In brief
Audience controls are settings defined at the account level: the allowed locations and the minimum age. They apply by default to new campaigns, notably Smart+. Custom campaigns can adjust them.
Why it matters
- You avoid re-entering the same locations for every campaign.
- They protect the brand: for example, never targeting certain countries or certain ages.
- In a campaign with automatic targeting, these controls remain the only limits you set.
The steps
- Open More tools, then Audience controls (“Audience” section).
- Define the locations (not set by default).
- Define the minimum age (no limit by default).
- Save: these choices carry over to the Audience targeting step of each ad group.
Pitfalls to avoid
- Forgetting that the controls apply: an audience may seem smaller than expected.
- Believing under-18s can always be targeted: in many countries they're excluded, and in Australia under-16s too.
Frequently asked questions
Does automatic targeting ignore my controls? No: account controls remain applied.
Can I change them campaign by campaign? Custom campaigns can adjust them.
Key takeaways
- Audience controls = locations + minimum age for the whole account.
- They act as guardrails.
- They're visible in the targeting summary.
Practice in TRIALO
In an ad group, read the Targeting summary (location, minimum age, mode) and find the mention of audience controls in automatic targeting.