Key concepts in targeting

Targeting classes

Targeting classes

Targeting classes live under targeting types. A targeting class is set of related targeting values or other targeting classes.

For instance, under the "Geography" targeting type, you'll find the "United States"—a targeting class since it has many other classes below it, namely each state in the United States. Two of those states, for example, are  "California" and "New York". These are also classes themselves as they contain more targeting classes below them.

Under "California," you'll find "Alameda" (a county in California), and under Alameda, you'll find "Berkeley" (a city in Alameda), and under Berkeley, you'll find the targeting value "Elmwood" (a neighborhood in the city of Berkeley.) Under Alameda, you'll also find "Union City," a targeting value because it with no further classes or values under it.

         
Geography and then  California and then Alameda and then Berkeley and then Elmwood
      Union City  
      ... and more cities  
  New York and then Allegany and then Andover  
      Belmont  
      ... and more cities  

In the above, "Geography" is a targeting type—the highest level category of targeting objects.

  • Bolded items are targeting class (they have more targeting classes or targeting values below)
  • Italic items are targeting value (they are the lowest possible items you can select in the targeting picker)

Some targeting classes are considered hierarchical, while others are considered flat. Hierarchical targeting allows you to target sets of values in a tree of values. Flat targeting allows you to include only values themselves and not sets of values. Learn more about Hierarchical versus flat targeting.

See also targeting types and targeting values.

Was this helpful?

How can we improve it?
Search
Clear search
Close search
Google apps
Main menu
5616616761845044990
true
Search Help Center
true
true
true
true
true
148
false
false