Meta’s New Targeting Update: Are Your Ads at Risk After January 2026?
If you run Facebook or Instagram ads, you may have noticed a notification in Ads Manager about detailed targeting changes. Starting 15 January 2026, some detailed targeting options will no longer be available, and any ad sets that rely on these removed options will stop delivering.
Here’s what you need to know and how you can prepare your campaigns.
What’s Changing?
Meta is combining or removing some detailed targeting options as part of its ongoing effort to simplify ad creation, comply with privacy rules, and focus on broader audience signals. This means:
- Some niche interests, behaviors, or demographic categories you previously targeted may no longer exist.
- Saved audiences that use these options will also need to be updated.
- If your active ad sets use these unavailable options, they will stop running after 15 January 2026.
How to Check if You’re Affected
Meta provides a tool in Ads Manager to help you identify affected ad sets:
- Go to your Ads Manager.
- Look for the banner notification.
- Click on “See affected ad sets”.
- Review and update your audiences by removing or replacing unavailable targeting options.
What Should You Do Now?
Here are some quick tips to adapt to this change:
- Audit Your Audiences: Use the provided tool to see which campaigns need adjustments.
- Test Broad Targeting: Meta’s machine learning is increasingly effective at finding the right users, even with broader audiences.
- Use Lookalike Audiences: These remain a powerful way to reach people similar to your customers.
- Explore Custom Audiences: Retarget website visitors, app users, or your email list.
Final Thoughts
These changes may seem inconvenient, but they also encourage advertisers to rely more on creative, content quality, and broader signals rather than hyper-specific interests. Start adjusting now so your campaigns keep running smoothly beyond January 2026.
