Exclude Traits from Segments
This guide outlines how to use the Exclude feature in the Advanced Audience Builder to refine your segment by removing specific groups of users.
Feature Overview
The Exclude tool allows you to suppress specific traits from your audience. This ensures your campaign doesn’t spend budget on users who meet your general criteria but fall into an undesired sub-category.
Important Note: Currently, trait exclusion only applies to Standard Traits and Custom Traits. Event Traits (such as Smart Match interests) cannot be excluded at this time.
Prerequisites
- A registered Covatic
- Access to the Audiences or Advertising
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Enable Advanced Mode
Exclusion is an Advanced targeting feature and is not visible in the “Simple” builder view.
- In Step 2 of the audience building process (Build your audience), toggle the switch at the top from Simple to Advanced.
2. Identify the Trait to Exclude
First, ensure the trait you want to exclude is already added to your audience logic.
- Click + Standard Trait or + Custom Trait and select the criteria you wish to eventually exclude (e.g., “Child Age: Children aged 0-5: 2+”).
- Apply the trait so it appears as a tag in your main builder workspace.
3. Drag and Drop to Exclude
Locate the Exclude box, which appears below your main Traits list and above the Smart Boost slider.
- Click and hold the specific trait tag you wish to remove from your audience.
- Drag the tag down into the area labelled: “Drag traits here to specifically exclude them from the audience.”
- Release the mouse button to “drop” the trait into the exclusion zone.
4. Review Impact on Reach
Once a trait is moved to the Exclude box, the platform will recalculate your metrics in real-time.
- Look at the Reach and Inventory numbers on the right.
- You will typically see these numbers decrease as the excluded group is filtered out of your potential audience.
5. Finalise and Save
- Click Next: Summary.
- Review AI Summary: The description will now explicitly state that certain groups are being excluded from the segment.
- Click Save and Publish.
Success Verification
To confirm your exclusions are active:
- Navigate to your Audiences list and click on the segment name to view the Audience Details.
- Scroll to the logic section; you will see a dedicated Exclude header listing the specific Standard or Custom traits that are being filtered out.
Pro-Tip: If your reach drops to zero after an exclusion, it likely means your “include” and “exclude” logic are contradictory (e.g., trying to target “Professionals” while excluding “ABC1″audiences).
