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Meta uses multiple signals to determine a user’s location. These signals are applied across ads, organic content, and business pages to help brands reach audiences based on where people live, work, or travel.
Understanding how location is defined and used on Meta is essential for accurate targeting and data analysis.
How Meta Determines Location
Meta relies on a combination of data points to infer a user’s location:
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Device signals: GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and mobile network data.
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IP address: Especially for desktop and non-mobile users.
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Profile information: Home city or location provided by the user.
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Activity history: Check-ins, tagged posts, and recent travel movements.
These signals are continuously updated to improve accuracy.
Location in Meta Ads Manager
When setting up campaigns in Meta Ads Manager, advertisers can define audience location using several targeting options. Meta allows you to target:
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People living in this location: Based on profile and consistent device data.
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People recently in this location: Based on recent mobile activity.
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People traveling in this location: Users visiting but not residing in the area.
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Everyone in this location (default): Includes all of the above.
Targeting granularity
You can target audiences by:
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Country
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Region or state
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City
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Postal/ZIP code
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Custom radius around a specific point (e.g., 10 miles around London)
Note: Accuracy varies by device type and user privacy settings.
💡 Users can control how their location data is used by enabling or disabling precise location access on their device or managing location history within Meta settings.
Even with location permissions turned off, Meta may still infer a general location (e.g., city or region) using the user’s IP address to deliver relevant ads and content.