Adform Reach Forecast

Media Plan Reach Forecast

Forecast campaign performance metrics including projected impressions, unique reach, estimated spend, and maximum bid prices required to achieve specific KPI targets. This enables data-driven campaign planning and budget optimization.

Overview

This forecasting tool analyzes your media plan parameters to predict campaign performance. The system processes targeting criteria, budget allocations, and schedule information to generate accurate performance projections.

Processing Time: Complex forecasts may require 5-15 seconds to complete. Allow time for the response before retrying.

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CRITICAL: Query execution pattern

The mediaPlanForecastingKpis endpoint requires the named-variable pattern exclusively. The inline pattern (inputs baked directly into the query body) validates against the schema but returns a 500 server error at execution time due to MCP layer serialisation. Do not use it.

Always call graphql_execute with query and variables as separate arguments:

query ForecastScenario($mediaPlan: ForecastingKpisMediaPlanInput!, $currencyCode: CurrencyCode) {
  mediaPlanForecastingKpis(mediaPlan: $mediaPlan, currencyCode: $currencyCode) {
    ctr { kpi impressions spend maxPrice }
    forecast { impressions cookies }
  }
}

{
  "currencyCode": "GBP",
  "mediaPlan": {
    "advertiserId": "2133936",
    "timeZoneId": "Europe/London",
    "name": "UK Retail – Display – July 2026",
    "schedules": [
      { "startDateTime": "2026-07-01T00:00:00", "endDateTime": "2026-07-31T23:59:59" }
    ],
    "budget": {
      "currency": "GBP",
      "amount": 25000,
      "frequencyCappingRules": []
    },
    "goals": {
      "kpis": [{ "performance": { "ctr": { "rate": 0.003 } } }]
    },
    "targeting": {
      "idFusionEnabled": true,
      "inventory": { "channels": ["display", "native"] },
      "targetingRuleGroups": [{
        "locations": [{
          "targetingMode": "include",
          "locations": { "countryIds": ["826"] }
        }]
      }]
    }
  }
}

Rules for the variables JSON:

• All enum values must be quoted strings: "display", "native", "video", "include", "EUR", "GBP" etc.
• frequencyCappingRules must be an explicit empty array [] — never omitted.
• currencyCode lives at the top level of the variables object, not inside mediaPlan.
• Channel values: "display", "native", "video", "tv", "audio", "dooh".
• Always validate the query string with graphql_validate before executing.

Result fields under ctr: kpi, impressions, spend, maxPrice Result fields under forecast: impressions, cookies

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Forecast Parameters

The forecasting system requires the following parameters to generate accurate projections:

Required Information:

• Advertiser ID: Your unique advertiser identifier
• Time Zone: Campaign time zone (e.g., "Europe/Berlin")
• Campaign Schedule: Start and end dates for the forecast period
• Budget: Total budget amount and currency
• Performance Goals: Target KPIs (e.g., click-through rate)
• Targeting Criteria: Geographic locations, channels, and audience segments

Example Configuration:

Campaign: April 1-14, 2026
Budget: €10,000
Target: Germany
Channels: Display, Native
Goal: 0.5% CTR

Location Targeting

For geographic targeting, use country IDs from the Adform geo reference. Look up the correct ID using countries(search: "Germany") via adform-geo-reference rather than hardcoding values.

Common ISO 3166-1 numeric codes (verify via adform-geo-reference before use):

• Germany: 276
• United States: 840
• United Kingdom: 826
• France: 250
• Netherlands: 528

You can combine location targeting with audience criteria for more precise forecasting.

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Using Existing Campaigns

To forecast performance for an existing campaign:

1. Retrieve your current campaign settings
2. Adjust parameters you want to test (budget, dates, targeting)
3. Generate new forecast with updated parameters
4. Compare results to make informed decisions

This approach allows you to test different scenarios before committing to changes.

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Understanding Your Results

Performance Metrics:

• Target KPI: The performance goal you set (e.g., click-through rate)
• Projected Impressions: Expected ad deliveries at your target KPI
• Estimated Spend: Projected campaign cost in your budget currency
• Maximum Bid Price: Highest bid needed to achieve your KPI target
• Total Reach: Forecasted unique audience reach
• Total Impressions: Overall projected ad deliveries

Key Insights: The forecast shows how different bid levels affect campaign performance. Higher bids typically deliver more impressions but increase costs, while lower bids may reduce reach but improve efficiency.

Making Decisions

Presenting Results: Focus on the key metrics that matter for your campaign:

• "To achieve a 0.5% CTR, you can expect approximately 2.5 million impressions with an estimated spend of €8,500 at a maximum bid of €3.40"

Important Considerations:

• Forecasts are projections based on current market conditions
• Actual performance may vary due to competition and market changes
• Use forecasts as planning tools, not guarantees
• Consider testing different scenarios to find optimal settings

Next Steps:

• Compare different budget scenarios
• Test various targeting combinations
• Adjust KPI targets to balance reach and efficiency
• Monitor actual performance against forecasts once live

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: adform
• Source: adform/agentic-skills
• License: MIT
• Homepage: https://site.adform.com

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.