---
name: creative-fatigue-detector
description: "Diagnose creative fatigue; refresh cadence; when to swap/rotate ads; frequency caps; CTR drop / CPM rise signals; per-platform creative lifespans."
---

# Creative Fatigue Detection & Refresh Cadence

Use these typical starting thresholds; prefer the account's own history to decide when to refresh creatives BEFORE performance collapses. Most teams refresh too late — the goal is to act on early warnings, not wait for CPA to blow up.

## Early Warning Signals (act on these BEFORE CPA spikes)

| Signal | Threshold | Action |
|--------|-----------|--------|
| CTR declining | 20%+ drop from peak over 3 days | Queue replacement creative |
| CPM rising | 15%+ increase with same targeting | Expand audience or refresh creative |
| Frequency climbing | Above 2.5 for prospecting | Introduce new creative variations |
| Frequency critical | Above 3.0 for retargeting | Immediate creative swap required |
| Hook rate dropping | Below 20% after previously >25% | New hooks needed |
| CPA creep | 15%+ above target for 3+ days | Test new angles, not just variations |

## Creative Lifespan by Platform (plan refreshes proactively)

| Platform | Format | Typical Lifespan | Refresh Cadence |
|----------|--------|------------------|-----------------|
| TikTok | In-feed video | 1-3 weeks | Weekly new creative |
| TikTok | Spark Ads | 2-4 weeks | Bi-weekly refresh |
| Meta | Reels | 2-3 weeks | Weekly new creative |
| Meta | Feed static | 1-2 weeks | 2x weekly refresh |
| Meta | Carousel | 3-4 weeks | Bi-weekly refresh |
| Google PMax | Mixed assets | 3-6 weeks | Monthly asset refresh |
| YouTube | In-stream | 4-8 weeks | Monthly refresh |
| LinkedIn | Sponsored content | 3-5 weeks | Bi-weekly refresh |

## Anti-Fatigue Tactics

- **Format rotation:** Cycle between video, static, carousel. When one format fatigues, another stays fresh.
- **Audience rotation:** Move fatigued creative to new audiences before retiring it entirely.
- **Iteration first:** Test new hooks on a winning body before reinventing the full concept.
- **Pipeline health:** Always maintain 3-5 concepts in dev, 3-5 in production, 3-5 in test queue, 5-10 running live.

## Reading Signals Together

A single signal can be noise; **two or more in the same week is a real fatigue event**:
- CTR dropping AND frequency climbing → fatigue confirmed, swap creative
- CPM rising alone with stable CTR → likely auction pressure, not fatigue
- Hook rate falling AND CPA creeping → reinvent hooks, don't just iterate variations