Placement Targeting

Deliver ads on specific placements, such as desktop News Feed only, or mobile News Feed plus Audience Network Rewarded Video. You can only use certain placement options depending on your campaign objective. See Validation.

You can use device_platforms, publisher_platforms, facebook_positions, audience_network_positions, instagram_positions and messenger_positions, see Device, Publisher and Positions.

curl -X POST \
  -F 'name="My AdSet"' \
  -F 'optimization_goal="REACH"' \
  -F 'billing_event="IMPRESSIONS"' \
  -F 'bid_amount=2' \
  -F 'daily_budget=1000' \
  -F 'campaign_id="<AD_CAMPAIGN_ID>"' \
  -F 'targeting={
       "geo_locations": {
         "countries": [
           "US"
         ]
       },
       "publisher_platforms": [
         "facebook"
       ],
       "facebook_positions": [
         "feed"
       ]
     }' \
  -F 'promoted_object={
       "page_id": "<PAGE_ID>"
     }' \
  -F 'access_token=<ACCESS_TOKEN>' \
  https://graph.facebook.com/v8.0/act_<AD_ACCOUNT_ID>/adsets

'use strict';
const bizSdk = require('facebook-nodejs-business-sdk');
const AdAccount = bizSdk.AdAccount;
const AdSet = bizSdk.AdSet;

const access_token = '<ACCESS_TOKEN>';
const app_secret = '<APP_SECRET>';
const app_id = '<APP_ID>';
const id = '<AD_ACCOUNT_ID>';
const api = bizSdk.FacebookAdsApi.init(access_token);
const showDebugingInfo = true; // Setting this to true shows more debugging info.
if (showDebugingInfo) {
  api.setDebug(true);
}

const logApiCallResult = (apiCallName, data) => {
  console.log(apiCallName);
  if (showDebugingInfo) {
    console.log('Data:' + JSON.stringify(data));
  }
};

let fields, params;
fields = [
];
params = {
  'name' : 'My AdSet',
  'optimization_goal' : 'REACH',
  'billing_event' : 'IMPRESSIONS',
  'bid_amount' : '2',
  'daily_budget' : '1000',
  'campaign_id' : '<adCampaignLinkClicksID>',
  'targeting' : {'geo_locations':{'countries':['US']},'publisher_platforms':['facebook'],'facebook_positions':['feed']},
  'promoted_object' : {'page_id':'<pageID>'},
};
const adsets = (new AdAccount(id)).createAdSet(
  fields,
  params
);
logApiCallResult('adsets api call complete.', adsets);

require __DIR__ . '/vendor/autoload.php';

use FacebookAds\Object\AdAccount;
use FacebookAds\Object\AdSet;
use FacebookAds\Api;
use FacebookAds\Logger\CurlLogger;

$access_token = '<ACCESS_TOKEN>';
$app_secret = '<APP_SECRET>';
$app_id = '<APP_ID>';
$id = '<AD_ACCOUNT_ID>';

$api = Api::init($app_id, $app_secret, $access_token);
$api->setLogger(new CurlLogger());

$fields = array(
);
$params = array(
  'name' => 'My AdSet',
  'optimization_goal' => 'REACH',
  'billing_event' => 'IMPRESSIONS',
  'bid_amount' => '2',
  'daily_budget' => '1000',
  'campaign_id' => '<adCampaignLinkClicksID>',
  'targeting' => array('geo_locations' => array('countries' => array('US')),'publisher_platforms' => array('facebook'),'facebook_positions' => array('feed')),
  'promoted_object' => array('page_id' => '<pageID>'),
);
echo json_encode((new AdAccount($id))->createAdSet(
  $fields,
  $params
)->exportAllData(), JSON_PRETTY_PRINT);

from facebook_business.adobjects.adaccount import AdAccount
from facebook_business.adobjects.adset import AdSet
from facebook_business.api import FacebookAdsApi

access_token = '<ACCESS_TOKEN>'
app_secret = '<APP_SECRET>'
app_id = '<APP_ID>'
id = '<AD_ACCOUNT_ID>'
FacebookAdsApi.init(access_token=access_token)

fields = [
]
params = {
  'name': 'My AdSet',
  'optimization_goal': 'REACH',
  'billing_event': 'IMPRESSIONS',
  'bid_amount': '2',
  'daily_budget': '1000',
  'campaign_id': '<adCampaignLinkClicksID>',
  'targeting': {'geo_locations':{'countries':['US']},'publisher_platforms':['facebook'],'facebook_positions':['feed']},
  'promoted_object': {'page_id':'<pageID>'},
}
print AdAccount(id).create_ad_set(
  fields=fields,
  params=params,
)

import com.facebook.ads.sdk.*;
import java.io.File;
import java.util.Arrays;

public class SAMPLE_CODE_EXAMPLE {
  public static void main (String args[]) throws APIException {

    String access_token = \"<ACCESS_TOKEN>\";
    String app_secret = \"<APP_SECRET>\";
    String app_id = \"<APP_ID>\";
    String id = \"<AD_ACCOUNT_ID>\";
    APIContext context = new APIContext(access_token).enableDebug(true);

    new AdAccount(id, context).createAdSet()
      .setName(\"My AdSet\")
      .setOptimizationGoal(AdSet.EnumOptimizationGoal.VALUE_REACH)
      .setBillingEvent(AdSet.EnumBillingEvent.VALUE_IMPRESSIONS)
      .setBidAmount(2L)
      .setDailyBudget(1000L)
      .setCampaignId(\"<adCampaignLinkClicksID>\")
      .setTargeting(
          new Targeting()
            .setFieldFacebookPositions(Arrays.asList(\"feed\"))
            .setFieldGeoLocations(
              new TargetingGeoLocation()
                .setFieldCountries(Arrays.asList(\"US\"))
            )
            .setFieldPublisherPlatforms(Arrays.asList(\"facebook\"))
        )
      .setPromotedObject(\"{\\"page_id\\":\\"<pageID>\\"}\")
      .execute();

  }
}

require 'facebook_ads'

access_token = '<ACCESS_TOKEN>'
app_secret = '<APP_SECRET>'
app_id = '<APP_ID>'
id = '<AD_ACCOUNT_ID>'

FacebookAds.configure do |config|
  config.access_token = access_token
  config.app_secret = app_secret
end

ad_account = FacebookAds::AdAccount.get(id)
adsets = ad_account.adsets.create({
    name: 'My AdSet',
    optimization_goal: 'REACH',
    billing_event: 'IMPRESSIONS',
    bid_amount: '2',
    daily_budget: '1000',
    campaign_id: '<adCampaignLinkClicksID>',
    targeting: {'geo_locations':{'countries':['US']},'publisher_platforms':['facebook'],'facebook_positions':['feed']},
    promoted_object: {'page_id':'<pageID>'},
})

If you do not specify anything for a particular placement field, Facebook considers all possible default positions for that field. For example, if you select facebook in publisher_platforms, but select nothing for facebook_positions, Facebook consider all default Facebook positions such as feed, right_hand_column, and so on. Or, if you do not select any publisher_platforms, Facebook considers all default publisher_platforms. Facebook may also automatically consider new positions or platforms as they become available.

On Audience Network, you can limit which publishers display your ads. Exclude publishers by category, or create a custom list of app store URLs or domain URLs to exclude.

You cannot use only right_hand_column alone as a placement for video, collection or canvas ads.

Inventory Filter helps you control whether your ads display next to different types content in Facebook Instant Articles, Facebook In-Stream and Audience Network. To learn more about these content categories, see Ads Help Center, Inventory Filter. You can choose one value for Facebook Instant Articles and Facebook In-Stream combined and one value for Audience Network. Options include: Full, Standard and Limited. For details, see brand_safety_content_filter_levels below:

For example, to use brand_safety_content_filter_levels:

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= { "geo_locations":{"countries":["US"]}, "brand_safety_content_filter_levels":["FACEBOOK_STRICT","AN_STANDARD"]}' \
  -F 'status=ACTIVE' \
  -F 'access_token=ACCESS_TOKEN' \
  https://graph.facebook.com/VERSION/AD_ACCOUNT_ID/adsets

For In-Stream video, you can also exclude publishers by category:

Device, Publisher, and Positions

Use these targeting specs subfields: device_platforms, publisher_platforms, facebook_positions, audience_network_positions and instagram_positions. device_platforms are device types someone has who sees your ad. Use publisher_platforms for publishing channel such as Instagram. xxxxxx_positions are positions on a certain publishing channel if there are multiple:

The logic for options in the same parameter is “OR”. For example, publisher_platforms=['facebook','instagram'] means deliver ads on Facebook and Instagram. The logic between parameters is “AND”. For example, publisher_platforms=['facebook']&device_platforms=['mobile'] means deliver these ads to Facebook Mobile only. If the logic results in targeting no one, such as publisher_platforms=['instagram']& device_platforms=['desktop'], you see an error.

All Facebook validations apply. For example, you cannot use Audience Network alone.

Examples

Stories

To use Facebook Stories as your placement:

curl \
  -F 'name=My Ad Set' 
  -F 'optimization_goal=CONVERSIONS' 
  -F 'billing_event=IMPRESSIONS' 
  -F 'bid_amount=2' 
  -F 'daily_budget=1000' 
  -F 'campaign_id=<AD_CAMPAIGN_ID>' 
  -F 'targeting={"geo_locations":{"countries":["US"]}, "publisher_platforms":["messenger", "facebook"], "facebook_positions":["story"], "messenger_positions":["story"]}' 
  -F 'status=ACTIVE'
  -F 'access_token=<ACCESS_TOKEN>' 
  https://graph.facebook.com/API_VERSION/act_AD_ACCOUNT_ID/adsets

Instream Video

To create an ad set with only instream_video placement that targets a supported country listed above:

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={"geo_locations":{"countries":["US"]},"publisher_platforms":["facebook"], "facebook_positions":["instream_video"]}' \
  -F 'status=ACTIVE' \
  -F 'access_token=ACCESS_TOKEN' \
  https://graph.facebook.com/API_VERSION/act_AD_ACCOUNT_ID/adsets

Instant Articles

To use Instant Articles as your placement:

curl \
  -F 'name=My Ad Set' \
  -F 'optimization_goal=REACH' \
  -F 'billing_event=IMPRESSIONS' \
  -F 'bid_amount=2' \
  -F 'daily_budget=1000' \
  -F 'campaign_id=<AD_CAMPAIGN_ID>' \
  -F 'targeting={"geo_locations":{"countries":["US"]}, "facebook_positions":["feed", "instant_article"]}' \
  -F 'status=ACTIVE' \
  -F 'access_token=<ACCESS_TOKEN>' \
  https://graph.facebook.com/<APIVERSION>/act<AD_ACCOUNT_ID>/adsets

Audience Network

To target the Audience Network Rewarded Video placement:

curl \
  -F 'name=My Ad Set' \
  -F 'optimization_goal=OFFSITE_CONVERSIONS' \
  -F 'billing_event=IMPRESSIONS' \
  -F 'is_autobid=true' \
  -F 'daily_budget=40000' \
  -F 'campaign_id=<AD_CAMPAIGN_ID>' \
  -F 'targeting={"app_install_state": "not_installed","geo_locations":{"countries":["US"]},"facebook_positions":["feed"],"device_platforms": ["mobile"],"audience_network_positions": ["classic","rewarded_video"],"user_device": ["Android_Smartphone","Android_Tablet"],"user_os": ["Android_ver_4.4_and_above"]}' \
  -F 'promoted_object={"application_id": "<APPLICATION_ID>","custom_event_type": "PURCHASE","object_store_url": "<OBJECT_STORE_URL>"}' \
  -F 'status=ACTIVE' \
  -F 'access_token=<ACCESS_TOKEN>' \
  https://graph.facebook.com/<APIVERSION>/<AD_ACCOUNT_ID>/adsets

This returns:

{
  "targeting": {
    "audience_network_positions": [
      "classic",
      "rewarded_video"
    ],
    "effective_audience_network_positions": [
      "classic",
      "rewarded_video"
    ]
  },
  "id": "<AD_SET_ID>"
}

Effective Placement with Targeting

You create ad sets with placements in target spec, however you did not always know if Facebook delivered your ad to the placements specified. This is because your selected placement may not apply to your chosen advertising objective. With the effective placements API for targeting, you can now determine which placements your ad will deliver to, given your targeting options, and receive validation messages to understand why some placements are filtered out. If you do not provide targeting, you can still determine the effective placement based on ad set and ad campaign settings, see Effective Placements.

To read an effective placement based on your targeting, simply put effective_ before the placement fields. For example:

curl -G \
  -d     "fields=targeting{effective_publisher_platforms,effective_facebook_positions,effective_device_platforms,effective_audience_network_positions,effective_instagram_positions}" \
  -d "access_token=<access_token>" \
  https://graph.facebook.com/<VERSION>/<AD_SET_ID>

To see why some placements got filtered out, in the recommendation field, get a filtering message:

curl -G \
  -d "fields=recommendations" \
  -d "access_token=<access_token>" \
  https://graph.facebook.com/<VERSION>/23842573364570019