Facebook & Instagram Ads Dashboards: Best Practices

Running Facebook and Instagram ads without a clear, unified reporting view is one of the fastest ways to waste budget. The data is there—impressions, clicks, conversions, ROAS—but it’s scattered across platforms, views, and date ranges. That fragmentation makes it difficult to understand what’s actually working.

A well-built Facebook & Instagram Ads dashboard in Looker Studio solves this problem by bringing Meta Ads data into a single, decision-ready view. Instead of toggling between Ads Manager screens, you get one dashboard that answers the questions that matter most: Which campaigns are profitable? Where is spend being wasted? How are Facebook and Instagram performing side by side?

This tutorial walks through best practices for building a client-ready, executive-friendly social ads dashboard, with a focus on the KPIs that actually drive performance.

Key Takeaway

A high-performing Facebook & Instagram Ads dashboard does three things exceptionally well: it aligns on clear KPIs, compares Facebook vs. Instagram performance side-by-side, and presents data in a decision-ready layout that highlights winners, flags underperformers, and ties ad spend directly to revenue or conversions.

Looker Studio is an ideal tool for this because it centralizes Meta Ads data, supports flexible calculations, and creates shareable dashboards that scale across teams and clients.

Why Facebook & Instagram Ads Dashboards Matter

Meta’s advertising ecosystem is powerful, but it’s also dense. Ads Manager exposes hundreds of metrics, many of which distract more than they inform. Without structure, teams end up optimizing toward vanity metrics instead of business outcomes.

A dedicated social ads dashboard helps you:

• See Facebook and Instagram performance in one place

• Track spend efficiency over time

• Compare campaigns, audiences, and creatives quickly

• Provide stakeholders with a clear performance narrative

For agencies and in-house teams alike, dashboards replace reactive reporting with proactive optimization.

Choosing the Right Data Source in Looker Studio

Before design comes data integrity. Your dashboard is only as reliable as the data feeding it.

Best Practice: Use a Dedicated Meta Ads Connector

When connecting Facebook and Instagram Ads to Looker Studio:

• Use a connector that supports campaign, ad set, and ad-level granularity

• Ensure conversions and purchase values are passed correctly

• Confirm timezone and currency consistency

• Validate totals against Meta Ads Manager before sharing

This validation step is critical. Even small mismatches erode trust and slow adoption.

The Core KPIs That Matter Most

Not every metric deserves dashboard real estate. The goal is clarity, not completeness.

1. Spend & Delivery Metrics

These provide context for scale and exposure:

• Spend

• Impressions

• Reach

• Frequency

Use these as supporting metrics, not success indicators.

2. Engagement Metrics

These help diagnose creative and audience resonance:

• Clicks

• CTR (Click-Through Rate)

• CPC (Cost Per Click)

• Video views (if video-heavy campaigns are running)

CTR and CPC are particularly useful early indicators of campaign health.

3. Conversion & Revenue Metrics

This is where performance becomes tangible:

• Conversions

• Cost Per Conversion

• Conversion Rate

• Purchase Value / Revenue

• ROAS

Your dashboard should visually prioritize these metrics. If stakeholders remember only one section, it should be this one.

Facebook vs. Instagram: Side-by-Side Comparison

One of the most common reporting mistakes is blending Facebook and Instagram performance into a single aggregate view.

Best Practice: Separate, Then Compare

Your dashboard should allow users to:

• See Facebook and Instagram performance independently

• Compare ROAS, CPA, and CTR by platform

• Identify channel-specific strengths

This comparison often reveals patterns—Instagram may drive cheaper clicks, while Facebook delivers higher conversion volume. Without side-by-side views, these insights stay hidden.

Structuring the Dashboard Layout

A strong dashboard tells a story from top to bottom.

Recommended Layout Flow

1. Executive KPI Row High-level metrics: Spend, Revenue, ROAS, Conversions

2. Platform Comparison Section Facebook vs. Instagram performance charts

3. Campaign Performance Table Sortable table with spend, conversions, CPA, and ROAS

4. Trend Analysis Spend vs. conversions over time

5. Diagnostic Metrics CTR, CPC, Frequency trends

This structure mirrors how decisions are made—from outcomes to diagnostics.

Designing Client-Ready Visuals

Dashboards should reduce cognitive load, not add to it.

Design Best Practices

• Use consistent color coding for Facebook and Instagram

• Apply conditional formatting to highlight ROAS and CPA thresholds

• Avoid overcrowding charts—white space improves comprehension

• Label metrics clearly (no abbreviations unless universally understood)

For client-facing dashboards, clarity always beats cleverness.

Filters and Controls That Actually Get Used

Interactive controls are only useful if they’re intuitive.

Must-Have Controls

• Date range selector

• Platform filter (Facebook / Instagram)

• Campaign selector

Avoid excessive filters. If users hesitate before clicking, the control is unnecessary.

Using Calculated Fields for Better Insights

Looker Studio’s calculated fields are where dashboards become powerful.

Examples That Add Real Value

• ROAS = Revenue / Spend

• Cost Per Conversion = Spend / Conversions

• Blended ROAS across platforms

These calculations ensure consistency and remove spreadsheet dependency.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even experienced teams fall into these traps:

• Reporting impressions without tying them to outcomes

• Mixing platform data without comparison

• Overloading dashboards with metrics

• Ignoring data validation against Ads Manager

• Designing for analysts instead of decision-makers

Avoiding these mistakes dramatically increases dashboard adoption.

Sharing and Maintaining the Dashboard

A dashboard is a living asset, not a one-time report.

Best Practices for Ongoing Use

• Set data refresh schedules appropriately

• Re-validate data after major campaign changes

• Archive outdated campaigns to reduce clutter

• Review KPI definitions quarterly

Maintenance keeps dashboards trusted and relevant.

Final Thoughts

A Facebook & Instagram Ads dashboard should do more than report numbers—it should guide decisions. When built correctly in Looker Studio, it becomes the central command center for social ad performance, replacing fragmented reports with a single source of truth.

By focusing on the right KPIs, separating platform performance, and designing for clarity, you create a dashboard that saves time, builds confidence, and drives better outcomes from every dollar spent.

FAQ

What is the best tool to build Facebook and Instagram Ads dashboards?

Looker Studio is an excellent choice because it centralizes Meta Ads data, supports advanced calculations, and creates shareable, client-ready dashboards.

Which KPIs matter most for Meta Ads reporting?

Spend, conversions, CPA, revenue, and ROAS are the most important. Engagement metrics like CTR and CPC provide helpful diagnostic context.

Should Facebook and Instagram performance be reported together or separately?

Both. View them separately for clarity, then compare them side by side to identify platform-specific strengths.

How often should Meta Ads dashboards be refreshed?

Daily refreshes work well for most teams. High-spend accounts may benefit from more frequent updates.

Can these dashboards be shared with clients?

Yes. Looker Studio dashboards are easily shareable and can be permissioned for view-only access.