What is Reddit community targeting?
What are the three methods?
Reddit's help centre describes three ways to target1.
- Community targeting. People who subscribed to, viewed or visited the chosen communities in the last 28 days1.
- Interest targeting. People grouped by topics they recently interacted with1.
- Keyword targeting. Ads matched to content that contains terms you choose. It supports English terms only1.
Reddit's help centre says the three methods combine with OR, so a person matching any of them can be reached1. Reddit also recommends automated targeting, which adds other relevant audiences beyond your selection1. It is a setting, not a requirement. Treat it as another thing to test and check.
Why does the choice matter for a shop?
The three methods answer different questions. Community targeting asks where your buyers hang out. Interest targeting asks what they care about. Keyword targeting asks what they are reading right now.
Each one needs a reason. "We picked a community because it felt right" is a hypothesis, not a result. To tell which community brought buyers rather than clicks, you need purchases measured properly. That starts with the Reddit Pixel.
Where Reddit fits among your other channels is covered in paid media strategy for ecommerce. What we know about Reddit for shops, and what we do not, is in Reddit ads for ecommerce.
Easily confused with
Reddit community targeting vs Custom audience
A Meta option that finds people you already have a connection with, such as customers on a list. Community targeting starts from where people spend time, not from your data.
Reddit community targeting vs Lookalike audience
A Meta option that finds new people who resemble your existing customers. Community targeting does not need a customer source.
Reddit community targeting vs Reddit Max campaigns
Reddit's automated campaign type. You still supply targeting to it, and communities can be part of that.
FAQ
Is community targeting the same as interest targeting?
No. Community targeting uses recent activity in chosen communities. Interest targeting uses topics people engaged with1.
What does keyword targeting do?
It matches ads to content that contains terms you choose, and it supports English terms only1.
Does Reddit recommend automated targeting?
Yes. Its help centre recommends it as a way to add relevant audiences beyond your selection1. Decide with your own numbers whether the extra reach is worth it.
Sources
- Knowledge: About Audience Targeting (Reddit Ads Help)Primary source
Let’s find what’s actually working.
Next step. Check what your current ROAS says before you test a new channel. Use the Is your ROAS real? calculator.