A month ago, Dario reported a warning message from Meta about the removal of detailed targeting exclusions. However, Meta confirmed to Search Engine Land that the alert was sent in error, raising questions about the reliability of such alerts and their potential impact on advertisers' trust.
Today, Dario found a new help page in the Meta Business Help Center that confirms the removal of the exclusion function beginning on July 15.
The alert sent to some Meta advertisers stated that 'Detailed Targeting Exclusions will be removed from June 28, 2024'. It also mentioned that existing exclusions would remain unless ad set targeting is modified, and that exclusions based on brand suitability and employment would still be allowed at the account level across all campaigns.
Implementation Timeline
This time, the removal of the function seems very official. Meta believes this change will help improve campaign performance while still offering alternative ways to restrict ad audiences for specific business needs. According to a recent advertiser test, the median Cost per Conversion was 22.6% lower when not using detailed targeting exclusions compared to when using them.
The following changes will be implemented starting July 15 and will roll out over the coming months:
- New ad sets cannot use detailed targeting exclusions.
- A warning banner will appear in Ads Manager reporting for ad sets using detailed targeting exclusions. Meta recommends editing and republishing affected ad sets.
- Duplicating and editing an ad set, or using a saved audience or draft audience, will require removal of any detailed targeting exclusions.
- Existing campaigns will remain unaffected until January 31, 2025. After this date, Meta will stop delivery on campaigns using detailed targeting exclusions, and advertisers will see a warning banner if this occurs.
