Study first
Review the ideas behind the questions
Review the audience settings that shape who can be eligible for a Meta ad. Focus on what the setup screen supports and what should be checked before assuming reach.
Choose new or saved audience setup deliberately
Audience setup starts at the ad set level. A team can build a new audience or reuse a saved one when that matches the job.
- When choosing a target audience for an ad set, a marketer can create a new audience or use a saved one.
- New audience setup happens in the Audience section of ad set creation.
- Audience options may not be available for all placements or all users.
In Practice
Reuse saved settings when they match
A saved audience can reduce rebuilding work, but the marketer should still confirm it matches the campaign's current market and offer.
Check availability instead of forcing a setting
If a targeting option is missing, check placement and account availability before assuming the setup is broken.
Common mistakes
Assuming a missing audience option is always a bug.
First check whether that option is available for the placement and user setup.
Q&A
Where does a beginner create a new audience?
Use the Audience section during ad set creation, then choose the audience options available for that setup.
Can a saved audience replace every launch check?
No. It can be reused, but the team still needs to check whether it matches the current market, offer, and available settings.
Respect age, location, and targeting boundaries
Audience settings are not just a wish list. Some limits depend on age, country, placement, and current product rules.
- Targeting options are limited for audiences that include people under 18 in most countries, under 20 in Thailand, and under 21 in Indonesia.
- Advertisers promoting products with age restrictions in different locations should adjust the age setting before submitting ads.
- Detailed targeting exclusions cannot be used in new ad sets anymore, and they were removed from active existing Ads Manager campaigns starting March 31, 2025.
In Practice
Age limits depend on location
A teen-related audience check should name the location because Meta lists different thresholds for Thailand and Indonesia.
Do not plan around removed exclusions
If a launch plan depends on detailed targeting exclusions in a new ad set, rewrite the setup because that option is no longer available.
Common mistakes
Using an old checklist that still asks for detailed targeting exclusions in a new ad set.
Remove that checklist step and use currently available audience controls or targeting settings.
Q&A
Should age-restricted offers use the same age setting everywhere?
No. Check the locations and adjust age settings before submission when products have age restrictions in different places.
Use custom audiences and updates carefully
Custom audiences can come from known data sources, but updates take time and should be checked before relying on them.
- Custom audiences are selected audiences already known to the advertiser, created from information the advertiser provides or from information generated across Meta technologies.
- Custom audiences can be created from a list, the Meta pixel, the Facebook SDK, and engagement across Meta technologies.
- A customer list custom audience can be updated by replacing customers, adding customers, or removing customers.
In Practice
Match the source to the audience job
A customer file, website pixel, app SDK, or engagement source can each fit a different audience need. Choose the one that matches the signal you actually have.
Check audience status after updates
Customer list updates may take a few hours, so confirm the audience status before assuming the update is ready.
Common mistakes
Assuming a customer list update is ready the second it is uploaded.
Check the audience status because the updating process may take a few hours.
Q&A
Can a custom audience come from website activity?
Yes. Meta lists the Meta pixel as one source for creating custom audiences.
Do ads stop running while a customer list audience updates?
No. Meta says ads continue to run while the update processes, but the team should still check audience status.