Guide 2 of 11 in Level 5: Grow

Act on Blackbox’s suggestions

To act on suggestions in Blackbox (blackbox.plus), click Plan in the left menu and pick your brand. Click a suggestion on its day, or under Suggestions for now, to open its card. The headline is the change, then why, and a few numbers per week: now, and roughly what to expect if you approve. A badge says how much weight to put on the estimate. Every card's own forecast has to beat leaving things as they are, or Blackbox does not show it, and a line under the numbers says which days it is based on and that it holds for a week. Click Show the numbers and what to do for the plan, what to watch and what you can change. The main button names exactly what happens, such as raising a budget or boosting a post. Not now snoozes a card for a day or dismisses it. Nothing changes on any account until you press the main button, and Undo is on the card afterwards.

You'll need
Time
About 4 minutes 7 steps Updated
You'll end with
A suggestion approved, snoozed or dismissed — and its results tracked
Do it in Blackbox Open Plan, after you sign in
Example
Suggestions from your own numbers, waiting for a yes

How to act on Blackbox’s suggestions

  1. Step 1:Open a suggestion

    Click Plan in the left menu, then a suggestion under Suggestions for now or on a day.

    You'll see: Its card in the panel beside the calendar.

    Open this in Blackbox

  2. Step 2:Read a card

    Read the headline, the why under it, and the numbers per week: now, and roughly what to expect.

    You'll see: A badge on the card: High confidence, Worth a look or Your call.

  3. Step 3:Open the details

    Click Show the numbers and what to do.

    You'll see: What we’ll do, Why, What to watch and What you can change.

  4. Step 4:Adjust it

    Where the card has a budget or an audience, change it there.

    You'll see: The estimate updating as you type.

  5. Step 5:Approve it

    Click the card’s main button, which names exactly what happens.

    You'll see: The card marked done, with Undo on it.

  6. Step 6:Or put it off

    Click Not now, then Snooze for a day or Dismiss.

    You'll see: The suggestion gone from the calendar.

  7. Step 7:See how it went

    Click the Results tab at the top of Plan.

    You'll see: What happened after the cards you approved.

Good to know

  • The main button names exactly what happens — for example raising a budget, Boost on Instagram, Plan new ads, or planning a number of posts a week. Post plans open in Studio; nothing is posted without you.
  • Show › Suggested hides what is already scheduled, and Platforms narrows the calendar to one channel. Check again, at the top of Plan, looks at every channel now.
  • Ask about this answers questions about a card before you act. When dismissing, say why: a dismissal with no reason is read as “not this change on this campaign”, and Blackbox will not suggest it again until something changes.
  • Every card is checked against its own forecast before it is shown. The change has to beat leaving things as they are on what it counts — results, cost per result, spend — or Blackbox withdraws it.
  • Under the numbers, a line says which days the forecast is based on and that it holds for a week. After that it turns amber: the card stays and you can still approve it, or click Check again for fresh numbers.
  • Cards come in a few kinds: budget, pause and audience changes; new campaigns; boosting a post that beat your usual; plans to post more or less of a format; Google searches worth a post; and questions only you can answer.
  • The numbers are estimates from your own accounts, shown as rough ranges. Track record in the left menu shows how they have held up — see How to measure marketing effectiveness.
  • Nothing changes on any account until you press the card’s main button.

If something doesn't work

I’m worried approving a post suggestion will post something

It won’t. It plans the posts and opens Studio, where you make them and choose when they go out.

I’m not sure how far to trust the numbers

They are estimates from your own accounts’ history. The badge says how much weight to put on each one, and Track record shows how past estimates held up.

I approved something by mistake

Click Undo on the card. For a campaign that is already running, you can also pause it in Meta Ads Manager.

I have no suggestions

Suggestions need connected accounts and some history. Click Check again at the top of Plan to look again, or start with Get Instagram post ideas from your own website.

The forecast line says its week has passed

You can still approve the card. The line only says how old the numbers are. Click Check again at the top of Plan first if you want a fresh forecast.

I dismissed a suggestion and now nothing is suggested for that campaign

A dismissal is taken as your decision on that change for that campaign; to put a card aside for a day, click Not now, then Snooze. Dismiss with a reason next time, so the next suggestion can be different, or click Check again once something has changed.

Stuck at any step? Send us a message and we'll do it with you on a call. All of Level 5: Grow