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Site domain/zone targeting/ de-targeting

ExoClick offers various options to help you reach the preferred traffic sources. When browsing through the campaign settings, advertisers have 2 ways to whitelist/block sources:

1. Via Domains targeting (where you target the whole domain)​

In Step 3: Targeting select the Domain section option works to target or de-target specific websites.

To target or de-target, simply write in this section the URL of the website e.g.

Note: Make sure not to add the “https://” part of the website.

Note: If you are using a tracking solution to find out which sites are providing traffic to you, you might receive “Site ID” data. You can use the “Marketplace” tab in the Admin Panel to find out the name of the site.

2. Via Zone targeting (where you target specific Zones within the website)​

In Step 5: Sites & Zones of your campaign, on Target mode you can select Target / Block zones. If you write on the search bar the name of the website, the name of the ad zone or the zone ID, you will be able to "add" this ad zone from the list of targeted sites.

Intersection theory​

While it is possible to use both targeting features at the same time, it is important to understand how to combine both of them and avoid pausing your campaign unintentionally.

The system works with the Intersection theory for sites domains and zones settings when they are set are applied at the same time. Imagine them as filters:

  • If in step 5, you select only 6 zones, the campaign will be shown ONLY on those 6 zones. (Based on the Zone ID)
  • Additionally, if you set a domain in step 3, it will get traffic ONLY from those zones and domains that 3 & 5 have in common.
  • All the targeting you set in the campaign settings acts as filters. Every time you add a targeting (browser, language...) you filter more and more.

Image this as the intersection of multiple circles:

The system does NOT give priority to any of the elements, the system applies all of them sequentially, turning the final outcome into an intersection of all the settings.

What if zones/sites domains targeted in Steps 3 and 5 HAVE NO intersection?​

Assuming all in target mode!:

  • Sites domains - A, B and C
  • zones - D.1 and D.2 (as in zones NOT belonging to any of the sites A, B and C, but instead to a site D)

Campaign WILL NOT RECEIVE TRAFFIC as there's literally no common ground on where to display the campaign - inconsistent / incorrect configuration of the campaign.

What if zones/sites domains targeted in Steps 3 and 5 HAVE intersection?​

However, if you have:

  • Sites domains - A, B and C
  • zones - A.1 and B.1 and D.1 (zones from sites A and B and D)

Then the campaign will receive traffic ONLY for sites A and B IN zones A.1 and B.1 only.

What if instead of applying the include options are we excluding zones on step 5 and blocking sites domain in step 3?​

In this case it's the other way around, it's accumulative. For instance, if in step 5, 20 zones are excluded and on step 3 40 site domains are blocked, the campaign will exclude all domains selected on Step 3 and all the zones selected on Step 5.

Additional targeting example:​

If you have sites domain targeted in step 3 and a single zone targeted in step 5 (belonging to one of the sites domains targeted on step 3) then you will receive traffic only from that specific zone as it is the only common element between Step 3 and Step 5.

To get traffic from all the Domains targeted in Step 3 and all Zones targeted in Step 5, you have the following options:

1: You can set in the step 5 the Target Mode to Exclude and Block ALL the zones except the one you want to receive traffic from

2: You can select in step 5 All the zones/sites that are targeted in step 3.