> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.smaq.io/documentation/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.smaq.io/documentation/features/media-plans.md).

# Media Plans

A media plan in SMAQ isn't just a spreadsheet — it's a living document that tracks actual spend and performance against your plan, snapshots the comparison on a schedule, and (on Scale and above) gets weekly AI-driven recommendations on where to shift budget.

> **\[Screenshot needed]** Media plan detail page showing the plan header, a spend trend chart with plan vs actual lines, and a channel breakdown table.

### What's in a media plan

| Field                  | What it captures                                                                             |
| ---------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Plan name**          | Human-friendly identifier ("Summer Launch", "Q2 Brand")                                      |
| **Flight dates**       | Start and end                                                                                |
| **Goal template**      | Maximize ROAS / Target CPA / Brand reach / etc. — pre-loads KPI targets                      |
| **Total budget**       | Sum across all channels                                                                      |
| **Currency**           | Reporting currency for the plan                                                              |
| **Channels**           | One or more channels with allocated budget, source connection, optional campaign-level scope |
| **KPI targets**        | ROAS, CTR, CPA, CPL, etc. — derived from the goal or edited manually                         |
| **Snapshot frequency** | How often SMAQ snapshots plan-vs-actual                                                      |
| **Notes**              | Free-text context                                                                            |

### Creating a media plan

The fastest path is the [Media Plan wizard](/documentation/features/media-plans/create.md) — a guided 3-step flow. For more complex plans (5+ channels, non-standard goals), use the advanced form.

See [Create a media plan](/documentation/features/media-plans/create.md) for the step-by-step.

### Tracking plan vs actuals

Once a plan is live, SMAQ pulls actual spend from each channel's connection and computes:

* **% of plan budget consumed** (per channel and overall)
* **Pacing**: ahead / on / behind plan
* **Performance**: actual KPIs vs target KPIs

The plan detail page shows this live. Schedule snapshots if you want a paper trail.

### Media Plan Intelligence

On Scale tier and above, you can attach the [Media Plan Intelligence](/documentation/features/media-plans/intelligence.md) agent to a plan. Weekly, it analyzes pacing + performance and emails a recommendation — usually a specific reallocation between channels.

### Companion automations

* [Budget Pacing Alert](/documentation/features/automations/reference.md#budget-pacing-alert) — get pinged when any channel goes ±10% off pace.
* [Campaign Performance Check](/documentation/features/automations/reference.md#campaign-performance-check) — weekly campaign-level digest, useful alongside a media plan.

### Project-level vs. multi-project plans

Media plans live inside a single project. If you're an agency managing multiple clients, build one plan per client project — the [Command Center](/documentation/features/command-center.md) gives you the cross-project view.

### What's next

* [Create a media plan](/documentation/features/media-plans/create.md) — wizard walkthrough.
* [Media Plan Intelligence](/documentation/features/media-plans/intelligence.md) — the AI agent.
* [Plan a campaign with Media Plans](/documentation/get-started/tutorials/plan-a-campaign.md) — full tutorial.