Glossary/Adtech & Programmatic/Contextual Targeting
Adtech & Programmatic
Contextual Targeting
Placing ads based on the content of a page or video rather than the viewer's identity.
By Brandon Mina·CEO, BrandPilot AI·Updated November 2026
Appears in Lesson 6 of Programmatic 101
Short answer
Contextual targeting is the practice of placing ads based on the content of a page, app, or video rather than on the identity or tracked behavior of the viewer. Systems analyze text, images, or audio to match ads to relevant topics. It has gained importance as privacy rules and cookie restrictions limit user-level targeting.