Reach
Understand reach vs impressions. Learn when to optimize for reach versus frequency.
Updated July 2026.
The total number of unique people who saw your ad at least once. Unlike impressions, reach counts people, not ad views.
Formula
Unique users exposed to ad
Benchmark range
Depends on budget and audience size. More meaningful when combined with frequency. Effective reach = reach at optimal frequency (2-5x).
Why it matters
Reach tells you market penetration; frequency tells you message repetition. For awareness, maximize reach. For conversion, optimize frequency. If reach grows but results don't, targeting may be too broad.
Where it applies
- Meta Ads
- Google Display
- YouTube
- LinkedIn Ads
- TikTok Ads
- CTV
Related terms
The Ad Spend
Knowing what Reach means is the first step; applying it requires account context. The Ad Spend keeps account changes, performance movement, and decision context in one reviewable record, so paid-media decisions remain explainable after the dashboard changes. See Product overview.