Targeting Guide
Show the right experience to the right audience. A complete reference for all targeting options in Tailor.
Targeting Fundamentals
The purpose of targeting is to match a visitor's intent with the right messaging and proof. A good segmentation axis should change the story you tell. If the segment doesn't change what you'd say on the page, don't segment.
Keep It Simple
Start with one targeting axis. More rules mean more complexity and slower learning. You can always layer on additional targeting after you've validated the first axis works.
Video Guide
A 61-second walkthrough of targeting configuration in the Tailor extension.
UTM-Based Targeting
UTM parameters are the cleanest targeting signal for performance marketing because they're explicit and easy to debug. You can target by any combination of:
utm_sourceTraffic source (e.g. google, linkedin, facebook)utm_mediumMarketing medium (e.g. cpc, social, email)utm_campaignCampaign nameutm_contentCreative or ad variationutm_termKeyword or search termVerifying UTMs
Tailor reads UTMs directly from the landing page URL. To verify your UTMs arrive intact, check the URL in your browser after clicking the ad. If redirects or shorteners strip parameters, adjust the redirect to preserve them.
Campaign Rules: Match Several Values at Once
When you set up who should see a test, campaign rules are structured: pick a URL parameter, choose how it matches, and add one or more values. A rule matches when the parameter equals any of the values, so one test can cover several campaigns or sources without duplicating rules or writing wildcard patterns.
Wildcards are supported in the parameter name: for example utm_* matches any UTM parameter. Saved targeting reads back as plain-language value pills, so you can verify what a test targets at a glance.
Performance Max Campaigns
Performance Max has no keywords, and audience signals are suggestions Google may not follow. The asset group is the intent unit you control, so the setup is: pass the asset group to the page as a URL parameter, then target on it like any other parameter.
- Structure asset groups by intent theme, one theme per group. In each asset group's URL options, add a custom parameter, for example
{_ag}with the valuepmax-fitness-studios. There is no ValueTrack macro that inserts the asset group name automatically, so the value is hardcoded per group. Use a consistent naming scheme. - Append it with a final URL suffix, for example
utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&ag={_ag}. PMax URL expansion can land clicks on pages other than your final URL; a suffix is still appended to expanded URLs, while parameters hardcoded into the final URL are not. Turning URL expansion off is also a valid choice if you want full landing page control. - In Tailor, create campaign rules on the
agparameter, one variant set per asset group theme. Mechanically identical to UTM targeting, including wildcard and multi-value rules. - Layer geo, device, and IP enrichment on top. One asset group spans hot Search intent and colder Display and YouTube placements, and network-level ValueTrack macros are unreliable in PMax. For B2B, enrichment is often the strongest signal on PMax traffic because the keyword is missing.
Verify before scaling
Check the Performance Max landing page report for the URLs actually receiving clicks, and Tailor's traffic view filtered by your parameter, before building the full variant set. Expect per-asset-group tailoring to be coarser than per-keyword tailoring on Search.
Restricting to Paid Traffic Only
To show tailored experiences only to paid visitors, target by utm_source or utm_medium. For example, set utm_medium = cpc to only personalize for paid search traffic. Organic, direct, and referral visitors will see the original page.
Geo, Device & Language
Beyond UTMs, Tailor supports targeting by:
Device
Mobile, desktop, or tablet. Useful for showing different CTAs or layouts by device type.
Language
Browser language. Show localized content to visitors based on their language preferences.
Geography
IP-inferred location (coarse). Note that VPN users may appear from a different location.
When possible, lean on higher-intent signals (UTMs, keyword, ad context) for targeting, and use device/geo/language as secondary filters.
New vs. Returning Visitors
Show a tailored page only to first-time visitors, or only to returning visitors coming back a day or more later. Useful for first-visit offers, or for showing returning prospects the next step instead of the same pitch.
The targeting card shows how much returning traffic the page actually gets and warns you if the returning audience is too small to support a test. If your site passes a user ID to the on-page script, returning visitors are recognized across browsers and devices too.
Custom Signals
Define your own yes/no visitor signals and target by them like any built-in signal. For example, a "Logged in" signal lets you show different messaging to visitors who already have an account.
Define the signal
Go to Settings → Visitor Intelligence and create the signal as a yes/no condition.
Use it in targeting
In a test's Advanced Targeting, your signals appear under a Custom group. Pick Yes or No. The "who sees this" summary shows them alongside built-in signals, including in the pre-launch confirmation.
IP Enrichment (Firmographic Data)
IP enrichment identifies the company behind a visitor's IP address and returns firmographic attributes. It answers "what kind of account is visiting?" rather than "who is this person?"
Available Attributes
How to Use Enrichment Data Effectively
Enrichment data is probabilistic and may not match perfectly for individual visitors on VPNs or shared networks. It works best for segment-level targeting ("show enterprise messaging to enterprise-sized companies") rather than individual-level decisions. Treat enrichment as context for tailoring the experience, not as identity.
For setup instructions and privacy details, see the Visitor Identification guide.
Privacy & Consent
IP enrichment does not require cookies. The IP address is available at the network layer and is processed transiently to derive company-level attributes. However, you should still align enrichment with your consent policy and honor Do Not Track (DNT) and consent mode preferences where applicable.
Page & Path Scoping
Tailor doesn't run on every page by default. Tailored pages are explicitly attached to specific URL paths. Only the pages you configure are affected. Everything else stays untouched. There's no need for blanket exclusion rules.
Multiple Experiments on the Same Page
You can run multiple experiments on the same URL as long as they have unique trigger combinations. Tailor resolves conflicts automatically: more specific rules take precedence. You can also manually set priorities to control which experiment wins when rules overlap.
Always test with preview mode to verify the correct variant is served for each targeting combination.
Excluding Internal Traffic
Internal traffic is included in experiment results. For most sites, this is a negligible percentage of total volume and does not materially affect results. If internal traffic is significant for your use case, reach out to support [at] tailorhq [dot] ai and we can discuss options.