Radius targeting puts your Facebook ads in front of people who are physically near your business. It's the sharpest tool for foot traffic campaigns and local market dominance.
What Is Radius Targeting on Facebook Ads?
Radius targeting is a geographic option in Facebook Ads Manager. You pick an address or drop a custom pin on a map. Facebook shows your ads only to people within your chosen distance from that point. No wasted impressions on people two states away.
It works across multiple campaign objectives. Local Awareness Ads, Store Traffic campaigns, and standard Reach or Conversion campaigns all support radius targeting in the audience step.
How Radius Targeting Works in Facebook Ads Manager
Ads Manager makes the setup visual. You see the radius circle on the map in real time as you configure it.
Understanding location pins and map placement
Type any address into the Locations field in Ads Manager. A pin drops on the map, and a shaded circle appears around it. That circle is your targeting zone. Drag the pin to refine placement manually. Add multiple pins for multi-location campaigns. Each pin gets its own independent radius.
Setting the radius distance
A slider controls the circle size. Per Meta's documentation, the default radius for Local Awareness Ads is 1 mile from the address listed on your Facebook Page. Move the slider to expand or shrink the zone. The map updates instantly so you can see exactly what neighborhoods you're covering before you spend a dollar.
Choosing your location relationship target
Facebook gives you four options for who inside that radius gets targeted.
- People living in or recently in this location (default, broadest reach)
- People living in this location (residents only)
- People recently in this location (visited or currently there)
- People travelling in this location (non-residents passing through)
Match the option to your goal. A restaurant targeting lunch crowds should use "recently in." A real estate agent targeting homeowners should use "living in." A hotel near a convention center should test "travelling in."
Radius Limits and Geographic Constraints
Facebook enforces hard limits on radius size and geographic coverage.
US radius minimums and maximums
Per the Meta Business Help Center, US radius targeting ranges from a 1-mile minimum to a 50-mile maximum. The default is 1 mile. These limits apply to all objectives, including Local Awareness and Store Traffic campaigns. Meta recommends testing different radius sizes to balance specificity against reach.
International radius targeting
Outside the US, the scale switches to kilometers. The range is 1 km to 70 km. Coverage still cannot cross national borders. A radius pin placed near a country boundary stops at that border. Meta's policy is clear. Targeting does not extend into another country regardless of radius size.
Audience size considerations
Facebook requires a minimum audience size of 20 people to run any campaign. Ads Manager displays an audience estimate as you build your targeting. Very tight radii in low-density areas can fall below this threshold. If the estimate is too small, expand your radius or loosen demographic filters until the audience size is viable.
When to Use Radius Targeting
Radius targeting is not for every campaign. These four use cases get the most from it.
Local Awareness Ads for foot traffic
A 1-to-5-mile radius works best for driving walk-in traffic. Coffee shops, gyms, retail stores, and restaurants all fit this model. Tight radius means your budget goes only to people who can actually show up today.
Store Traffic objective campaigns
Meta's Store Traffic objective is built specifically for radius-based foot traffic attribution. Register your business locations in Business Manager. Facebook then targets people within your radius and reports in-store visits through its attribution system. It's the most direct way to connect ad spend to real-world visits.
Multi-location business strategies
Drop a separate pin for each location. Set different radius sizes based on local competition density. A downtown location might need 1 to 2 miles. A suburban location might need 10 to 15 miles. Budgets can be split by location to match each market's opportunity.
Excluding competitor locations
Use exclusion radius targeting to avoid spending near competitor stores. Add competitor addresses as excluded locations. This keeps your ads out of zones where purchase intent is already captured by a rival. Combine inclusion and exclusion radii for precise market control.
Radius Targeting Strategy and Best Practices
Getting the circle right is half the job.
Matching radius size to business goals
Small radii (1 to 5 miles) drive foot traffic. They're high-intent and tight. Larger radii (20 to 50 miles) build regional awareness. They're better for delivery zones, service areas, or regional events. Use the goal to pick the radius, not the other way around.
Budget and competition considerations
Small audiences in competitive markets drive CPMs up. A 1-mile radius in a dense urban area can get expensive fast. Watch your frequency metric. If the same person sees your ad six or more times in a week, expand the radius or rotate creatives. More reach often lowers your cost per result.
Combining radius targeting with demographic filters
Layer age, gender, and interest filters on top of your radius. A gym targeting adults aged 25 to 45 within 3 miles will outperform a gym targeting everyone in that same radius. Tighter demographics paired with a reasonable radius usually beat broad targeting with a tiny circle.
Setting Up Radius Targeting in Campaign Launcher
Coinis Campaign Launcher handles the full setup in one flow. The audience step includes location targeting with a pin drop, radius slider, and location relationship selector. No switching between tabs or tools. Set your radius, layer on demographics, confirm your audience estimate, and move straight to creative.
Pair Campaign Launcher with Brand Profile. Brand Profile learns your brand voice, tone, and messaging context. AI Copywriting then generates ad copy that speaks directly to the hyper-local audience you just targeted. A 2-mile radius around a neighborhood coffee shop needs different copy than a 30-mile regional awareness push. Brand Profile makes sure both sound on-brand.
Local campaigns live or die on relevance. Campaign Launcher and Brand Profile together handle both the reach and the message.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum radius for Facebook Ads targeting?
In the US, the minimum radius is 1 mile. Outside the US, the minimum is 1 kilometer. Facebook also requires a minimum audience size of 20 people, so very tight radii in low-density areas may fall below the threshold needed to run a campaign.
Can I target multiple locations with different radius sizes on Facebook Ads?
Yes. You can drop multiple pins in Ads Manager and set an independent radius for each one. This is useful for multi-location businesses where different stores serve different-sized trade areas.
What does 'people recently in this location' mean for Facebook radius targeting?
It targets people whose most recent location data places them inside your radius, even if they don't live there. This captures shoppers, commuters, and visitors actively in the area, making it a strong option for restaurants, retail stores, and events.
Does Facebook radius targeting work the same outside the US?
The mechanics are the same, but the unit switches from miles to kilometers, with a range of 1 km to 70 km. One key restriction applies everywhere. The radius cannot extend across a national border regardless of its size.