Overview

Over the coming weeks, we are making changes to the Targeting tooling in Ads Manager:

• Automatic Targeting will no longer exist as a separate tab. Instead, automatic targeting optimizations will be applied to all ads.

• Targeting Expansion will be replaced with Smart Targeting toggles: Smart Interests & Behavior and Smart Audience.

Automatic Targeting Benefits Will Be Applied to All Broad Ads

Targeting broadly—setting the minimum number of required constraints—is the most effective way for most advertisers to meet their campaign objectives and get their ads to the right people. This allows our delivery system to optimize and automatically find the best users based on the advertiser's objective, past campaigns, and engagement signals. Broad Targeting does NOT mean your ad will indiscriminately go to a large audience, it means you allow TikTok's ad model to optimize your ad delivery.

Advertisers may adopt more advanced targeting strategies after testing their performance over broad targeting or if they have a clear business reason to do so.

For Advertisers Using Automatic Targeting

You will no longer need to select automatic targeting via the interface. Instead, you can effectively skip over the targeting flow, not setting any targeting restrictions. Setting no restrictions in the targeting flow will exactly replicate the process of Automatic Targeting.

If you must set some constraints such as age or gender, you may do so, but this may limit your ability to benefit from Automatic Targeting on the back end. You should validate that placing these restrictions outperforms a truly broad targeting strategy.

Smart Targeting

Smart Targeting, comprised of Smart Audience and Smart Interests and Behavior, is the updated version of Targeting Expansion. Smart Targeting is an intelligent feature that helps you find the right audience for your ads. When enabled, Smart Targeting will allow TikTok to deliver ads outside the designated Interest & Behaviors or Audience setting when it is likely to improve ad performance for the advertiser. Smart targeting improves performance for most advertisers by reducing CPA and ad fatigue. To learn more about Smart Targeting refer to About Smart Targeting.

For Advertisers Using Targeting Expansion

Smart Targeting is the improved version of Targeting Expansion, but the underlying logic is the same. Advertisers should migrate from Targeting Expansion to Smart Targeting.

If you previously used targeting expansion for age or gender, we recommend that you use "All" for both.

FAQs

What should advertisers who previously used Automatic Targeting use now?

You should adopt Broad Targeting. The benefits of Automatic Targeting will be migrated into Broad Targeting. You will no longer need to select automatic targeting via the interface. Setting a broad audience will improve ad performance and allow you to best benefit from automatic targeting.

What should advertisers who previously used Targeting Expansion use now?

Smart Targeting is the improved version of Targeting Expansion, but the underlying logic is the same. Advertisers should migrate from Targeting Expansion to Smart Targeting.