Short answer: "account spending limit reached" means the total spent by your ad account has hit a cap set on that account, so every ad in it has paused, even though Ads Manager still lists them as active. An ad account admin can restart them from Payment settings by changing the limit, removing it or resetting the amount spent, and Meta says ads start running again about 15 minutes later.
Nothing is wrong with your ads, and editing them won't help. Which of the three fixes to pick depends on what the cap was for, and that takes a minute to decide, because this limit doesn't work the way most people assume.
It's a lifetime cap, not a monthly budget
Meta describes the limit as a cap on everything the ad account spends across all campaigns from the time you set it. The amount counted toward it does not reset on its own at the end of a month. So a cap set months ago and then forgotten can stop an account on an ordinary day, with no change on your side.
Meta's own example: set a $100 limit at the start of the month, spending reaches $100, all ads pause and you get a notification. The ad status is the misleading part. Meta says ads stay listed as active when this happens, so the status column won't show you the problem.
Check it's this limit and not one of the other two
Three caps can stop an ad, and Meta says ads run until they reach whichever of the ad account spending limit, the daily spending limit or the daily budget is lowest. A campaign spending limit, if you set one, stops that campaign too. They have different fixes.
| Limit | Who sets it | What stops | When it clears | Where to look |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ad account spending limit | You | Every ad in the account | Only when you change, remove or reset it | Account spending limit section in Payment settings |
| Daily spending limit | Meta | Every ad in the account for the rest of the day | On its own at 00:00 in the ad account's time zone | Current balance section in Payment settings |
| Campaign spending limit | You | All ad sets and ads in that campaign | When you update or remove it | That campaign in Ads Manager |
The quick test: if every campaign stopped and the amount spent in Payment settings has reached your limit, it's the account limit. If only one campaign stopped, look at that campaign's limit. If ads paused below your own limit, Meta points to its daily spending limit. Accounts on monthly invoicing don't have one, and accounts that pay from available funds can't set an account spending limit, so on those each cause is ruled out.
Which of the three fixes to use
All three need an ad account admin and start from the same place: Payment settings, the Account spending limit section, then Options. Meta says each takes about 15 minutes before ads start running again. The choice below is my judgement; the mechanics are Meta's.
| Fix | What happens | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Change | The new number replaces the old one, and what you've already spent still counts toward it | You want a higher cap and want the running total kept |
| Reset the amount spent | The counter goes to $0 and the limit stays the same | The cap is your monthly budget and a new month has started |
| Remove | The account has no cap of this kind | You never meant to have one, and you watch spend some other way |
The mistake to avoid with Change is entering the extra amount instead of the new total. Say the limit was $100 and you've spent all of it. Because the $100 still counts, entering $50 doesn't buy $50 more; the limit can't be set below what's already spent. To allow another $50, enter $150.
If the cap is there as a safety net, I'd keep it rather than remove it. Daily budgets are averages, not ceilings, so a day can run over your daily budget, and this is the only one of these caps that you set across the whole account. Meta says some accounts have the option of an automatic reset on the 1st of each month. If yours does, that turns the cap into the monthly budget most people thought it was.
If it won't let you, or the ads don't restart
- You can't find the option or can't save: you may not be an admin of the ad account. Meta requires that role to change, reset or remove the limit, so ask whoever has it.
- The limit you enter is invalid: it can't be lower than what's already spent. Enter a higher number, or reset the amount spent to $0.
- An error about too many changes: Meta says to wait about an hour and try again.
- No reset option: Meta doesn't offer it when $0 has been spent toward the limit, so the limit isn't what stopped you.
- Still not spending after 15 minutes and the limit is clear: go down the other causes in why Facebook ads aren't spending, starting with the payment method and the account's status.
Not sure who set the cap or when? In the Billing section, open the Transactions dropdown and select Account spending limit. The history shows when the limit was set, updated or removed, and when the amount was reset.
Work out when it will hit next
Before a sale, take the limit, subtract the amount spent, and divide by the total of your daily budgets. With $600 left and $80 a day across the account, you have about seven and a half days, and fewer if you raise budgets. Meta shows the amount spent toward the limit in Payment settings, so this takes a minute. Do it before the week you can't afford to stop.
Every ad stopped but still says active: open Payment settings and compare the amount spent with your account spending limit. Change, reset or remove it as an admin, and allow about 15 minutes.
How Everix handles it
Everix can't lift this limit for you; that stays with an admin of the ad account. What it does is read the symptom. When a lane spends under half of each day's budget on three stable days in a row, it names the likely cause and the next step: lower the ROAS floor, widen the audience, replace a creative Meta is limiting, wait for a review, or check hand-picked placements. If nothing in the lane explains it, it tells you to check the ad account's spending limit and payment method. Three days is a slower alarm than Meta's notification, so don't wait for it if everything has stopped today. Everix starts at $49 a month, with 7 days free.
Frequently asked questions
- What does account spending limit reached mean on Meta?
- Your ad account's total spend has hit the cap set on the account. All ads pause and the account stops spending, though Ads Manager still lists the ads as active.
- Does the account spending limit reset every month?
- Not by default. Meta describes it as a lifetime limit that doesn't reset on its own. Some accounts may have the option of an automatic reset on the 1st of each month; otherwise an admin resets it manually.
- How long until my ads run again after I change the limit?
- Meta says about 15 minutes, for changing the limit, removing it or resetting the amount spent.
- What's the difference between the account spending limit and the daily spending limit?
- You set the account spending limit, and it stays reached until you act. Meta sets the daily spending limit based on your advertising and payment history, and it resets at 00:00 in the ad account's time zone.
- Can I increase Meta's daily spending limit myself?
- Usually not directly. Meta says it typically rises automatically as you build advertising history, follow its policies and spend near your limits. Some advertisers get a notification in Payment settings offering a faster increase.