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Cross-Platform Transfer Workflow

This workflow guide explains how to copy campaign structures from one platform to another using Whathead’s cross-platform transfer capabilities. This is useful when you want to run the same campaign on multiple platforms or migrate campaigns between ad accounts.
When to use this workflow:
  • Running the same campaign on multiple platforms (Meta, TikTok, Snapchat, Google)
  • Transferring campaigns between client accounts
  • Testing campaigns on different platforms
  • Migrating campaigns when switching platforms
For detailed feature documentation, see Cross-Platform Transfer Overview.

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Understanding Cross-Platform Transfer

Cross-platform transfer copies campaign structures, settings, targeting, and creative assets from a source platform to a destination platform. Whathead automatically:
  • Translates campaign settings to match destination platform requirements
  • Maps targeting options to equivalent options on the destination platform
  • Downloads creative assets from the source and uploads them to the destination
  • Adjusts budgets to meet destination platform minimums
  • Creates new entities on the destination platform (does not link to source)
Important: Cross-platform transfer creates NEW campaigns on the destination platform. It does not link or sync campaigns between platforms. Changes to the source campaign do not affect the destination campaign after transfer.

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Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have:
  • Connected both source and destination platforms
  • Admin or advertiser access to both ad accounts
  • Existing campaign on the source platform (or created in Whathead)
  • Understanding of destination platform requirements and limitations

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Workflow Overview

Cross-platform transfer involves these steps:
  1. Prepare source campaign
  2. Initiate transfer
  3. Review field mapping
  4. Adjust for destination platform
  5. Publish to destination platform

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Step-by-Step Workflow

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1. Prepare Source Campaign

1

Open Campaign Builder

Navigate to Campaign Builder from the sidebar.
2

Load source campaign

Either:
  • Create a new campaign from scratch, or
  • Fetch an existing campaign from the source platform
Ensure the campaign is complete and validated.
3

Expand campaign structure

If you fetched the campaign, expand it to load ad sets and ads. You need the full structure for transfer.
4

Verify campaign is ready

Check that all nodes have green checkmarks (no validation errors).

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2. Initiate Transfer

1

Select campaign to transfer

Click on the campaign node you want to transfer.
2

Open transfer modal

Right-click the campaign node and select Transfer to Another Platform (or use the transfer button in the toolbar).
3

Choose destination platform

Select which platform and ad account you want to transfer to.
You can transfer to a different platform (e.g., Meta to TikTok) or to a different ad account on the same platform (e.g., Meta Account A to Meta Account B).
4

Start transfer

Click Start Transfer. Whathead begins analyzing the campaign and preparing the transfer.

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3. Review Field Mapping

Whathead automatically maps fields from the source platform to the destination platform.
1

Review objective mapping

Whathead maps the source objective to the closest equivalent on the destination platform.Example mappings:
  • Meta “Sales” → TikTok “Conversions”
  • TikTok “Traffic” → Snapchat “Website Visits”
  • Snapchat “App Installs” → Meta “App Installs”
Not all objectives have exact equivalents. Review the mapped objective and adjust if needed.
2

Review targeting mapping

Whathead translates targeting options:
  • Locations map directly (if supported by destination)
  • Age ranges map to closest equivalent
  • Interests map to similar categories (may not be exact)
  • Custom audiences do NOT transfer (must be recreated on destination)
See Field Mapping for complete mapping details.
3

Review budget adjustments

Whathead adjusts budgets to meet destination platform minimums. If your source budget is below the destination minimum, Whathead increases it automatically.
4

Review creative transfer

Whathead downloads creative assets from the source platform and prepares them for upload to the destination platform.
Creative assets must meet destination platform requirements (dimensions, file size, format). If assets don’t meet requirements, you’ll need to provide compatible assets manually.

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4. Adjust for Destination Platform

After reviewing the automatic mapping, make any necessary adjustments.
1

Adjust objective if needed

If the mapped objective isn’t what you want, change it to a different destination platform objective.
2

Refine targeting

Review and adjust targeting:
  • Add or remove locations
  • Adjust age ranges
  • Select different interest categories
  • Configure platform-specific targeting options
Some targeting options available on the source platform may not exist on the destination platform. Whathead shows which options are available.
3

Adjust budgets

Verify budgets are appropriate for the destination platform and your goals.
4

Replace incompatible assets

If any creative assets don’t meet destination platform requirements, upload compatible replacements.
See Upload Requirements for platform-specific asset specifications.
5

Configure platform-specific settings

Set any platform-specific options that don’t exist on the source platform (e.g., TikTok-specific placements, Snapchat-specific ad formats).

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5. Publish to Destination Platform

1

Validate transferred campaign

Check that all nodes have green checkmarks. Fix any validation errors.
2

Review transfer summary

Whathead shows what will be created on the destination platform:
  • Campaign with mapped settings
  • Ad sets with translated targeting
  • Ads with transferred creative assets
3

Publish

Click Publish to create the campaign on the destination platform.
4

Confirm success

Whathead confirms when the campaign is live on the destination platform.
Your campaign is now running on the destination platform!

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What Transfers and What Doesn’t

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What Transfers Automatically

✅ Transfers:
  • Campaign name
  • Objective (mapped to equivalent)
  • Budget (adjusted for platform minimums)
  • Schedule (start date, end date)
❌ Does NOT transfer:
  • Campaign performance data
  • Campaign history
  • Platform-specific settings without equivalents
See Cross-Platform Transfer Limitations for complete details on what can and cannot be transferred.

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Common Transfer Scenarios

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Scenario 1: Meta to TikTok

Use case: Run your Meta campaign on TikTok to reach a younger audience. Considerations:
  • TikTok requires video creative (Meta may have image ads)
  • TikTok has different interest categories
  • TikTok minimum budgets may differ
  • TikTok placements are different (TikTok feed, TopView, etc.)
Steps:
  1. Transfer Meta campaign to TikTok
  2. Replace image ads with video ads
  3. Adjust targeting to TikTok interest categories
  4. Configure TikTok-specific placements
  5. Publish

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Scenario 2: TikTok to Snapchat

Use case: Expand your TikTok campaign to Snapchat. Considerations:
  • Snapchat uses “Ad Squads” instead of “Ad Groups”
  • Snapchat has different targeting options
  • Snapchat creative specs may differ
  • Snapchat objectives map differently
Steps:
  1. Transfer TikTok campaign to Snapchat
  2. Review objective mapping (e.g., “Traffic” → “Website Visits”)
  3. Adjust targeting for Snapchat options
  4. Verify creative meets Snapchat specs
  5. Publish

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Scenario 3: Cross-Account Transfer (Same Platform)

Use case: Transfer campaign from one Meta account to another (e.g., agency managing multiple clients). Considerations:
  • Same platform, so most settings transfer directly
  • Custom audiences still don’t transfer (account-specific)
  • Tracking pixels need to be reconfigured
  • Ad account settings may differ
Steps:
  1. Transfer campaign to different Meta account
  2. Recreate custom audiences on destination account
  3. Configure tracking pixels for destination account
  4. Verify budgets are appropriate for destination account
  5. Publish

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Scenario 4: Multi-Platform Launch

Use case: Launch the same campaign on Meta, TikTok, and Snapchat simultaneously. Steps:
  1. Create campaign on one platform (e.g., Meta)
  2. Transfer to TikTok, adjust for TikTok requirements
  3. Transfer to Snapchat, adjust for Snapchat requirements
  4. Publish all three campaigns
  5. Monitor performance across platforms
Use Whathead’s canvas to manage all three campaigns side-by-side. You can see and edit all platforms on one canvas.

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Creative Asset Migration

Whathead automatically handles creative asset migration, but understanding the process helps troubleshoot issues.

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How Asset Migration Works

  1. Download from source: Whathead downloads assets from the source platform’s media library
  2. Validate compatibility: Whathead checks if assets meet destination platform requirements
  3. Upload to destination: Whathead uploads compatible assets to the destination platform’s media library
  4. Link to ads: Whathead links uploaded assets to the transferred ads
This process uses Whathead’s CrossPlatformCreativeService which handles Meta video MP4 extraction, CSP (Content Security Policy) handling, retry logic, and request deduplication.

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When Asset Migration Fails

If asset migration fails, you’ll see an error indicating which assets couldn’t be transferred. Common reasons:
  • Format incompatibility: Destination platform doesn’t support the file format
  • Dimension mismatch: Asset dimensions don’t meet destination requirements
  • File size too large: Asset exceeds destination platform’s file size limit
  • Network issues: Download or upload failed due to connectivity
Solution: Upload compatible assets manually. See Upload Requirements for platform-specific specs.

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Platform-Specific Considerations

Transferring FROM Meta:
  • Meta has the most comprehensive targeting options; some may not map to other platforms
  • Meta Special Ad Categories don’t transfer (must be reconfigured on destination)
  • Meta Advantage+ campaigns have platform-specific features that don’t transfer
Transferring TO Meta:
  • Meta requires Business Manager setup
  • Meta has strict ad review policies
  • Meta supports both image and video ads

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Troubleshooting

Cause: Source objective doesn’t have an equivalent on the destination platform.Solution: Choose a different objective on the destination platform that matches your campaign goals.
Cause: Assets don’t meet destination platform requirements.Solution:
  • Check asset dimensions, file size, and format
  • Upload compatible assets manually
  • See Upload Requirements
Cause: Destination platform doesn’t support those targeting options.Solution:
  • Use equivalent targeting options available on destination platform
  • Adjust targeting strategy for destination platform’s capabilities
Cause: Source budget is lower than destination platform’s minimum.Solution: Whathead automatically increases budget to meet minimum. Verify the adjusted budget is acceptable.
Cause: Custom audiences are account-specific and cannot be transferred.Solution:
  • Recreate custom audiences on the destination platform
  • Upload audience lists to destination platform’s audience manager
  • Use platform-specific audience creation tools

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Best Practices

Tip 1: Test transfers with a small campaign first before transferring large, complex campaigns.
Tip 2: Review field mapping carefully. Automatic mapping is good but may not always match your intent.
Tip 3: Prepare creative assets in multiple formats before transferring to ensure compatibility with all platforms.
Tip 4: Document your targeting strategy so you can recreate custom audiences on destination platforms.
Tip 5: Monitor performance on both platforms after transfer. What works on one platform may not work on another.

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Next Steps

Field Mapping Details

Complete field mapping reference for all platform combinations.

Transfer Limitations

Understand what can and cannot be transferred between platforms.

Cross-Account Transfer

Transfer campaigns between different ad accounts on the same platform.

Asset Management

Managing creative assets across multiple platforms.