Question

My campaigns show excellent performance on desktop, but mobile traffic is almost nonexistent—even during peak shopping hours. Device targeting is set to all, and mobile-friendly landing pages are live. What technical checks should I run to troubleshoot ad delivery on mobile?

Answer 1

If desktop is thriving but mobile traffic is flat, there may be a technical or delivery-side bottleneck. Here’s a checklist to troubleshoot it:

1. Ad Preview Tool

• Use your platform’s ad preview and diagnostics tool (Google Ads, Meta, etc.) to confirm your ads are actually eligible to show on mobile.

• Sometimes policy issues or display restrictions can block mobile visibility.

2. Check Mobile Bids & Bid Adjustments

• Look for any negative bid adjustments on mobile devices (especially in Google Ads).

• Even small reductions can suppress mobile impressions if competition is high.

3. Landing Page Speed on Mobile

• Use tools like PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix to test your mobile load speed.

• A page that’s technically mobile-friendly might still be slow, which can limit delivery, especially on Meta.

4. Ad Format Compatibility

• Some ad formats (like larger banners or certain placement types) prioritize desktop or aren’t optimized for mobile.

• Check if your creative size, CTA, or layout is unintentionally suppressing mobile delivery.

5. Audience Overlap or Placement Limits

• If you’re using custom placements or layered targeting, mobile reach may get filtered out.

• Ensure you're not excluding mobile apps or networks unintentionally (especially on Display or Meta Audience Network).

6. Check Campaign Budget Allocation by Device

• Some smart campaign settings (e.g., Meta’s CBO or Google’s Auto Bidding) may favor devices where conversion data is stronger — usually desktop.

• You might need to split campaigns by device to force equal testing.

Bonus Tip:

Run a mobile-only campaign for 3–5 days with identical creative and targeting. This gives you clean data to confirm whether mobile underperformance is due to delivery, bidding, or landing page friction.