What is an ad placement?
An ad placement is the location where an ad is shown, such as a specific website, mobile app, video channel, or position in a social feed. Placements affect how people see your ad and how well it performs.
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Types of placements
Placements can be broad, such as a social feed or story format, or specific, such as a named website or a YouTube channel. Search ads have placements too, such as above or below the organic results.
Many platforms offer automatic placements, where the system picks the mix for you, and manual placements, where you choose them.
Why placements matter
The same ad can perform very differently in different places. A format that works in a feed may not work in a story, and a site that suits your brand may bring clicks that never convert.
Managing placements
Review your placement reports to see where ads ran and what they earned. Exclude sites, apps, or formats that waste spend or don't fit your brand, and put more budget toward those that work.
Common questions
Should I use automatic or manual placements?
Automatic placements give the platform room to find low-cost results. Manual placements give you control over brand fit. Many advertisers start automatic and refine with exclusions.
How do I exclude a placement?
Most platforms provide an exclusion setting, where you list sites, apps, or videos that you don't want your ads to appear on. The steps differ by platform.
What is brand safety?
It's the practice of keeping ads away from content that could harm a brand's reputation. Placement exclusions and category settings are common tools for it.
Are placements the same as targeting?
Not exactly. Targeting selects the audience, and placement is where the ad shows. You can combine them to control both who sees the ad and where.
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