Back to News for Developers

Updates: Custom Audience Usage and On Behalf Of Feature

November 28, 2018ByMike Ivanov

Custom Audience Updates

Earlier this year, we introduced several changes to Custom Audiences. This introduction includes the removal of reach estimates to prevent potential misuse of the functionality and the addition of new requirements for Custom Audiences built from a customer file, focused on additional accountability and transparency. While necessary, we recognize that these updates may have been challenging for our advertisers and partners. We're now sharing additional updates that are designed to help reduce friction while creating and using Custom Audience on our platform.

  • Restoring visibility of audience sizes for Custom Audiences. We understand how important having an idea of audience sizes is to the campaign planning process. After removing access to Custom Audiences sizes earlier this year, we have since found new ways to preserve the integrity of our platform and the privacy of our users, while also restoring access to this functionality. As a result, certain advertisers can now see audience size estimates for Custom Audiences in the Audiences tab and Marketing API, as well as access the Custom Audience Overlap tool. Note: You still can't see size estimates for Saved Audiences containing Custom Audiences.
  • Applying terms acceptance across ad accounts. Earlier this year, we shared that everyone on an ad account uploading Custom Audiences must accept our Custom Audiences Terms. For those who manage multiple ad accounts, we realize this might involve accepting the terms many times. To prevent this, moving forward, we will automatically apply an individual's acceptance of our Custom Audience Terms across all other ad accounts owned by that Business Manager. Once a Business Manager user accepts the Custom Audience Terms for an ad account owned by the business, this user can manage Custom Audiences from a customer file on other accounts that belong to the business without having to accept account-level Terms. Note: This does not apply to ad accounts that are used to act on behalf of (OBO) other business. See below for more details.

Our Custom Audiences Terms remain unchanged. We hope these updates will make it easier for businesses to advertise efficiently and effectively, while still ensuring more accountability and transparency from advertisers.

As of November 7, 2018, we require all advertisers to have a Business Manager to create or use Custom Audiences from a customer file.


Advertise on Behalf of Another Business

We have also implemented the ability for agencies and Facebook Marketing Partners (FMPs) to specify which businesses they are advertising on behalf of (OBO). If implemented, ad accounts owned by the agency or FMP are assigned the same level of access to Custom Audience features available to the advertiser. Establishing such a relationship between an ad account and a Business Manager means that that ad account is only acting OBO that particular advertiser, and you will not be able to serve other advertisers out of the same ad account.

Learn more about


Tags: