Snapchat Adsintermediate 7 min read 2 steps

How to Create Custom Audiences in Snapchat Ads

In Ads Manager, go to Assets > Audiences > Create > Custom Audience. Sources: Snap Pixel (website visitors by URL, event type, or recency), Customer List (upload emails, phones, or mobile ad IDs for matching via SAM — Snap Audience Match), Ad Engagement (people who swiped up, viewed, or engaged with

Targeting & Audiencessnapchat custom audiences

Quick summary

In Ads Manager, go to Assets > Audiences > Create > Custom Audience. Sources: Snap Pixel (website visitors by URL, event type, or recency), Customer List (upload emails, phones, or mobile ad IDs for matching via SAM — Snap Audience Match), Ad Engagement (people who swiped up, viewed, or engaged with

Process Flow

Animated overview of the full workflow

Start
1Best Practices
2Common Issues and Solutions
Complete

TL;DR

In Ads Manager, go to Assets > Audiences > Create > Custom Audience. Sources: Snap Pixel (website visitors by URL, event type, or recency), Customer List (upload emails, phones, or mobile ad IDs for matching via SAM — Snap Audience Match), Ad Engagement (people who swiped up, viewed, or engaged with your ads), Saved Audience (reusable targeting criteria). Minimum audience size: 1,000 matched users. Use website visitor audiences for retargeting and customer lists for lookalike seed audiences.


Overview

In Ads Manager, go to Assets > Audiences > Create > Custom Audience. Sources: Snap Pixel (website visitors by URL, event type, or recency), Customer List (upload emails, phones, or mobile ad IDs for matching via SAM — Snap Audience Match), Ad Engagement (people who swiped up, viewed, or engaged with your ads), Saved Audience (reusable targeting criteria). Minimum audience size: 1,000 matched users. Use website visitor audiences for retargeting and customer lists for lookalike seed audiences.

Related Guides

See our complete guide library for detailed coverage of account setup, tracking, campaign creation, and optimisation strategies across all platforms.

Step-by-Step Guide

Follow these 2 steps to complete this guide

  1. 1

    Best Practices

    Start with the recommended default settings and optimise based on data. Review performance metrics regularly. Make incremental changes. Document your configuration for reference.

  2. 2

    Common Issues and Solutions

    Check the platform's help centre for the latest troubleshooting guidance. Allow 24-48 hours for tracking data to populate. Ensure you have the correct permissions. Verify all integrations are active.

Frequently asked

Questions & answers

How long does setup take?

Most configurations take 10-30 minutes. Full optimisation is ongoing.

What budget should I start with?

Start with enough to generate 50+ conversions per week for effective algorithm learning.

When should I expect results?

Allow 2-4 weeks for the initial learning phase before making strategic decisions.

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