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

GlossaryAdtech & ProgrammaticGeofencing

Adtech & Programmatic

Geofencing

Targeting ads to devices inside a defined geographic boundary.

By Brandon MinaCEO, BrandPilot AIUpdated November 2026

Short answer

Geofencing is the practice of targeting ads to devices located inside a defined geographic boundary, such as a store, venue, or neighborhood. It typically relies on mobile location data from GPS, Wi-Fi, or IP signals. Advertisers use it to reach people near a point of interest or to build audiences of past visitors.