Engaged Audiences-FAQs

Engaged audiences help you to reach users who have previously interacted with your website on Google Search, YouTube, or other Google sites. This article addresses frequently asked questions about engaged audiences.

Why should I use engaged audiences?

Engaged audiences leverage signals to help you re-engage people who have engaged with your website. This is different from other re-engagement solutions that advertisers either may not have access to or want to supplement like remarketing to tag-based audiences or Customer Match lists.

How do engaged audience lists differ from tag-based customer lists?

Tag-based customer lists such as remarketing lists are composed of website visitors collected via tagging. Engaged audience lists build audiences by utilizing logged-in signals, which provides a supplemental way to build audiences that are relevant to your business. These are two separate types of audience lists and should not be confused with one another.

How do engaged audience lists differ from Customer Match lists?

Customer Match lists are lists containing hashed advertiser-owned, consented first-party data from users who have completed a conversion action (for example, those who have signed up for a newsletter with their mailing address, completed an online purchase with their email address, and so on). Conversely, Engaged audience lists do not require an advertiser to upload customer lists. Instead, they are automatically created based on user search and click information.

Engaged audience lists are made by Google and don’t need to be uploaded by advertisers. They are made from search results and search and YouTube ad clicks.

What advertiser actions are needed to ensure consent requirements are met to use engaged audiences?

Advertisers must be compliant with Customer data policies. Engaged audiences leverages user-consented (1p consented), Google-logged in activity.

I already use Customer Match today - should I adopt this feature as well?

Yes. Google-engaged audience lists should be viewed as complementary to Customer Match lists rather than as an alternative because they allow you to reach different user actions. Google-engaged audiences offer a way to remarket to high-intent new audiences based on website interest, while Customer Match helps you reach existing customers.

Google’s AI benefits even more from having the richest, most up-to-date data.

If I opt in at the MCC level, will child accounts be able to target those lists?

Yes. MCC accounts can share Google-engaged audience lists generated at the MCC level with serving/child accounts to use in campaigns.

Are engaged audience lists created at the full website level or individual landing page level?

Engaged audience lists are created at the full website level for each advertiser Customer ID (CID), meaning they will not be available for individual landing pages.

Will engaged audiences support dynamic remarketing?

No. Since engaged audience lists are created at the Customer ID (CID)-level and are not available at the individual landing page, dynamic remarketing use cases won’t be available.

Is this feature available for all advertisers, even if they are not eligible for Customer Match?

Yes, as long as the advertiser is compliant with customer data policies. Advertisers do not have to be eligible for Customer Match to use Google-engaged audiences. For advertisers that are ineligible, the option to opt into this feature will be grayed out.

How do Google-engaged audience lists get updated?

One of the core benefits of this feature is that lists are updated in real-time as site visits are recorded from signed-in Google users.

How long does it take for engaged audience lists to start populating?

Engaged audience lists will start populating in close to real-time after clicks begin populating.

What is the lookback window for engaged audience lists and can it be adjusted?

There is currently no lookback window for Google-engaged audience lists. Instead, users are added to lists automatically and lists will become servable after they contain a sufficient number of user records.

Can clients create exclusion lists for engaged audiences?

Yes. Refer to About Exclusions for more detail.

Can client lists be segmented?

No. Segmentation, for example YouTube and Search, will not be available for Google-engaged audiences.

Can engaged audiences be combined with other Audience types?

Yes. This would include, for example, “Target Engaged Audiences, but exclude a Customer Match list”.