Keyword targeting
Keyword targeting allows you to reach people on X based on keywords in their search queries, recent posts, and posts they recently engaged with. This targeting option puts you in the best position to reach the most relevant people, drive engagements, and increase conversions using the specific terms they are posting and engaging with.
How it works
We recommend you add a mix of at least 25 relevant keywords to your campaign. When paired with Optimized Targeting you can add up to 500 keywords that will serve as targeted suggestions to help the AI models reach the right audience. This is our recommended setup for this feature.
You can also use Keyword Targeting without Optimized Targeting. In this case the keyword limit is 750 and not case-sensitive. In this option the system analyses the user's recent engagement with the keywords set by the advertiser to serve ads (Search terms, post or engagement with posts with the keywords).
To add keyword targeting to your campaign:
Go to the "Advanced Targeting" section of your campaign setup
From there, use the Search bar to type in your keywords and choose to "Include" or "Exclude" them
Include: If someone has either posted or interacted with a post containing the keyword, and they meet your geo, language, device, and gender targeting, they're eligible to be targeted by this campaign.
Exclude: If someone has either posted or interacted with a post containing the excluded keyword, they are not eligible to be targeted by this campaign, even if they meet your geo, language, device, and gender targeting. Additionally, your campaign will not serve in the Search results for any excluded keywords.
Please exercise caution when excluding keywords as overuse can narrow your audience size and impact potential campaign reach.
We use signals such as link clicks, expands, likes, replies, and more to consider someone having interacted with a keyword, as well as searches containing the keyword.
As a reminder, keyword targeting is all about reaching the right audience for your campaigns and does not impact the types of content adjacent to your Promoted posts.
Get the details
Targeting highly-specific keywords can drive higher engagement rates, but it also limits your campaign’s potential audience. In order to drive higher volume while maintaining a strong engagement rate, target a mixture of broad and specific keywords.
You can also bulk add or exclude keywords to your campaign. To do this all you need to do is click on the Bulk Upload link above the search bar and add your list to include or exclude.
Other things to know:
We offer keyword targeting in all languages available on X.
Punctuation marks are not supported.
Maximum keywords per ad group is 750 without Optimized Targeting and 500 if you are not (we recommend targeting at least 25-50 keywords if this is the only targeting type you're using).
You don't need to include the #hashtag version of a keyword. #hashtags are automatically included when targeting a keyword. For example, adding the keyword "coffee" will include "coffee" and "#coffee".
Keywords correspond to posts with that word appearing in any order, including other words in between. This includes related terms, stem variations, synonyms, misspellings, and slang. For example, the keyword "black coffee" will correspond to posts such as “I love my coffee black” and "Is there any other way to take your coffee than black?”
Frequently asked questions
Are there any prohibited keywords?
Yes. Per our Ads Policies, advertisers will be prohibited from targeting keywords that involve sensitive categories.
How does exclusion keyword targeting work?
Exclusion targeting works in two ways:
It prevents your campaign from serving to users who have engaged with the excluded word(s).
It prevents your campaign from serving in Search results for excluded word(s).
Please note that exclusion keyword targeting does not prevent your ads from appearing near or adjacent to excluded words in timeline, profiles, post details, or searches for non-excluded words.
How do I upload keywords on Ads Editor?
You can bulk add keywords in the campaign setup. Under the "Targeting" > "Audience Features" section, click "Import multiple keywords and follower look-alikes", and choose "Keywords" or "Exclude keywords" in the drop-down. From there, you can enter bulk keywords and click "Add Criteria".
You can also bulk add keywords via Ads Editor. To do this, download the Ads Editor file of the campaign and scroll to columns AW-BB. Add keywords you want to add or exclude, each seperated by a ";" and no space. For example, you would add the keywords in this format: coffe;latte;flat white;drinking;sunny day. After adding your keywords, reupload your Ads Editor file to set the changes live in your campaign.
Ready to get started?
