Autopilot AI Advertising Overview
Pixel Setup
Autopilot AI Account Maintenance
Campaign Creation
Sales Funnels
Ads in Autopilot AI
Autopilot AI Reporting Dashboard
Autopilot AI FAQs
Glossary

 

Autopilot AI Advertising Overview

Simpli.fi’s new, all-in-one AI tool, Autopilot AI, offers businesses of all sizes an omnichannel solution that can be up and running in five minutes, with no campaign minimum, plus low pay-as-you-go credit card billing, ensuring an accessible price of entry.

Autopilot AI allows anyone, including small- and medium-sized companies with little or no advertising or campaign experience, to plan, launch, optimize, and monitor targeted ad campaigns. The tool leverages the power of programmatic advertising to place content in front of the best audiences, in the best places, to drive business results. It includes:

• Brand Insights at login, offering a simple ‘cheat sheet’ on how to build a campaign with top keywords, categories, and personas.
• A Campaign Builder with Audience Selection, which provides powerful, proven engagement strategies, leveraging Simpli.fi’s unmatched data sets and best practices.
• The Ad Creator, which provides creative assets for advertising campaigns by leveraging website content, making sure that new programmatic advertisers are set up for success and aren’t slowed down due to lack of ads.
• Campaign Review, issued automatically which provides a look-back campaign analysis including three areas of success plus a recommendation for next steps.

Watch: Autopilot AI Overview Video

 

Pixel Overview

Pixels are an important part of what makes your campaigns work. These small snippets of code allow Autopilot AI to accurately track the traffic to your site and get a fingerprint of every page visit, conversion, or sale. These strategies all hinge on your pixel being placed properly.

Please see Pixel Setup for details about creating and placing your pixel.

Set up these pixels before you create a campaign, especially if you are launching a new website and do not yet have much traffic. Autopilot AI can gather the necessary data. This process maximizes your spend efficiency and ensures that you can scale your campaigns effectively and affordably.
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Pixel Setup

A pixel is a small piece of code that, when placed on a website, allows a third-party to track when an event occurs.
Tracking pixels and conversion pixels do the following:

• Enables auto optimization for Autopilot AI ad campaigns
• Allows the creation of retargeting audiences to bolster campaign performance and provide additional targeting strategies.
• Tracks sales, firing a conversion and passing back the order ID number and revenue from purchases made as a result of ad campaigns.

 

Tracking Pixel

The tracking pixel observes site activity and traffic driven by ads and builds audiences based on this activity. Copy the provided pixel as is and paste it into the header on each page of your website. It is recommended to place the pixel by editing the header template or theme document.

Click Download to download a text document with the pixel, or click Email to email the pixel.

Once you place the pixel, the tracking pixel activates after approximately five site visits, allowing users to view and track daily website visits. Click Show Pixel to display your live pixel code.

Once your pixel is implemented and active, you can set up your purchase pixel.

 

Conversion Pixel

The conversion pixel tracks sales, signaling for conversions in the Autopilot AI Reporting Dashboard, allowing users to view the order ID numbers and revenue from each sale driven by your ad campaigns. Install the conversion pixel by selecting your e-commerce platform and pre-generating a pixel with the pass-back macros set.

Pass-Back Macros
Every e-commerce platform has custom macros that, when placed in a pixel, allow the platform to send data to Autopilot AI. Autopilot AI has two macros: Purchase Value and Order ID. These macros allow users to view their sales and orders from Autopilot AI campaigns. Macros can change depending on which platform you select. Select Custom if your platform is not listed, or to operate on a custom website to edit your own macros.

Conversion Pixel
Once you place your conversion pixel, conduct a test purchase on your website, or wait for a sale to occur and look for three Active green check marks to display on the graph.

To check pass-back macros such as revenue or order IDs, click Check Pixel Data. If there are blank pass-backs, code snippets, or null, this means there is an error with your code placement or you must update your macros.

Contact autopilot@simpli.fi for pixel setup help.
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Autopilot AI Account Maintenance

As you use Autopilot AI, ensure you maintain your account to keep it current. Consider the following when maintaining your account:

• Autopilot AI billing
• Accepted payment methods and invoicing
• Using vouchers
• Deleting your account

 

Autopilot AI Billing

Autopilot AI uses a pre-pay as you go billing system, automatically charging for your campaign in increments, periodically throughout the duration of your campaign. The Auto-Pay Amount in your billing settings dictates this amount, and can be changed based on your needs.

Once charged, that amount will be visible in your Account Balance, and your campaign will begin to spend. When the balance reaches zero, you will be charged your designated amount again, until your campaign is complete. You will receive an email to your billing account when Simpli.fi charges your card, and your billing receipts are accessible and exportable from the billing settings page.

Example: If you set your Auto-Pay amount to $200, and launch campaigns with budget totaling $1000, you will be charged $200 up front, and then four more times throughout the duration of your campaign flights (totalling $1000), rather than paying $1000 up front.

Your balance is account-wide and can be applied to any and all campaigns, present and future.

 

Accepted Payment Methods and Invoicing

Autopilot AI accepts all major credit and debit cards for adding budget to your account. You can manage payments and invoicing with the following methods:

Adding a Payment Method:

• Start a new campaign, build your creatives and targeting, and input your preferred payment method in the Budgeting and Schedule module.
• The card you input is kept on file for future campaigns. To use a different card, input the new card information when building your next campaign. You can choose between multiple saved cards for future campaigns.
• Managing payment Methods
  • In the Account tab, go to the Billing section.
  • Click on the Account drop-down list, select Billing, and you have the following options:
  • Select your preferred payment method
  • Input new card information
  • Manage payment options
• Invoicing
  • You can print or download invoices or receipts for your campaigns in the Billing menu.
  • Scroll to the bottom to find a record of all your transactions, which you can save or print.

   

  Using Vouchers

  Your Autopilot AI-issued voucher works like a credit card when adding a budget to your account. To apply the voucher, complete the following steps:

  1. In the campaign menu, click Add Budget.
  2. In the drop-down menu, select Voucher.
  3. Enter your 8-digit voucher code and click Verify.

  Your voucher balance is applied to the currently active campaign.

   

  How do I delete my account?

  Autopilot AI never deletes your ads, campaigns, account, or data without your express instruction. You continue to have full access to your data for a comprehensive understanding. Your account remains active by default until you delete it.

  If you would like to remove your account, campaigns, or data from Autopilot AI, contact support at autopilot@simpli.fi to have your account and data securely deleted within 1–3 business days.
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  Campaign Creation

  Digital marketing can scale your business and drive new sales, but a single ad or campaign does not achieve it all. Autopilot AI can help you create a series of campaigns using a campaign strategy referred to as a Sales Funnel that creates a multi-tiered strategy to target users in your defined audience.

  Strategy Basics
  Create a series of campaigns that include all three options on the Step 1: Settings tab:

  • Awareness
  • Consideration
  • Action

  These strategies require a pixel on your website, so you must add pixels first. For more information on pixels, please see Pixel Setup.

   

  Budgeting and Schedule

  Your budget and schedule define your total campaign spend and the period of time you display your ad to the audience you selected for this campaign.

  Total Campaign Budget is your total allowance for this campaign and represents the total amount you are willing to spend. Autopilot AI spends part of that budget daily, pacing evenly until the last day of your set schedule.

  Bid Amount is how much you are willing to spend per 1,000 impressions (views of your ad). This bid amount informs your campaign CPM (Cost Per Mille). Autopilot AI uses your bid amount to inform your maximum bid. Your eCPM (effective Cost Per Mille) may come in below the maximum but never above it.

  While you can launch a successful campaign with a low bid amount, you have a better chance to win against competitors for your audience by bidding higher. Higher bids may also provide access to more premium inventory.

  Input your scheduled start and end date to define your campaign’s flight duration. Autopilot AI considers all provided start dates to begin at 12:00 AM Central time and end at 11:59 PM Central time on the provided end date.

  Once you input this information, Autopilot AI displays your average daily spend.

   

  Campaign Setup

  To create a campaign in Autopilot AI, click New Campaign then complete the following steps:

  1. Complete the Settings tab.
  2. Complete the Targeting tab.
  3. Add your Creatives.
  4. Start your campaign.

  Complete the Step 1: Settings Tab
  The initial campaign setup includes areas to add your settings. On the New Campaign screen, you name your campaign, determine the creative types, and set the duration and budget.

  In the Step 1: Settings tab, complete the following steps:

  1. In the Name Your Campaign section, input your campaign name in the Name: textbox. Use an easily identifiable name, which makes reporting easier.
  2. In the What’s Your Strategy? section, select your Strategy. For details on strategy types, see Campaign Strategies.
  3. In the Creative Type section, select your Creative Type.
  4. In the Budget & Schedule section, set your Budget, Bid Amount, and Schedule.
     1. In the drop-down list, select Daily to set a specific limit for each day, or Lifetime to set a budget for the entire campaign, then input a dollar amount for your budget.
     2. Input your Bid Amount. The Bid Amount is how much you want to spend for 1,000 impressions.
     3. Set your Schedule. Type or select the Start Date from the calendar.
     4. If you want to set an End Date, set the Set end date checkbox, then type or select the end date from the calendar.
  5. Click Next.

  Complete the Step 2: Targeting Tab
  The second campaign setup tab includes areas to add details about your target audience. In the Step 2: Targeting tab, you define the locations, demographics, and devices of your target audience.

  In the Step 2: Targeting tab, complete the following steps:

  1. Complete the Targeting section as follows, depending on the campaign type you are creating:
     • For Awareness: Audience Targeting, add Keywords as necessary. Keywords allow you to narrow your audience to users searching for products similar to yours. In the drop-down list, you can select Keyword or Exact Match.
     • For Consideration: Contextual Targeting, select categories to define demographics of your intended audience. You can narrow the categories with more specific interests to further define your audience.
     • For Action: Retargeting, select your target first-party audience. This is the audience you want to retarget as they are your most likely set of users.
  2. In the Location (Geo-Targeting) section, set the Location. Add metros or zip code areas where you plan to target users. (Awareness and Consideration targeting only).
  3. In the Demographics section, set the Demographics. Demographics include the Target Age groups and Gender of your intended audience. (Awareness targeting only).
  4. In the Device Targeting section, set your Device Targeting. Devices include desktops, smartphones, and tablets, or you can set the Target All Devices / Operating Systems checkbox.
  5. Click Next.

  Complete the Step 3: Creatives Tab
  The final campaign setup tab allows you to add creatives to your campaign. In the Step 3: Creatives tab, upload or create your ads.
  In the Step 3: Creatives tab, complete the following steps:

  1. In the Creative section, select Upload or Create. See Ads in Autopilot AI for details on both types of ads.
  2. Click Save.

  Access Edit Campaign

  The Edit Campaign screen in the Autopilot AI platform allows users to edit existing campaigns. You can access the Edit Campaign screen in two different ways: a campaign’s line item or in a campaign’s details screen.

  Access Edit Campaign: Campaign Line Item

  Users can access the Edit Campaign screen by navigating to the desired campaign and clicking its pencil icon. Select Edit Campaign Settings or Edit Campaign Targeting. To learn more about editing capabilities, see Edit Campaign Settings and Edit Campaign Targeting.

  Access Edit Campaign: Campaign Details Screen

  Users can access the Edit Campaign screen by clicking into the campaign they want to edit. In the campaign’s details screen, click Edit, then select Edit Campaign Settings or Edit Campaign Targeting.

  Edit Campaign Settings

  The Edit Campaign Settings screen allows users to edit the following:

  Name – Allows users to edit the name of their campaign
  Budget – Allows users to edit the budget type (Lifetime or Daily) and budget amount of their campaign
  Bid Amount – Allows users to edit the amount the user wants to bid on inventory per 1,000 impressions
  Schedule – Allows users to edit the campaign start and end dates

Note: Users cannot edit their campaign’s Strategy or Media Type selections after campaign creation.

Edit Campaign Targeting

The Edit Campaign Targeting screen allows users to edit the following:

Note: The Edit Campaign Targeting screen displays different editable modules depending on the Strategy and Media Type selected, meaning users can edit targeting settings specific to their campaign creation selections. For example, a user views the Contextual Targeting edit section if they select a Consideration campaign with Contextual Targeting.

Audience Targeting –  Allows users with Awareness campaigns to edit their selected third-party interest or audience segments
Contextual Categories –  Allows users with Consideration campaigns to select or deselect contexts
Demographic > Age –  Allows users to edit the target age range of their audience
Demographic > Gender – Allows users to target their audience by gender
Device Type – Allows users to edit the Device Type (Desktops, Smartphones, or Tablets)
Expand to All Devices Toggle – Allows users with CTV campaigns to expand their buy across streaming apps on computers and handheld devices
In-App Designation –  Allows users to target in-app inventory
Note: Users can target in-app inventory for every combination of Strategy and Media Type except for Action Display and Action Video, which are incapable of cross-device conversion tracking with a CPA campaign goal.

Location – Allows users to edit a campaign’s location, metro area, or postal code.Note: Postal code targeting is only available for Display and Video (OLV) campaigns.
Mobile OS – Allows users to edit the mobile operating system (iOS, Android, or both)

 

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Sales Funnels

When creating digital advertising campaigns, you can determine success in three different areas, each its own campaign:

• Awareness
• Consideration
• Action

Together, they comprise the Sales Funnel.

Every stage of the funnel has different metrics for success, and each stage should lead your customers to the next. For new brands, success might come in the form of increasing awareness at the top of the funnel. Once your brand is established with your customers, your success metrics shift to clicks, site engagements, and conversions. While Awareness leads can drive conversions, a full-funnel approach builds lasting relationships with repeat customers.

 

Sales Funnel Stages

Sales Funnels have the following three stages:
Stage One: Awareness
Awareness introduces your brand to new customers and generates interest in your products. Start at the top of the funnel with an awareness campaign to reach a broad audience and gather data on user engagement. Target ads to broader demographics and interests, such as health and fitness, technology, or music festivals, to discover new audiences.

During an awareness campaign, success is measured by impressions and clicks.

• Impressions: The number of times users in your target audiences view your ad.
• Clicks: The number of times users click the ad.

The more impressions you drive in this stage, the more brand awareness you build, and the better you can target your audience in future campaigns.

Your ads should be descriptive and informative. Ensure users understand who you are and what you are offering without needing to click. Awareness is typically 50–60% of your marketing budget.

A headline example: The New 2025 Honda Civic. An Affordable Compact Car You’ll Love To Drive.

The results of this stage are the following:

• Reach
• Frequency
• Awareness

Watch: Autopilot AI Awareness Campaign Setup

Stage Two: Consideration
Consideration showcases what sets your product apart and convinces potential buyers it is the best choice. With awareness ads driving traffic, use the data to deliver more targeted ads to qualified users. These users are familiar with your brand and are likely considering your product.

A headline example: See How the New 2025 Honda Civic Stacks Up Against the Toyota Camry.

During the Consideration stage, you want to create content that your audience wants to engage with. During this stage, you will define your audience demographics carefully. Consideration is typically 30–40% of your budget.

The results of this stage are the following:

• Better intent data
• CPC (Cost-per-Click)
• Engagement
• Site traffic
• Users primed for purchase

Watch: Autopilot AI Consideration Campaign Setup

Stage Three: Action
Action re-targets users who have shown interest or interacted with your site, offering incentives to convert. Offer a strong incentive to convert, such as a limited-time offer or a discount code. The action stage is typically 10–20% of your budget.

A headline example might be: The 2025 Honda Civic. Test Drive Today and Get $500 Cash Back.

The results of this stage are:

• Cart size and purchase amount
• Conversions driven by leveraging upper-to-mid funnel data
• Days to convert

Watch: Autopilot AI Action Campaign Setup
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Ads in Autopilot AI

There are two ways to load ads into the Autopilot AI platform using the Autopilot AI Ad Creator:

• Building Ads
  This method creates a 300×250 Content-Style ad from the provided website link. The generated ad’s titles and images are editable. This type of ad is recommended for all stages of the funnel. The Image portion of the ad is formatted as a landscape 300×160. It is also recommended to use lifestyle images without text.

 

• Uploading Ads
  This method allows users to design ads in Photoshop. These ads are saved as a JPG, GIF, or animated GIF format. Once saved, use the Upload Tool to upload the ad into the Autopilot AI platform. We support the following ad sizes based on the funnel stage:
• • 300×250: Awareness, Consideration, Retargeting
  • 300×600: Awareness, Consideration, Retargeting
  • 728×90: Awareness, Consideration, Retargeting
  • 160×600: Awareness, Consideration, Retargeting
  • 320×50: Retargeting

  For funnel-specific ads, it is recommended to create ads for each stage of the funnel to avoid creating the same ads across different strategies.

  What should my ads say?

  Top of Funnel/Awareness Ads
  Top-of-funnel/awareness ads link to earned media, favorable reviews, or your website’s landing pages. The messaging should be descriptive and clear, explaining what prospective consumers should know about your brand and products without requiring them to click.

  Example: The new 2025 Honda Civic. An affordable compact car you’ll love to drive.

  Mid-Funnel/Consideration Ads
  Mid-funnel/consideration ads link to campaign landing pages or product landing pages. The messaging should cater towards consumers who are familiar with your overall brand, but may not recognize your products. These consumers are likely considering numerous different brands in-market.

  Example: See how the new 2025 Honda Civic stacks up against the Toyota Camry or, The 2025 Honda Civic, named best in class by Car & Driver, 0% down.

  Bottom of Funnel/Action/Retargeting Ads
  Bottom of funnel/action/retargeting ads target users who have already visited your website but did not purchase anything. In this scenario, the goal is to win them back by directing users to landing or product pages that include offers like vouchers or discount codes.

  Example: The 2025 Honda Civic. Come in for a test drive today and get $500 cash back.

  Watch: Autopilot AI Ad Creator

   

  How to Upload or Create Ads

  In the Autopilot AI Platform, you can upload custom ads or use the Autopilot Ad Creator to create high-performing ads.

  Uploading an Ad
  To upload an ad, complete the following steps:

  1. In the Autopilot AI dashboard, click New Campaign.
  2. Once your ad has its necessary specifications, in Step 3: Creatives, click Upload.
  3. The Upload Ad window displays, which includes specifications for Supported File Types, Required Bitrate, Supported Ad Formats, and Recommended Duration.
  4. Drag and drop your custom-created ads into this window.

  Creating an Ad
  To create an ad, provide a URL to the page you want to promote. This URL can be a link to a website, product, or earned media.

  1. Complete Step 1: Settings and Step 2: Targeting. Please see Campaign Creation for more details.
  2. In Step 3: Creatives, click Create.
  3. In the Article or Website URL field, input the URL.
  4. Additional fields should display, allowing you to further customize your ad:
     • Brand Name
     • Headline
     • Font
     • Font Style
     • Font Size
     • Call To Action

     Clicking Change Image allows you to upload your own image or select an existing stock image. The crop and zoom features are not available for stock images.

  5. Click Save.

   

  Autopilot AI Ad Specifications

  Ad Creator
  Allows users to create editorial-style ads from a pasted URL, displaying an image, caption, advertiser name, and Call-To-Action. The following sizes are available:

  • 300×250 – Medium Rectangle
  • 336×280 – Large Rectangle
  • 300×600 – Half Page
  • 160×600 – Skyscraper
  • 728×90 – Leaderboard
  • 970×250 – Billboard
  • 320×480 – Mobile Interstitial
  • 320×50 – Mobile Leaderboard
  • 300×50 – Mobile Leaderboard

  Ad Specifications
  The following are specifications for ads you might use with Autopilot AI:

  Audio

  • Supported file types: MP3, MP4, M4A, OGG, OGA, WAV
  • Bitrate: Minimum 320 kbps
  • Sample rate: 44.1 khz
  • File size: Maximum 200 mb
  • Recommended duration: 6, 10, 15, 30, or 60 seconds

  CTV

  • Supported file types: MP4, MOV, MPEG, AVI
  • Recommended bitrate: 20 Mbps or higher
    • Minimum 8 Mbps
  • Supported ad formats: 1920×1080 (16:9)
    • Minimum 768×576
  • File size: Maximum 200 mb
  • Recommended duration: 15, 30, or 60 seconds

  Display

  • Supported file types: JPG, GIF, PNG
  • Recommended standard formats: 160×600, 300×250, 300×600, 320×50, 336×280, 728×90, 970×250
  • Tablet/Mobile takeover: 320×480, 480×320, 768×1024, 1024×768
  • File Size: Minimum 200 kb, Maximum 200 MB

  Video

  • Supported file types: MP4, MOV, MPEG, AVI
  • Required bitrate minimum: 5.4 Mbps
  • Supported ad formats: 1920×1080, 1920×1200
    • Minimum 768×576

     

  • File size: Maximum 200 mb
  • Recommended duration: 15, 30, or 60 seconds
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  • Autopilot AI Reporting Dashboard

    The Autopilot AI Dashboard is an interactive dashboard that displays campaign performance metrics, AI-generated brand and campaign insights and reviews, and site analytics. Select a time period from the drop-down menu to update the dashboard metrics based on the selected timeframe.

    The following metrics are included in each dashboard section:
    Campaign Performance

    • Page Views: The number of times the page was viewed to a device, including an interactive graph that allows you to move your cursor along the graph to view daily page views
    • Conversions: The number of interactions taken from your ad, including an interactive graph that allows you to move your cursor along the graph to view daily conversions
    • Revenue: The income generated from your ad, and an interactive graph that allows you to move your cursor along the graph to view daily revenue
    • Campaigns: Displays all of your campaigns, including their total spend, page views, and conversions
    • Ads: Displays each ad, including their number of page views and conversions
    
    Autopilot AI
    • Brand Insights: A propriety Autopilot AI-generated summary of your brand’s insights, including suggested categories and keywords to implement in your campaigns
    • Campaign Review: A propriety Autopilot AI-generated review of your campaign, including additional detailed metrics, insights, and suggestions, such as total impressions, audience engagement, and CTRs
    

    Site Analytics

    • All Site Visits (Tracking Pixel): A graph of the number of site visits based on the timeframe selected
    • All Conversions (Conversion Pixel): A graph of the number of conversions based on the timeframe selected
    

    Note
    Click New Campaign to create a new campaign in the Dashboard or Campaigns tab.
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    Autopilot AI FAQs

    Can I use Autopilot AI if I do not have any ads?
    Yes. The Autopilot AI Ad Creator enables users to create ads with only a product URL. Additionally, users can import creatives from past campaigns ran via other platforms into the Autopilot AI platform.

    Can I use Autopilot AI if I have a low budget?
    Yes. Any budget is acceptable to create a campaign using Autopilot AI.

    Why am I seeing a wave of unusual traffic when I launch a campaign?
    Each time you launch a new campaign or create a new ad, Autopilot AI systemically inspects the click-through URL provided to ensure compliancy.

    As a result, a surge of traffic with a high bounce rate can display on your website because the provided URL is being checked against the site taxonomy.

    You are not paying for these clicks, site visits, or impressions as they occur outside of your campaign spend. This activity only happens during the first two days of your campaign and does not repeat.

    What do I need to get started with Autopilot AI?
    To begin using Autopilot AI, insert your campaign’s URL in the platform and complete the steps to place a pixel on your site to track its performance. Campaigns can be activated immediately with a credit card; no credit approval process needed.

    Where do my Autopilot AI ads run?
    Autopilot AI launches your ads using an audience-first targeting approach, publishing them across websites and apps that are browsed across all audience devices.

    Why is my campaign Pending?
    If you notice your campaign status displays as Pending after publishing, it could be due to one of the following reasons:

    • Your campaign and account are under review
    • You did not meet the minimum combined campaign budget of $500 (specifically for CBD campaigns)

    Check the email sent when you first signed up for your account, as it contains all requirements based on your brand.

    Note
    If you believe your campaign should be live, or for any other questions, contact autopilot@simpli.fi
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    Glossary

    Below are Autopilot AI commonly used acronyms:

    Advertising Terms

    • Creative: Your ad unit, sometimes referred to as “Ad Creative”.
    • Campaign: The execution of your ad strategy, creative, targeting, budget, and schedule.

    Ad Trafficking Terms and Abbreviations

    • Budget: The total budget allocated for campaigns.
    • Bid: The amount you are bidding for ad inventory.
    • Impressions (Imps/Impr): Views of your ad.
    • Clicks: How many times your ads were clicked or tapped.
    • CTR: Click-through-rate.
    • CPM: Cost per thousand impressions.
    • Conversions (Conv): How many times users converted after seeing or clicking your ad.
    • CPC: Cost-per-click.
    • CPLPV: Cost Per Landing Page View.
    • LPV: Landing Page Views.
    • Spend: The amount of budget spent so far on your campaigns.
    • Schedule: Start and end dates of a campaign, also referred to as flight dates.

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