Lookalike Audiences

Target people most like your established customers. Lookalike audiences take several sets of people as "seeds" then Facebook builds an audience of similar people. You can use lookalikes for any business objective: Targeting people similar your customers for fan acquisition, site registration, off-Facebook purchases, coupon claims, or simply to drive awareness of a brand.

Seed audiences can be:

• Existing Custom Audiences
• Campaign or Ad Set conversions
• Page fans

Facebook refreshes members in a lookalike every 3 days if the lookalike belongs to an adgroup.

Create

Lookalike audiences can take 1-6 hours to fully populate. While audiences populate, you can create and run ad sets targeting the audience. Once the audience is ready, Facebook delivers to people populated in the audience and ads delivery will catchup and work as normal. See Delivery Status. Create a new lookalike audience at: https://graph.facebook.com/{API_VERSION}/act_{AD_ACCOUNT_ID}/customaudiences.

Example creation call for lookalike from a custom audience:

use FacebookAds\Object\CustomAudience;
use FacebookAds\Object\Fields\CustomAudienceFields;
use FacebookAds\Object\Values\CustomAudienceSubtypes;

$lookalike = new CustomAudience(null, 'act_<AD_ACCOUNT_ID>');
$lookalike->setData(array(
  CustomAudienceFields::NAME => 'My lookalike audience',
  CustomAudienceFields::SUBTYPE => CustomAudienceSubtypes::LOOKALIKE,
  CustomAudienceFields::ORIGIN_AUDIENCE_ID => <SEED_AUDIENCE_ID>,
  CustomAudienceFields::LOOKALIKE_SPEC => array(
    'type' => 'similarity',
    'country' => 'US',
  ),
));
$lookalike->create();

from facebookads.adobjects.customaudience import CustomAudience

lookalike = CustomAudience(parent_id='act_<AD_ACCOUNT_ID>')
lookalike.update({
    CustomAudience.Field.name: 'My lookalike audience',
    CustomAudience.Field.subtype: CustomAudience.Subtype.lookalike,
    CustomAudience.Field.origin_audience_id: '<SEED_AUDIENCE_ID>',
    CustomAudience.Field.lookalike_spec: {
        'type': 'similarity',
        'country': 'US',
    },
})

lookalike.remote_create()
print(lookalike)

curl \
  -F 'name=My lookalike audience' \
  -F 'subtype=LOOKALIKE' \
  -F 'origin_audience_id=<SEED_AUDIENCE_ID>' \
  -F 'lookalike_spec={"type":"similarity","country":"US"}' \
  -F 'access_token=<ACCESS_TOKEN>' \
  https://graph.facebook.com/v2.11/act_<AD_ACCOUNT_ID>/customaudiences

To create lookalike audiences with PHP Ads SDK or Python Ads SDK, use CustomAudience.

The response contains:

Custom Audience Lookalike

If you have a Custom Audience with at least 100 people, you can build lookalike audiences based on it. This includes Custom Audiences for your Website and Custom Audiences for your Mobile App.

Types

Optimize your audience for "Similarity" or "Greater reach".

• Similarity - Audience includes the top 1% of people in a selected country who are most similar to the seed Custom Audience. The new audience's reach is smaller, matching is more precise.
• Greater Reach - Audience includes the top 5% of people in the selected country that are similar to the seed Custom Audience, but with a less precise match.

Instead of using types you can manually set ratio to represent the top x% of the audience in the selected country. ratio should be from 1%-20% and in intervals of 1%.

Campaign or Ad Set Conversion Lookalikes

Facebook has campaign and ad set conversion lookalikes to target people similar to those converting from previous or current campaigns or ad sets; for example, campaigns or ads that are optimizing for conversions. We measure conversions based on a campaign or ad set type in Conversion Specs. For example, target people that took action on your website or installed your app within 28 days of clicking your ad.

use FacebookAds\Object\CustomAudience;
use FacebookAds\Object\Fields\CustomAudienceFields;
use FacebookAds\Object\Values\CustomAudienceSubtypes;

$lookalike = new CustomAudience(null, 'act_<AD_ACCOUNT_ID>');
$lookalike->setData(array(
  CustomAudienceFields::SUBTYPE => CustomAudienceSubtypes::LOOKALIKE,
  CustomAudienceFields::LOOKALIKE_SPEC => array(
    'origin_ids' => <CAMPAIGN_ID>,
    'starting_ratio' => 0.03,
    'ratio' => 0.05,
    'conversion_type' => 'campaign_conversions',
    'country' => 'US',
  ),
));
$lookalike->create();

from facebookads.adobjects.customaudience import CustomAudience

lookalike = CustomAudience(parent_id='act_<AD_ACCOUNT_ID>')
lookalike.update({
    CustomAudience.Field.subtype: CustomAudience.Subtype.lookalike,
    CustomAudience.Field.lookalike_spec: {
        'origin_ids': '<CAMPAIGN_ID>',
        'starting_ratio': 0.03,
        'ratio': 0.05,
        'conversion_type': 'campaign_conversions',
        'country': 'US',
    },
})

lookalike.remote_create()
print(lookalike)

curl \
  -F 'subtype=LOOKALIKE' \
  -F 'lookalike_spec={ 
    "origin_ids": "<CAMPAIGN_ID>", 
    "starting_ratio": 0.03, 
    "ratio": 0.05, 
    "conversion_type": "campaign_conversions", 
    "country": "US" 
  }' \
  -F 'access_token=<ACCESS_TOKEN>' \
  https://graph.facebook.com/v2.11/act_<AD_ACCOUNT_ID>/customaudiences

You need at least 100 unique conversions from your campaigns or ad sets. More converters result in a better predictive model and we suggest 200 or more members who converted. You should also select campaigns or ad sets with similar objectives.

To create this lookalike, specify one or more of your campaigns or ad sets. For example, specify one campaign and two ad sets of another campaign.

Facebook uses up to 180 days of past conversion data and identifies people converting on your campaigns and ad sets as examples. We train prediction model then create a lookalike audience. Facebook constantly updates the underlying prediction model as campaigns or ad sets get new conversions.

Currently, the following campaign conversion types are eligible for Lookalike Audiences:

• Link clicks
• Offer ads
• Page likes
• Canvas App installs
• Event responses
• Post engagement
• Website conversions
• Mobile app installs
• Mobile app engagement
• Video views
• Local awareness

Page Fan Lookalikes

Create a lookalike audience based on people who like your Page:

use FacebookAds\Object\CustomAudience;
use FacebookAds\Object\Fields\CustomAudienceFields;
use FacebookAds\Object\Values\CustomAudienceSubtypes;

$lookalike = new CustomAudience(null, 'act_<AD_ACCOUNT_ID>');
$lookalike->setData(array(
  CustomAudienceFields::SUBTYPE => CustomAudienceSubtypes::LOOKALIKE,
  CustomAudienceFields::LOOKALIKE_SPEC => array(
    'ratio' => 0.01,
    'country' => 'US',
    'page_id' => <PAGE_ID>,
    'conversion_type' => 'page_like',
  ),
));
$lookalike->create();

from facebookads.adobjects.customaudience import CustomAudience

lookalike = CustomAudience(parent_id='act_<AD_ACCOUNT_ID>')
lookalike.update({
    CustomAudience.Field.name: 'My lookalike audience',
    CustomAudience.Field.subtype: CustomAudience.Subtype.lookalike,
    CustomAudience.Field.lookalike_spec: {
        'ratio': 0.01,
        'country': 'US',
        'page_id': '<PAGE_ID>',
        'conversion_type': 'page_like',
    },
})

lookalike.remote_create()
print(lookalike)

curl \
  -F 'subtype=LOOKALIKE' \
  -F 'lookalike_spec={ 
    "ratio": 0.01, 
    "country": "US", 
    "page_id": "<PAGE_ID>", 
    "conversion_type": "page_like" 
  }' \
  -F 'access_token=<ACCESS_TOKEN>' \
  https://graph.facebook.com/v2.11/act_<AD_ACCOUNT_ID>/customaudiences

Targeting

Targeting lookalikes is the same as targeting Custom Audiences. See Custom Audiences, Targeting. This also applies for exclusion targeting and conjunctive AND targeting. To target when you create an ad:

use FacebookAds\Object\AdSet;
use FacebookAds\Object\Fields\AdSetFields;
use FacebookAds\Object\Values\AdSetBillingEventValues;
use FacebookAds\Object\Values\AdSetOptimizationGoalValues;
use FacebookAds\Object\Fields\TargetingFields;
use FacebookAds\Object\Targeting;

$adset = new AdSet(null, 'act_<AD_ACCOUNT_ID>');
$adset->setData(array(
  AdSetFields::NAME => 'My AdSet',
  AdSetFields::OPTIMIZATION_GOAL => AdSetOptimizationGoalValues::REACH,
  AdSetFields::BILLING_EVENT => AdSetBillingEventValues::IMPRESSIONS,
  AdSetFields::BID_AMOUNT => 2,
  AdSetFields::DAILY_BUDGET => 1000,
  AdSetFields::CAMPAIGN_ID => <CAMPAIGN_ID>,
  AdSetFields::TARGETING => (new Targeting())->setData(array(
    TargetingFields::GEO_LOCATIONS => array(
      'countries' => array('US'),
    ),
    TargetingFields::CUSTOM_AUDIENCES => array(
      array(
        'id' => <LOOKALIKE_AUDIENCE_ID>,
      ),
    ),
  )),
));

$adset->create(array(
  AdSet::STATUS_PARAM_NAME => AdSet::STATUS_ACTIVE,
));

from facebookads.adobjects.adset import AdSet

adset = AdSet(parent_id='act_<AD_ACCOUNT_ID>')
adset.update({
    AdSet.Field.name: 'My Adset',
    AdSet.Field.daily_budget: 10000,
    AdSet.Field.campaign_id: '<CAMPAIGN_ID>',
    AdSet.Field.optimization_goal: AdSet.OptimizationGoal.link_clicks,
    AdSet.Field.billing_event: AdSet.BillingEvent.link_clicks,
    AdSet.Field.bid_amount: 150,
    AdSet.Field.daily_budget: 2000,
    AdSet.Field.targeting: {
        'geo_locations': {
            'countries': ['US'],
        },
        'custom_audiences': [
            {
                'id': <LOOKALIKE_AUDIENCE_ID>,
            },
        ],
    },
})

adset.remote_create(params={
    'status': AdSet.Status.paused,
})

AdSet adSet = new AdAccount(act_<AD_ACCOUNT_ID>, context).createAdSet()
  .setName("My AdSet")
  .setOptimizationGoal(AdSet.EnumOptimizationGoal.VALUE_REACH)
  .setBillingEvent(AdSet.EnumBillingEvent.VALUE_IMPRESSIONS)
  .setBidAmount(2L)
  .setDailyBudget(1000L)
  .setCampaignId(<CAMPAIGN_ID>)
  .setTargeting(
    new Targeting()
      .setFieldCustomAudiences(Arrays.asList(
        new IDName()
          .setFieldId(<LOOKALIKE_AUDIENCE_ID>)
      ))
      .setFieldGeoLocations(
        new TargetingGeoLocation()
          .setFieldCountries(Arrays.asList("US"))
      )
  )
  .setStatus(AdSet.EnumStatus.VALUE_ACTIVE)
  .execute();
String ad_set_id = adSet.getId();

curl \
  -F 'name=My AdSet' \
  -F 'optimization_goal=REACH' \
  -F 'billing_event=IMPRESSIONS' \
  -F 'bid_amount=2' \
  -F 'daily_budget=1000' \
  -F 'campaign_id=<CAMPAIGN_ID>' \
  -F 'targeting={ 
    "custom_audiences": [{"id":"<LOOKALIKE_AUDIENCE_ID>"}], 
    "geo_locations": {"countries":["US"]} 
  }' \
  -F 'status=ACTIVE' \
  -F 'access_token=<ACCESS_TOKEN>' \
  https://graph.facebook.com/v2.11/act_<AD_ACCOUNT_ID>/adsets

More examples at Targeting Specs.

Managing Audiences

Get details on custom audiences used to create lookalikes as well as lookalikes. We return the same fields as Custom Audiences. Below is a sample response for a Custom Audience used to create lookalikes. lookalike_audience_ids specifies which lookalike audiences were generated from this audience.

 {
  "id": "6006164557194",
  "account_id": 12345,
  "approximate_count": 816400,
  "lookalike_audience_ids": [
    6006183285954,
    6006183285955
  ],
  "name": "Boys Apparel",
  "parent_audience_id": 0,
  "parent_category": "Custom",
  "status": "ready",
  "subtype": "CUSTOM",
  "type": 4,
  "type_name": "Advertiser Generated",
  "time_updated": 1362439491
}, 

Lookalike audiences contain a subtype of 2. We also return lookalike_spec, an array in this format:

Another audience below where subtype is LOOKALIKE:

{
 "id": "6006183285954",
 "account_id": 12345,
 "approximate_count": 1782100,
 "name": "Boys Apparel_lookalike_US_Similarity",
 "origin_audience_id": 6006567610735,
 "parent_audience_id": 0,
 "parent_category": "Custom",
 "status": "ready",
 "subtype": "LOOKALIKE",
 "type": 4,
 "type_name": "Advertiser Generated",
 "time_updated": 1362506552
},  

Delivery Status

After you create a lookalike audience we return a Custom Audience ID. It can take about one hour to fully populate an audience. You can get the status at: /{lookalike_audience_ID}?fields=delivery_status. This returns a JSON response with delivery_status or code 200 if an audience populates:

"delivery_status": {
  "code": 200, 
  "description": "This audience is ready for use."
},

For testing, you should check the status of the list with Ads Manager.

To delete a lookalike audience, you do the same as you do for Custom Audiences.

Inactive Audiences

A Lookalike audience is considered inactive when it has not been used in active ads for 90 days. Inactive lookalike audiences have different approximate_count, operation_status, and delivery_estimate.

You can still start a campaign using an inactive lookalike audience. The reach estimate information is available after your new ad gets published.

Deletion

For all advertisers beginning June 8, 2021 and going forward, we will automatically be moving audiences to the “Expiring Audience” stage once they have been inactive for over two years. This means that once an audience meets the threshold of not being used in an active ad set for over two years, it will be automatically flagged as an “Expiring Audience”, and the delete_time field will be marked with the estimated deletion time (i.e., 90 days from the time of flagging) when the audience is scheduled to be deleted.

You will then be able to either proactively delete the audience or use the audience in an active ad set to prevent deletion. You can see which of your audiences are in the expiring stage at any time by filtering on their operation_status or delete_time fields.

For more information, see the Custom Audiences Overview documentation.

Best Practices

• Seed Custom Audience - Make it as large as possible so we have enough data to find similar people.
• Combine Lookalikes - With other Facebook's targeting for additional demographics or interests.
• If your seed audience has attributes such as gender or geography, the lookalikes generate may not adhere to those attributes.

Upcoming Lookalike Changes

We will remove the location_spec and country parameters from lookalike audience creation. The location for the lookalikes will be defined by the country location in the campaign’s targeting specification. The target location won’t be a part of the lookalike audience specification. The reach estimate of the campaign using a newly created lookalike will be populated only in a few hours after the ad being published.

There will be no impact on existing campaigns given this change. This requirement will only impact new and edited campaigns.

We will automatically convert legacy lookalike audiences into new lookalikes without target locations.

Changes to Lookalike Creation

Location parameter changes

Endpoint: act_{AD_ACCOUNT_ID}/customaudiences

Example Request

curl POST \
  -F 'name=My lookalike audience' \
  -F 'subtype=LOOKALIKE' \
  -F 'origin_audience_id=<SEED_AUDIENCE_ID>' \
  -F ‘lookalike_spec={
  "is_financial_service":false,
  "allow_international_seeds":true,
  "ratio":0.01,
  "type":"custom_ratio"}
  	’}\
  -F 'access_token=<ACCESS_TOKEN>' \
  https://graph.facebook.com/v2.11/act_<AD_ACCOUNT_ID>/customaudiences

The following parameters will be ignored if passed during creation:

• lookalike_spec.country
• lookalike_spec.location_spec
• lookalike_spec.location_spec.geo_locations
• lookalike_spec.location_spec.geo_locations.countries
• lookalike_spec.location_spec.geo_locations.country_groups
• lookalike_spec.location_spec.excluded_geo_locations
• lookalike_spec.location_spec.excluded_geo_locations.countries
• lookalike_spec.location_spec.excluded_geo_locations.country_groups

Size parameter changes

Endpoint: act_{AD_ACCOUNT_ID}?fields=approximate_count

There will be no size associated with new lookalike audiences, and the approximate_count field will return -1 for all lookalike audiences.

Example Response

{
    "approximate_count": -1,
    "id": "6126486105659",
}

Delivery and operation status

Endpoints:

• {AD_ACCOUNT_ID}?fields=delivery_status
• {AD_ACCOUNT_ID}?fields=operation_status

The delivery_status field for old lookalike audiences with location specifications will return a code 400 with a This audience is disabled. description. For new lookalike audiences it will return a code 200 response.

The operation_status field will return a retirement notification for old lookalike audiences with location specifications. For new lookalike audiences it will return a code 200 and Normal description response.

See Custom Audiences for more information about these fields.

Changes to Ad Sets

Ad creation and editing

We will automatically upgrade ads to use new lookalikes if the targeting of the existing campaigns containing the legacy lookalike is edited. The legacy lookalike will no longer be available for use in newly created ad campaigns.

With location specifications removed from lookalike audience creation, you will need to set location targets during Ad Set creation. Attempting to create an Ad Set without location targeting will result in an error.

All the above changes will also be applicable when audiences are included in excluded_custom_audiences, flexible_spec, and exclusions in the campaign.

Endpoint: act_{AD_ACCOUNT_ID}/adsets

Example Request

curl POST \
  -F 'targeting={
        "geo_locations":{
            "countries":["US"],
        },
        "age_min":25,
        "age_max":40,
        "custom_audiences":[{"id": <CUSTOM_AUDIENCE_ID>}]
  ‘}\
  -F 'access_token=<ACCESS_TOKEN>' \
  https://graph.facebook.com/v2.11/act_<AD_ACCOUNT_ID>/adsets

Attempting to create an Ad Set without location targeting will result in an error.

{
  "error": {
    "message": "Invalid parameter",
    "type": "FacebookApiException",
    "code": 100,
    "error_data": {
      "blame_field_specs": [["targeting" ] ]
    },
    "error_subcode": 192342134,
    "is_transient": false,
    "error_user_title": "Missing Location while using Lookalike",
    "error_user_msg": "You need to use a location with your lookalike    audience.",
    "fbtrace_id": "F78cCCJoZPx"
  },
  "__fb_trace_id__": "F78cCCJoZPx",
  "__www_request_id__": "AcwlIc7_uK5uTXjzjIa38yc"
}

If you try to edit an Ad Set containing a shared legacy lookalike and don’t have a corresponding new lookalike in the owning ad account, an error will occur. Request the owning ad account share the new lookalike audience with you to resolve the issue.

{
  "error": {
    "message": "Invalid parameter",
    "type": "FacebookApiException",
    "code": 100,
    "error_data": {
      "blame_field_specs": [["targeting" ] ]
    },
    "error_subcode": 192342135,
    "is_transient": false,
    "error_user_title": "",
    "error_user_msg": "Please ask the owner of the audience 1234 to share the new lookalike which does not contain location with you. You will be able to use the new audience"
    "fbtrace_id": "F78cCCJoZPx"
  },
  "__fb_trace_id__": "F78cCCJoZPx",
  "__www_request_id__": "AcwlIc7_uK5uTXjzjIa38yc"
}

Sharing lookalike audiences

During the rollout period of these changes, sharing lookalikes between ad accounts in the rollout and ad accounts not in the rollout is not supported via the API. Please use Audience Manager to handle the sharing. After May 24, 2021, you can continue to use sharing via API in the following developer document to share new lookalike audiences between ad accounts.

Endpoint: {AD_ACCOUNT_ID}/adaccounts?adaccounts={SHARED_TO_AD_ACCOUNT_ID}

Reach and delivery estimate changes

Endpoints:

• act_{AD_ACCOUNT_ID}/reachestimate
• act_{AD_ACCOUNT_ID}/delivery_estimate

These endpoints will return a new targeting_status parameter with one of the following descriptions:

• lookalike_container_without_country — A new lookalike does not have a country specified in the campaign targeting. A country is needed to see the estimated users number.
• lookalike_container_without_delivery_lookalike — A new lookalike does not have a corresponding backend lookalike. The new lookalike needs to be used in an Ad Set for it to actually have reach.
• none — There is no issue with the reach.

The reachestimate endpoint will return -1 for the users parameter the first time a new lookalike audience and country target is used; thereafter the estimated user count will be returned.

The estimate_dau and estimate_mau parameters will return -1 for the users parameter the first time a new lookalike audience and country target is used; thereafter the estimated user count will be returned..

Example Responses

// Reach estimate response
{
    "users": -1,
    "estimate_ready": true,
    "targeting_status": "lookalike_container_without_delivery_lookalike"
}

// Delivery estimate response

{
    "data": [{
        "daily_outcomes_curve": [{
            "spend": 0,
            "reach": 0,
            "impressions": 0,
            "actions": 0
        }],
        "estimate_dau": -1,
        "estimate_mau": -1,
        "estimate_ready": true ,
        "targeting_status": "lookalike_container_without_delivery_lookalike"
    }]
}

FAQ