Guides · Updated 2026-10-23

How to schedule ChatGPT ads by hour

OpenAI Ads campaigns run around the clock, and the OpenAI Ads API has no built-in hour-of-day schedule. To run ads only at certain hours, a tool has to pause and resume the campaign at those times. Saperta does this on its server every minute, in your ad account's timezone, so it works while your phone is off.

Why dayparting matters

Clicks rarely cost the same at every hour. Many businesses get cheaper or better clicks during working hours, others in the evening. Paying for hours that don't bring customers wastes budget that could run when it works.

How to choose your hours

• Look at at least 14 days of data, ideally 28, and at least a few dozen clicks.
• Compare clicks and cost per click by hour of the week, not just by day.
• Keep hours with many clicks at a normal or low cost per click; pause hours where clicks cost far more than average.
• Remember your account's timezone: hours are counted in it, not in your phone's.
• Change step by step and compare the next weeks with the weeks before.

In Saperta, the schedule grid shades every hour by clicks, spend, CPC or CTR, and Recommendations point to busy paused hours and expensive running hours.

Set it up in Saperta

• Open a campaign and tap Schedule & recommendations.
• Start from a preset (business hours, weekdays, evenings, best hours) or tap and drag hours.
• Check the summary: how much of your past clicks and spend the chosen hours would have kept.
• Tap Apply schedule. Optionally copy it to other campaigns.

Good to know

If you pause or resume a campaign yourself, the schedule waits 30 minutes before taking over again. OpenAI can take a few minutes to stop or start delivery after a change.

Guides

• Why OpenAI Ads shows €0 spend for today
• How to find your OpenAI Ads API key
• Automated rules for ChatGPT ads