Glossary/Adtech & Programmatic/Retargeting
Adtech & Programmatic
Retargeting
Serving ads to people who previously visited a site or engaged with a brand.
By Brandon Mina·CEO, BrandPilot AI·Updated November 2026
Short answer
Retargeting is the practice of serving ads to people who previously visited a website, used an app, or engaged with a brand. It typically relies on pixels, cookies, device IDs, or first-party customer lists to recognize past visitors, and aims to bring back interested prospects who did not convert on their first visit.