About targeting

AdButler allows you to target ad items or campaigns to specific groups of viewers based on information about them. Geographic and platform targets are easy to set up, while keyword targeting and Data Keys let you define highly specific criteria.

Adbutler has three targeting types: Geographic, Platform, and Keyword. Geographic and platform targets both require you to make presets. Keyword targets can be created on a per assignment basis, but you can also save keyword presets for easy reuse.

In addition to the three targeting types, you can also use Data Keys to further specify to whom or when your ads will be served.

The Targeting section

The Targeting section is where you create preset targets, such as cities or types of devices, which you can reuse in different assignments. Click on Targets in the left navigation menu to access this section.

The Targeting section in AdButler


The types of targeting

Geographic

Geographic targeting is an optional add-on to your AdButler subscription. For more information, read How to change your subscription.

Geographic targeting looks at the viewer's IP address to determine their location. You can create multiple geographic presets, and each preset can include multiple countries. You can even specify cities in many of the listed countries. You must define a geographic target in the Targeting section before you can apply it to an assignment.

For more information, read Geographic/location targeting.


Platform

Platform targeting allows you to target users based on their device, operating system, or web browser. You can target multiple devices at once (e.g. all mobile devices) or only one kind (e.g. the iPhone 12). You must define a platform target in the Targeting section before you can apply it to an assignment.

For more information, read Platform & device targeting.


Keyword targeting

Keyword targeting is a powerful tool that lets you restrict ads based on the inclusion or exclusion of certain words or phrases in the publisher's web page or URL. You can also use the publisher's ID as a keyword. You can enter keyword targets right in the assignment page, but you can also create presets for convenience.

For more information, read Keyword targeting.


Data Keys

This feature is disabled by default. Please open a ticket from your AdButler dashboard and submit a request so that we can enable it in your account.

Data keys are key-value pairs that let you further specify which viewers to target. To use Data keys, you must first define the key-value pairs in the Targeting section. You then create the rules using those key-value pairs when assigning a campaign.

For more information, read Data keys.


Audiences

This feature is disabled by default. Please open a ticket from your AdButler dashboard and submit a request so that we can enable it in your account.

An Audience is a set of targeting filters based on a User Database, or User DB for short. A User DB is a set of attributes that are based on actual user information.

Once you've uploaded and configured a user DB, you can create Audiences out of it. You can then apply the Audience to as a targeting filter for campaign and ad item assignments.

For more information, read Audiences.

How to apply targets

  1. Go to the section of the campaign that you want to assign (Your AdButler > Advertisers > Your Advertiser > Your Campaign).
  2. Click Assign to Zone or Assign to Channel based on your setup requirements.
  3. Select the relevant zone or channel. The assignment page will appear.
  4. Select a serve method. For more information, read Serve method options. The rest of the assignment details will appear.
  5. Click on Targeting to expand the Targeting section.

The Targeting section in a campaign assignment

  1. Select the targeting options as needed.
  2. Fill in the rest of the fields as needed.
  3. Click Save.
You can edit the targeting settings of existing zone or channel assignments. Go to the section of the relevant campaign (Your AdButler > Advertisers > Your Advertiser > Your Campaign) then click on the zone or channel assignment that you wish to edit.

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