Set a monitoring schedule

A schedule tells Ads Lighthouse how often to check every active keyword in your project. Scheduled checks use your scheduled allowance, which is separate from on-demand checks.

Available frequencies

• Once a day: a steady baseline for ongoing brand monitoring.
• Twice a day: captures morning and evening changes.
• Every 6 hours: four observations a day.
• Every 4 hours: six observations a day.
• Every 2 hours: twelve observations a day, for searches where timing matters.
• Every hour: 24 observations a day.
• Every 30 minutes: 48 observations a day.
• Every 15 minutes: 96 observations a day, the most frequent schedule.
• Manual only: no automatic schedule. Run checks from Keywords when you need them.

Faster schedules use the same monthly allowance more quickly: every 15 minutes uses 96 times the checks of once a day. The form shows what each schedule costs for your project, so you can pair a fast schedule with fewer keywords or locations.

Random check times

With Randomize check times on, each run starts at a random minute within its interval. For example, with Every hour one check runs at an unpredictable time in each hour. Advertisers who time their ads around fixed check times are harder to miss. A project never runs more often than its schedule, so it uses exactly the same checks. New projects start with random times; existing projects keep fixed times until you turn the setting on.

Change the schedule

1. Open Project settings, choose the Monitoring plan tab and select Edit monitoring plan.
2. Under How often to check, choose a schedule. Each choice shows its checks for a month; schedules your plan does not include name the plan that does.
3. Review the forecast of scheduled checks for a 31-day month.
4. Select Save monitoring plan. If the new schedule would exceed your allowance, the form tells you before saving.

The top of every project page counts down to the next scheduled check. Keywords shows the result of each check once it finishes.