Target CPA (tCPA)

What it is

You enter what you are willing to pay for a conversion; the system uses device, location, time, query and audience signals to bid higher in auctions likely to convert and lower in those that are not. The target is an average, not a ceiling: some conversions come in at $30, others at $180.

In the current Google Ads interface tCPA is no longer a separate strategy but the target CPA field inside Maximise Conversions. Microsoft Advertising has an equivalent.

Why it matters

Three conditions decide success: accurate and reasonably fast conversion tracking, volume (the practical threshold is around 30 conversions per campaign in the last 30 days), and patience through the learning period. Changes made mid-way restart it.

The most common mistake is setting the target far below current performance; if your real CPA is $160 and you set $50, the system stops entering auctions and volume collapses. The safe path is to start at the recent average and lower the target by 10-15% per step.

How Tecrube uses it

Managing bidding strategies is a real write action: you ask the assistant to compare a campaign's actual CPA with its target and change the target on Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising in the same chat.

The proposed change comes back first as a preview showing exactly what will change; nothing is applied to the live account until you approve, and the applied change is logged.

Example

“How far above target is my lead campaign's 30-day CPA? Propose lowering the target by 10%.” The assistant compares the $142 actual CPA with the $120 target, previews the new $108 target with a learning-period warning, and applies it on your approval.