Targeting objects
Explore Display targeting tactics, configuration options, and shopper reach strategies.
Overview
Ad group targeting controls who sees your ads, where ads appear, and how Walmart Connect identifies relevant shoppers.
This guide provides a conceptual overview of Display targeting and is intended to supplement implementation guides and endpoint documentation.
This guide explains
- How targeting objects are structured
- How targeting tactics differ
- When to use each targeting strategy
- How geotargeting works
- Common implementation patterns
- Delivery and scale considerations
Use this guide alongside
- Create Ad Group
- Update Ad Group
- Targeting List APIs
- Audience APIs
- Geotargeting APIs
- Forecasting APIs
How targeting works
Every ad group supports exactly one primary targeting tactic.
You may optionally layer:
- Geotargeting
- Exclusions
- Negative keywords (keyword targeting only)
Targeting hierarchy
Primary Tactic
Select one targeting strategy.
Geo Targeting
Optionally narrow delivery by location.
Exclusions
Remove unwanted targeting segments.
Delivery
Ads serve when all targeting criteria are met.
Targeting schema options
Developers have two options when working with targeting data. Both schemas represent the same targeting intent but use two different structures.
Existing targeting structure that uses nested logical operators such as AND, OR, and NOT.
Simplified targeting structure that represents targeting criteria using structured targeting objects and include/exclude values where supported.
Important implementation guidanceA request payload must use either the FLAT schema or the EXPRESSION schema. Mixing both schema types within the same targeting payload is not supported.
Sample schema requests
Expression audience targeting schema
"targeting": { "and": [ { "and": [ { "behavioral": [ { "audienceType": "retail", "attribute": "historical", "id": 134 }, { "audienceType": "retail", "attribute": "historical", "id": 243234 } ] }, { "not": [ { "behavioral": [ { "audienceType": "retail", "attribute": "historical", "id": 134 }, { "audienceType": "retail", "attribute": "historical", "id": 243234 } ] } ] }, { "geoTargets": [ { "id": 123 }, { "id": 234 }, { "id": 235 } ] } ] }Flat audience targeting schema
"targeting": { "behavioral": { "include": [ { "audienceType": "retail", "attribute": "historical", "id": 134 }, { "audienceType": "retail", "attribute": "historical", "id": 234 } ], "exclude": [ { "audienceType": "retail", "attribute": "historical", "id": 123 }, { "audienceType": "retail", "attribute": "historical", "id": 111 } ] }, "geoTargets": { "include": [{ "id": 123 }, { "id": 234 } ] }
} Targeting rules at a glance
One tactic per ad group
Behavioral, contextual, keyword, and run of site targeting cannot be combined within the same ad group.
Geo targeting is additive
Geo targeting can be layered onto any targeting tactic using AND logic.
All targeting uses AND arrays
All targeting objects use the shared and array structure.
Tactics become immutable
Once an ad group is scheduled, the targeting tactic type cannot be changed.
Choosing a targeting tactic
Targeting decision guide
Behavioral
Use when you want to reach specific shopper audiences.
Keyword
Use when you want to capture active search intent.
Contextual
Use when you want to appear alongside relevant content and categories.
Run of Site
Use when you want maximum scale and inventory access.
Comparing targeting tactics
Use the table below to determine which targeting strategy best matches your campaign objective.
| Tactic | Best for | Primary signal | Typical use cases |
|---|---|---|---|
| Behavioral | Audience-based targeting | Walmart customer behavior | Retargeting, loyalty, prospecting, demographics, and custom audiences |
| Contextual | Content adjacency | Onsite page and category relevance | Discovery campaigns, category adjacency, and broad reach expansion |
| Keyword | Search intent | Shopper search queries | High-intent conversion campaigns, branded terms, and conquesting |
| Run of site | Broad inventory reach | Eligible Walmart inventory | Awareness campaigns, broad reach initiatives, and inventory scaling |
Reach and scale comparison
| Tactic | Typical Reach | Typical Precision |
|---|---|---|
| Keyword | Lowest | Highest |
| Behavioral | Medium | High |
| Contextual | Medium–High | Medium |
| Run of Site | Highest | Lowest |
ImportantHigher precision targeting typically reduces available inventory and scale.
Broader targeting typically increases reach but may reduce conversion efficiency.
Common targeting strategies
The examples below represent common advertiser use cases and are not prescriptive requirements.
Awareness
Run of Site + optional geotargeting.
Prospecting
Behavioral + predictive audiences.
Conversion
Keyword targeting + optional geotargeting.
Discovery
Contextual targeting with broader reach tiers.
Related pages
Updated about 4 hours ago