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The Madison Avenue Field GuideA field guide to marketing & advertising, by Brandon Mina

GlossaryAdtech & ProgrammaticBehavioral Targeting

Adtech & Programmatic

Behavioral Targeting

Targeting ads based on a person's past browsing or purchase behavior.

By Brandon MinaCEO, BrandPilot AIUpdated November 2026

Short answer

Behavioral targeting is the practice of serving ads based on a person's past browsing, search, app, or purchase behavior. Signals about previous actions are used to infer interests or purchase intent, helping advertisers reach likelier prospects. Its reliance on tracking makes it sensitive to privacy regulation, consent requirements, and browser restrictions on identifiers.