Retargeting (RT)
Retargeting (RT) explained — re-engaging past visitors. Shifting from cookie-based to first-party and on-platform signals in 2026.
Updated July 2026.
Showing ads to people who previously interacted with your brand — site visitors, cart abandoners, video viewers — to bring them back to convert.
Benchmark range
Retargeting typically posts higher conversion rates and lower CPAs than prospecting, but reaches a smaller, warmer audience. Cap frequency to avoid fatigue.
Why it matters
Warm audiences convert far better than cold ones, making retargeting among the most efficient spend. The risk is over-frequency, which annoys users and wastes budget.
2026 update
In 2026, cookie erosion pushed retargeting toward first-party and on-platform signals — engagement-based audiences, Lead Gen Form openers, video viewers — rather than pixel-based site cookies. The Conversions API and clean Custom Audiences now do much of the work that third-party cookies once handled.
Where it applies
- All Platforms