Using Yandex.Audience segments

Yandex.Audience is a service which allows you to use your own data about a target audience, as well as data from Yandex and data providers (DMP) when configuring ads for Yandex.Direct. You can use segments in retargeting lists, user profiles, or bid adjustments.

If you didn't find the information you were looking for in other Help sections, select a topic that you are interested in from the list below.

  1. I can't find a segment
  2. The system stopped serving ads that are targeted to a segment.
  3. Ads targeted to a segment are not being served
  4. Adjustment of your bid for a segment based on location data doesn't work

I can't find a segment

If you can't find a particular segment, check the status of the segment in Yandex.Audience. You can only use segments that are in the “Finished” status.

The segment might belongs to another user, and they may have restricted user access to it. Please check that you have access to the segment, and request access where necessary.

Please check that the required segment is found under the username that is same for both Yandex.Audience and for the Yandex.Direct campaign. Provide access to the segment from another username if necessary.

Learn more about Managing access to segments in Yandex.Audience Help.

The system stopped serving ads that are targeted to a segment.

Check the impression criteria. If in Yandex.Audience the segment was deleted or the segment owner has restricted access to the segment, then in Yandex.Direct you will see the “Segment not found” warning. Change or delete that retargeting list.

Ads targeted to a segment are not being served

If ads targeted to Yandex.Audience segments are not being served, it may be because your impression criteria are too narrow. For example, you may be using a combination of segments. Such combinations may significantly limit the serving of ads to your audience. Try changing the segments and setting fewer restrictions.

Maybe segments based on geolocation data are being used incorrectly. For example, if “Moscow and the Moscow region” is set as the display region for the campaign, but the segment used in the retargeting list includes the Tver region, then that ad will not get any impressions.

For other possible reasons, see Display problems.

Adjustment of your bid for a segment based on location data doesn't work

A bid adjustment for the segment based on location data may fail for the following reasons:

  • The user is outside the segment. The user profile collected by Crypta contains a variety of characteristics so users can get outside of their segments from time to time. If a person is an active user of the internet and uses various sites, their profile has a large number of goals and segments that they fall under. Some of the goals and segments are replaced by others and user adjustments do not work.

  • The user is not interested in your subject. The user's location characteristics match the selected segment, but they do not search your subject on the Internet, hence your ads are not served to them. User interests (e.g., search queries and visited sites) are key to ad serving.

  • Setting impression criteria. Ad campaign display conditions work in an integrated manner. In addition to adjustments, they must take into account keywords (minus negative keywords), display region, time targeting, etc. For bid adjustment to apply to a user, the user must make a search query you have selected from the selected region at the time when the ad campaign is active.

    For example, you advertise a shopping center. You gathered a location-based segment and selected an audience that regularly visits, lives, or works near a shopping center. Also, you set a bid adjustment for the segment. Impressions are configured for Moscow, from 9 am to 8 pm. The users from the segment who live in the suburbs and surf the web on their way to or from work will most likely not see your shopping center ads, even if they work nearby, due to your time and region restrictions.

If the statistics shows that the segment you have configured is failing, try experimenting with a retargeting list for your ad campaign.