Targeting Options
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Age | Age brackets (13-17, 18-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55+). TikTok allows targeting from 13; highest bracket is 55+. |
| Gender | All, Male, or Female. |
| Locations | Countries, regions, cities, or postal codes. You can include or exclude. |
| Languages | Target users based on their device language settings. |
| Interests & Behaviors | Target based on user interests, video interactions, and creator interactions. |
| Device | Operating system (iOS, Android), device model, connection type (WiFi, cellular), and carrier. |
| Custom Audiences | Your saved audiences (website visitors, app users, customer lists, engagement audiences). |
| Lookalike Audiences | Find people similar to your existing customers or audiences. |
| Placements | Where ads run: TikTok, Pangle (TikTok’s audience network), and specific placement types. |
How to Set Targeting
Access Targeting Section
Double-click the ad group node to open the Ad Group modal, then navigate to the Targeting section.
Choose Placements
Select automatic placements (recommended) or manually choose specific placements like TikTok Feed, Pangle apps, etc.
TikTok-Specific Targeting Capabilities
TikTok offers unique targeting options based on user behavior on the platform:Video Interaction Targeting
Target users based on how they interact with videos:- Video views: Users who watched specific types of videos
- Video likes: Users who liked videos in certain categories
- Video shares: Users who shared videos
- Video comments: Users who commented on videos
Creator Interaction Targeting
Target users based on their interactions with creators:- Profile views: Users who viewed creator profiles
- Following: Users who follow certain types of creators
- Engagement: Users who engaged with creator content
Hashtag & Sound Targeting
Target users who interacted with specific hashtags or sounds (available for some objectives).Placement Options
TikTok offers placements across its owned properties and partner network:Automatic Placements (Recommended)
TikTok automatically shows your ads across placements where they’re likely to perform best. This typically delivers the best results and lowest cost per result.Manual Placements
You can manually select specific placements:| Platform | Placements |
|---|---|
| TikTok | In-Feed ads that appear in users’ For You feed |
| Pangle | TikTok’s audience network — ads on third-party apps and websites |
Custom Audiences
Custom Audiences let you target people who have already interacted with your business:- Website visitors: People who visited your website (requires TikTok Pixel)
- App users: People who used your mobile app (requires TikTok SDK)
- Customer lists: Upload email addresses, phone numbers, or TikTok user IDs
- Engagement: People who engaged with your TikTok profile, videos, or ads
- Lead generation: People who submitted lead forms
TikTok requires at least 1,000 users in a Custom Audience before you can use it for targeting. Lookalike Audiences require a source audience of at least 1,000 users.
Device and Connection Targeting
TikTok provides detailed device targeting options:Operating System
- iOS (with minimum version targeting)
- Android (with minimum version targeting)
Device Model
Target specific device models or device price ranges (high-end, mid-range, budget).Connection Type
- WiFi only
- Cellular (2G, 3G, 4G, 5G)
- All connections
Carrier
Target users on specific mobile carriers (available in select countries).TikTok Targeting Restrictions
Audience Size and Reach
TikTok shows an estimated audience size as you configure targeting:- Too narrow (red): Audience is too small for effective delivery
- Specific (yellow): Audience is well-defined but may limit reach
- Broad (green): Audience is large enough for optimal delivery
- Too broad (yellow): Audience may be too general for your goals
Targeting Best Practices
- Use Custom Audiences for retargeting website visitors or app users
- Test different audiences by creating multiple ad groups with different targeting
- Exclude converted users to avoid wasting budget on people who already took action
- Leverage TikTok’s behavioral targeting to reach users based on content preferences
- Monitor audience size — aim for at least 50,000 people for optimal delivery
- Consider device targeting for app install campaigns to match your app’s requirements
Smart+ Campaign Targeting
Smart+ campaigns use automated targeting and don’t allow manual audience configuration. TikTok’s machine learning automatically finds the best audience for your goals based on your creative and optimization settings.If you need precise audience control, use standard campaigns instead of Smart+ campaigns.
Syncing Targeting Across Ad Groups
To copy targeting settings from one ad group to others:Select Target Ad Groups
Choose which ad groups in the same campaign should receive the same targeting settings.