden.
Recovery / Period Reset	Resumes auto-paused campaigns.	Only campaigns paused by Auto-Pause resume.
Auto-Pause Disabled (after budget hit)	Resumes all paused campaigns.	Disabling Auto-Pause resumes campaigns.
Campaign state change Rule Created Post Auto-Pause	Executes normally.	Treated as a new user action.
Auto-Pause & Rule Execute Simultaneously	Auto-Pause takes precedence.	Auto Pause rules always run first.

Notes on Data Updates

Powered by Amazon Marketing Stream (AMS), budget data updates frequently, but with a few considerations:

• Delays: During high-traffic periods, updates may be delayed by a few hours
• Campaign support: AMS doesn’t yet support Legacy Sponsored Brands or Sponsored TV
• Spend threshold logic: Updates occur when spend shifts by ~5%

Takeaways

✅ Prevent overspend automatically with Auto-Pause.
✅ Maintain full control with manual overrides and user-created rules.
✅ Gain clear visibility into budgets across daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly periods.
✅ Rely on automated alerts and smart controls to reduce manual intervention.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What happens when I hit 100% of my budget?
If Auto-Pause is enabled, all active campaigns in your account are paused automatically.

What if I reduce my budget mid-period and my spend is already higher?
The system pauses all active campaigns since your spend now exceeds the revised budget.

What if I manually enable a campaign after Auto-Pause triggers?
Your manual action takes precedence — the campaign will remain enabled even if the budget is exhausted.

What if I disable Auto-Pause after my campaigns were paused?
All campaigns paused by Auto-Pause automatically resume once Auto-Pause is disabled.

Do automation rules run during Auto-Pause?
No. Existing rules are suppressed, but any new campaign state change rule created after Auto-Pause triggers executes normally.

What if AMS data is delayed or Amazon API fails temporarily?
Intentwise relies on AMS data. If there’s a delay, overspend may occur until data syncs. The system ensures campaigns are safely paused once updated data is received.

How long does pausing take once the budget is hit?
Pausing may take 30–60 minutes due to AMS data refresh and rule execution timing.

Will new campaigns created during Auto-Pause remain active?
Yes. Any new campaign or manual state change is treated as a user action and will remain active.

Can I still use Watchers and Alerts if Auto-Pause is enabled?
Yes. Watchers continue to receive alerts when thresholds are hit, regardless of Auto-Pause status.

Budget Management Cheat Sheet

Quick reference for Alert Thresholds, Auto-Pause, and Edge Cases

1.Budget Exhaustion & Spend States

Scenario	System Behavior	Notes / Takeaways	Acceptance Criteria
Exact 100% spend hit	Pause all active campaigns	AUTO_BUDGET token applied	All campaigns move to PAUSED:AUTO_BUDGET
Latency overshoot	Pause campaigns, log overshoot	Minor overspend possible due to reporting latency	Overshoot logged, campaigns paused
Daily / Weekly / Monthly / Yearly budget exhausted	Pause until period reset	Resume campaigns automatically at {RESET_AT} or after budget increase, or when auto pause is disabled post auto pause enabled was executed	Only auto-paused campaigns resume
Budget decreased mid-period (spend > new budget)	Immediate pause	Ensures spend never exceeds new budget; manual overrides allowed	All active campaigns paused within 30-60 minutes
Budget set to 0	Pause all campaigns	AUTO_BUDGET token applied	Campaigns paused within scope

2. User Actions While Paused

Scenario	System Behavior	Notes / Takeaways	Acceptance Criteria
User enables paused campaign in IW	Campaign resumed	Manual action takes precedence	Campaign stays enabled
User enables from Amazon console	Campaign resumed	User action takes precedence; may overspend	Campaign stays enabled
User edits targeting / budgets	Changes applied	Changes applied but campaign remains paused	Changes applied
User changes bids	Changes applied	Bid update happens but campaign remains paused	Bid values change
User creates new campaign	Campaign created and active	User action takes precedence; may exceed budget	Campaign stays enabled
User archives campaign	Archive overrides pause	Tokens cleared	No resume on budget reset

3. Automation & AI Conflicts

Scenario	System Behavior	Notes / Takeaways	Acceptance Criteria
Automation tries to unpause	Suppressed	Cannot override Auto-Pause	Automation does not override budget token
AI bidding adjustments	Bidding suppressed	Budget token prevents bidding	No bid changes applied
Scheduled automation resumes campaign	Suppressed	Only runs after budget reset or token cleared	Logged as suppressed
User creates campaign state change rule post Auto-Pause	Rule executes	Treated as user action	Campaigns updated as per rule
Auto-Pause & Auto Enable scheduled together	Auto-Pause takes precedence	Ensures budget is respected	Auto-Pause runs first

4. Recovery & Rollover

Scenario	System Behavior	Notes / Takeaways	Acceptance Criteria
Period reset (Daily / Weekly / Monthly / Yearly)	Clear tokens, resume campaigns	Auto-paused campaigns resume	Only auto-paused campaigns resume
User increases budget mid-period	Clear token, resume campaigns	{N} auto-paused campaigns resumed	Only auto-paused campaigns resume
User decreases budget mid-period	Pause campaigns	Budget token reapplied	Campaigns paused

5. Account level

Scenario	System Behavior	Notes / Takeaways	Acceptance Criteria
Account budget exhausted	Pause all active campaigns under account	All active campaigns paused	All active campaigns paused

6. Failures & Edge Conditions

Scenario	System Behavior	Notes / Takeaways	Acceptance Criteria
API outage	Retry with failsafe	Ensures campaigns are safe-paused	System retries until success
Spend data delayed	Late pause, notify overshoot	Minor overshoot may occur	Pause triggered when data arrives
System crash during pause	Recovery on restart	Campaigns safe-paused	Campaigns remain paused post-recovery

Auto-Pause Logic & System Notes

• Auto-Pause triggers when spend ≥ 100% of budget.
• Resume triggers
  
  • Next period reset (daily/weekly/monthly/yearly)

• • Budget increase mid-period
  • Manual Auto-Pause disabling
• User actions always take precedence (manual enables/disables, campaign creation, or state change rules post Auto-Pause enabled is triggered).
• Latency note: 30–60 minute delay may occur due to AMS reporting; minor overspend possible.
• Auto-Pause + Automation: Automation rules suppressed during Auto-Pause; user-created campaign state change rules post Auto-Pause execute normally.