Why it happens
The bid is too low
The bid is too low
A manual bid under the suggested range loses most auctions. The ad set shows Active and spends almost nothing.
No active ads
Every ad is paused, still in review or rejected. The ad set has nothing to show.
The campaign is paused or out of budget
The campaign (formerly campaign group) is paused, past its end date, or has spent its total budget. Every ad set under it stops.
Audience too small
LinkedIn needs at least 300 members to deliver. Stacked targeting facets and exclusions get there fast.
Account on hold
A billing problem or a policy hold stops the whole account.
How to fix it, step by step
Read the delivery status
In Campaign Manager, open the ad set and hover the status. It names the reason: Audience too small, No active ads, Campaign paused, Campaign budget reached, Scheduled or Account on hold.
Fix billing and holds
Open Account settings and Billing center. Update the card or pay the balance if the account is on hold.
Check the parent campaign
Make sure it is active, inside its dates and has budget left. Raise the total budget or extend the end date.
Check the ads
Each ad set needs at least one approved, active ad. Replace rejected ads and wait for review, usually within 24 hours.
Raise the bid
If the status is Active and impressions are near zero, move a manual bid into the suggested range or switch to Maximum delivery.
Widen the audience
If the forecast is small, remove a facet, drop narrow exclusions or turn on audience expansion.
Steps checked against LinkedIn Help articles: Campaign status definitions in Campaign Manager; Ads not receiving impressions or engagement; Troubleshoot Campaign Groups errors.
Sprites fixes this
Or let Sprites fix it
Sprites reads every ad set, its parent and its ads, finds the one thing blocking delivery and proposes the change. You approve every change.
What Sprites does
- Lists campaigns, ad sets and ads with their statuses and budgets, plus each ad’s review status and whether it is serving.
- Reads each ad set’s bid strategy and bid, budget, schedule and full targeting.
- Shows impressions and spend by ad set against the previous period, so a stall has a date.
- Proposes the fix: reactivate the paused level, raise the budget, move the bid, or widen the targeting.
What it doesn't do
- Fix billing or an account hold
Questions
What does Not delivering mean on LinkedIn?
The ad set is switched on but cannot serve. Hover the status in Campaign Manager to see the reason.
Why is my LinkedIn ad set Active with no impressions?
Usually a manual bid below the auction. Move it into the suggested range or switch to Maximum delivery and watch for impressions the same day.
How long does a new LinkedIn ad set take to start?
Once ads are approved, usually within a few hours. Review itself usually finishes within 24 hours.
What is the minimum audience size on LinkedIn?
300 members. LinkedIn will not deliver below it, and anything in the low thousands delivers slowly and expensively.
What does Account on hold mean?
Usually a failed payment. Fix billing in the Billing center. If billing is fine, contact LinkedIn support about a policy hold.
Let Sprites fix it
Connect the account. Sprites finds the cause, stages the change and waits for your approval.