Table of Contents
Overview
The platform includes a flexible targeting option that provides customers a more powerful way to control line item targeting. This feature can be used in cases where different targeting keys need to be OR’ed before being AND’ed with other targeting keys.
How it Works
At the bottom of each targeting module (except Time and User), there is an OR section where targeting keys can be selected to be OR’ed together, along with the values for those fields.
Targeting keys can only be OR’ed within the same module and not across different modules. However, OR targeting can be used in multiple modules simultaneously to create combined logic, such as “(USA OR Paris) AND (App List OR Domain List).”
The order and logic of evaluation is as follows:
Values within the OR fields are evaluated first
The result is then AND’ed with the remaining targeting keys
In the targeting summary, items that are OR’ed appear under the grouping labeled “Include At Least One Of.”
In the example provided, App Bundle list 527 and Domain List 528 are OR’ed together, and USA and Paris are OR’ed together. These groups are then AND’ed together along with Index Exchange.
For the line to serve, the bid request must match the following logic: ((App Bundle list 527 OR Domain List 528) AND (Country United States of America OR City Paris, FR)) AND Index Exchange.
Targeting Logic Guidelines
Targeting keys cannot be used in both AND and OR sections
A single targeting key, such as “Country” or “City,” cannot be applied simultaneously in both the AND and OR logic groups. Doing so results in conflicting logic that prevents proper impression matching.
Invalid example:
AND: Country = USA
Geo OR: Country = France, City = New York
In this setup, the targeting system cannot reconcile the use of “Country” in both logic sections, which can result in no impressions being served for France.
The same targeting key can appear in EXCLUDE and OR
It is valid to apply the same key in the EXCLUDE section and in the OR group, as long as the logic remains distinct and non-conflicting.
Valid example:
EXCLUDE: Region = New Jersey
Geo OR: Region = New York, Zip Code List
This configuration excludes impressions from New Jersey while allowing impressions from the specified regions and zip codes.
Targeting key availability is limited based on usage
Once a targeting key has been included in the AND group, it is automatically disabled in the OR dropdown, preventing duplicate use.
If a targeting key is selected in the OR group and then added to the AND section, the system will treat that usage as an EXCLUDE. This enforcement also applies to all values within that key.
Example behavior:
If Region is used in Geo OR with “New York,” and later added to AND, the system will interpret it as:
EXCLUDE: Region = New York
This ensures consistent targeting behavior and avoids conflicts.
Excludes cannot be grouped with OR logic
OR logic is not supported for exclusions because combining multiple EXCLUDE conditions with OR may unintentionally include nearly all available inventory.
Invalid example:
EXCLUDE: Country = USA
OR
EXCLUDE: City = Paris
This logic essentially removes only impressions from both USA and Paris, but includes everything else—defeating the purpose of exclusion targeting.
The OR group only supports INCLUDE logic
The OR section is designed exclusively for inclusive targeting. All conditions added to this group are treated as "include" rules. Exclusion logic is not supported within the OR group and cannot be selected from the interface.