Reddit Ads Targeting: Every Option Explained For 2027

Last updated: November 11, 2026

Reddit Ads offer six main ways to target: community (subreddit) targeting, keyword targeting, conversation targeting, interest targeting, custom audiences built from your site visitors or customer lists, and location and device filters. Community targeting is usually the most effective starting point, keyword and conversation targeting catch people mid-research, and Reddit’s AI-driven Max campaigns can expand targeting automatically once you have conversion data.

Targeting is what makes Reddit different from other ad platforms. Instead of guessing at demographics, you can reach people inside the exact communities where your category is discussed, or next to the conversations where buyers ask for advice. Get targeting right and Reddit becomes one of the most efficient paid channels available. Get it wrong and you pay for clicks from people who will never buy.

Reddit Ads Targeting Options At A Glance

Option	How It Works	Best For
Community targeting	Reach people active in chosen subreddits	Most campaigns, especially niche and B2B
Keyword targeting	Reach people engaging with content containing your keywords	Capturing research-stage intent
Conversation targeting	Place ads next to discussions with matching context and sentiment	Contextual relevance at scale
Interest targeting	Reach broad groups based on browsing behavior	Awareness and large audiences
Custom audiences	Retarget site visitors, engaged users or uploaded lists	Conversions and retention
Location and device	Filter by country, region, city and platform	Local offers and app campaigns
Max campaigns	AI automates targeting, creative and placements	Scaling once conversion data exists

Community (Subreddit) Targeting

Community targeting shows your ads to people who are active in specific subreddits. It is Reddit’s most distinctive option and, for most advertisers, the most effective. Subreddit targeting has been reported to deliver around 1.8 times the click-through rate of interest targeting.

How to use it well:

• Group 5 to 15 closely related communities per ad group so you can compare performance.
• Mix large communities with smaller niche ones, which are often cheaper and more relevant.
• Read each community’s rules and top posts before writing ads, so your tone fits.
• Use Reddit’s audience suggestions to find similar communities you had not considered.

Keyword Targeting

Keyword targeting reaches people who have recently engaged with posts and comments containing your chosen keywords, and can also reach people searching on Reddit. It is the closest Reddit gets to search intent.

Use specific, buyer-focused phrases such as “best CRM for startups” or “alternative to” plus a competitor’s name, rather than broad terms. Layer keywords on top of community targeting to narrow your audience to people actively researching.

Conversation Targeting And Placements

Conversation placements show ads inside comment threads, where people are actively engaged with a topic. These placements have been reported to achieve about 0.41% click-through rate, roughly double the home feed. In 2026 Reddit also introduced conversation targeting, which looks at the context and sentiment of a discussion rather than matching keywords alone.

Conversation ads work best with short headlines and content that adds to the discussion, such as a useful guide, benchmark or free tool.

Interest Targeting

Interest targeting reaches broader groups of users based on the communities and content they engage with across Reddit, such as technology, gaming or personal finance. It offers scale and lower CPMs, but less precision.

It suits awareness campaigns and products with broad appeal. For niche B2B products, start with communities and keywords, then test interests as a scaling layer.

Custom Audiences

Custom audiences let you reach people who already know you:

• Website retargeting: people who visited your site, built from Reddit Pixel data.
• Engagement audiences: people who interacted with your ads or posts.
• Customer lists: uploaded email lists, matched securely to Reddit accounts.
• Lookalike audiences: people who resemble your best customers.

Retargeting typically delivers the lowest cost per conversion, so set it up as soon as your pixel collects enough visitors.

Location, Device And Other Filters

You can narrow any campaign by country, region, metro area or city, and by device or platform. Location filters matter for local services and region-specific offers. Device filters matter for app installs and mobile-first experiences.

Max Campaigns And AI Targeting

Max campaigns, launched in beta in January 2026 and since opened to all advertisers, use Reddit Community Intelligence, a model trained on billions of posts and comments, to decide where each impression is most likely to perform. They automate targeting, creative selection, placements and budget allocation.

Max works best when you have conversion tracking in place, a budget of roughly $50 per day or more and a willingness to let the system explore. Keep a manual campaign running alongside it so you can compare results.

Best Targeting Combinations By Goal

Goal	Recommended Combination
B2B lead generation	Niche professional communities plus buyer keywords, with retargeting
Ecommerce sales	Hobby and product communities plus product ads and retargeting
App installs	Interest targeting plus device filters, then lookalikes
Brand awareness	Interest targeting plus large relevant communities and video
Local services	City subreddits plus location filters and service keywords
Scaling a proven campaign	Max campaign alongside your best manual ad groups

Common Reddit Targeting Mistakes

• Targeting too many unrelated communities in one ad group, which hides what works.
• Using broad interests for niche B2B products.
• Running the same creative across communities with very different tones.
• Skipping retargeting and lookalike audiences.
• Judging targeting on clicks instead of conversions.

For setup steps, see how to advertise on Reddit. For budgeting, see Reddit Ads cost. If you would rather hand targeting to specialists, compare the top Reddit Ads agencies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you target specific subreddits with Reddit Ads?

Yes. Community targeting lets you choose specific subreddits, and it is usually the most effective option on Reddit.

What is the difference between keyword and community targeting?

Community targeting reaches people active in chosen subreddits. Keyword targeting reaches people engaging with content that contains specific words, wherever on Reddit that content appears.

Can you retarget website visitors on Reddit?

Yes. Install the Reddit Pixel or Conversions API, then build a custom audience of site visitors to retarget.

Does Reddit offer lookalike audiences?

Yes. You can build lookalike audiences from your customer lists or site visitors to reach people with similar behavior.

Should I use Max campaigns or manual targeting?

Start with manual community and keyword targeting to learn what works, then test a Max campaign once you have conversion data and enough budget for it to optimize.

Conclusion

Reddit’s targeting rewards specificity. Start with tightly grouped communities, layer buyer keywords, add conversation placements and retargeting, and test Max once your tracking is solid. Above all, match each ad to the community it appears in, because on Reddit the right audience only converts when the message feels like it belongs there.