What is the minimum radius for TikTok Ads location targeting?

The minimum radius depends on the market. In the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and most European markets, the minimum configurable radius is 1 km. In MENA markets (Morocco, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt) and some Asia-Pacific markets, the minimum is typically 3 km. This difference comes down to TikTok's minimum audience size requirement for delivery: in lower-density areas, a 1 km radius would not yield enough active TikTok users to deliver ads at a meaningful frequency. The interface enforces this automatically — if you try to set a radius that results in an estimated audience below the threshold (approximately 1,000 active users), TikTok Ads Manager will display an 'Audience too small' warning and prevent you from activating the Ad Set until the threshold is met by either increasing the radius or broadening other targeting parameters.

Is TikTok Ads radius targeting available in Morocco and MENA?

Yes. TikTok rolled out radius targeting to MENA markets — including Morocco, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt — during 2024. Prior to this deployment, advertisers in MENA were limited to country-level or city-level targeting with no ability to define a precise geographic perimeter around a GPS point. The minimum radius in MENA markets is 3 km (compared to 1 km in the US and EU). For brick-and-mortar businesses in Moroccan cities like Casablanca, Rabat, or Marrakech, a 5–10 km radius around your physical address lets you precisely target your actual customer catchment area without wasting budget on the full city. Availability has also been confirmed for other MENA markets including Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain, though exact minimum radius settings may vary by country.

How does TikTok radius targeting compare to Google Ads location targeting?

The two platforms use different location signal sources and serve different roles in a local marketing funnel. Google Ads (Search) captures declared intent — users actively querying for something near their location — which produces higher conversion rates at the moment of query but at potentially higher cost-per-click in competitive categories. TikTok operates in passive discovery mode through the video feed, creating awareness and demand among users who were not actively searching. For location signal accuracy, TikTok's reliance on GPS and Wi-Fi from the mobile app gives it an edge over Google Display Network's IP-based approach for precise physical presence targeting. Cost-wise, TikTok typically delivers more efficient CPMs for local awareness, while Google Search Local provides higher-intent traffic. The most effective local strategy combines both: Google Search to capture existing demand, TikTok radius to build new demand within your catchment area. Running both platforms simultaneously requires server-side tracking to prevent double-attribution.

Can you target specific neighborhoods with TikTok Ads?

Not directly by neighborhood name, but effectively through radius targeting. TikTok Ads Manager does not offer neighborhood or postal-code-level targeting as discrete administrative units (unlike some advanced Meta Ads targeting options). However, by entering the GPS coordinates or street address of a point at the center of the neighborhood you want to reach and setting a tight radius of 2–5 km, you can approximate neighborhood-level targeting with reasonable accuracy. For cities with distinct commercial districts, stacking multiple radius zones within a single Ad Set — one centered on each target neighborhood — is an effective approach. The precision remains slightly lower than postal code targeting or address-list targeting, which TikTok does not natively support. For highly precise local targeting by address list, Meta Ads with Custom Audiences and address matching is currently more capable.

What audience size do I need for TikTok radius targeting to work?

TikTok Ads Manager requires an estimated audience of approximately 1,000 active users within your defined zone before it allows you to activate radius targeting. This number reflects the estimated eligible audience after applying all your targeting parameters — not just location, but also age range, gender, and interest categories. If your radius is too small or you stack too many restrictive targeting criteria, the estimated audience will fall below this threshold. Practical solutions: increase the radius by 1–2 km, widen the age range, or reduce the number of interest categories applied. In large cities (500,000+ population), a 3 km radius typically exceeds this threshold easily. In medium-sized cities (50,000–200,000 population), plan for at least a 5–10 km radius to stay above the delivery threshold. In rural or low-density areas, you may need 15–30 km or consider shifting to city-level targeting instead.

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/ 01 · tiktok-ads-location-targeting-guideMedia BuyingPublished on7 min

TIKTOK ADS · LOCATION TARGETING · LOCAL

TikTok Ads Location Targeting 2026: Radius Guide (3km, 5km, 10km)— Step-by-step for Local Businesses

TikTok Ads Manager radius targeting lets you serve ads within a precise geographic circle around a GPS point, with a configurable radius from 1 km to 50 km depending on the country. Available in 80+ countries including the US, UK, EU, Australia and — since 2024 — MENA markets, this feature is now actionable for brick-and-mortar stores, franchises, and local B2C advertisers. Campaigns configured with a radius of 10 km or less show an average CTR uplift of +35% compared to city-level-only targeting.

By Marouane MohachtouFounder & CEO

3–50 kmConfigurable radiusdepends on country and urban density

80+Countries availableincluding MENA since 2024

+35%Average local CTR upliftradius vs city-level targeting

2024MENA rolloutMorocco, Saudi Arabia, UAE included

TikTok Ads Manager location targeting in 2026: what's actually available

In 2026, TikTok Ads Manager offers three tiers of geographic targeting: country, region/state, and radius targeting around a GPS coordinate. Radius targeting — labeled "Radius" in the interface — is the most granular of the three and the most valuable for local advertisers who need to reach people physically near a specific location. The available radius range varies by country. In the United States, Canada, Australia, and most European markets, the minimum radius is 1 km and the maximum is 50 km. In MENA markets (Morocco, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt), this feature was rolled out in 2024, with a minimum radius typically set at 3 km. This higher floor exists to ensure sufficient audience size — population densities in parts of these markets are more variable, and a 1 km radius in a lower-density area would not yield enough active TikTok users to deliver ads meaningfully. Radius targeting works by identifying users whose location signal — derived from GPS, Wi-Fi triangulation, or mobile network data — places their device inside the defined circle at or near the time of ad delivery. TikTok does not rely solely on the home address or self-declared location in a user's profile; it uses real-time or recent device location signals. This makes it more precise for capturing users who are physically present in a commercial area, commuting through a zone, or visiting a specific neighborhood. In terms of global coverage, radius targeting is available in over 80 countries. Markets not yet covered are primarily those where TikTok lacks a sufficient critical mass of location signals — some sub-Saharan African markets, and a handful of markets with strict data privacy regulations around location data. TikTok for Business documentation is updated when new countries are added to the supported list. For brick-and-mortar businesses — restaurants, gyms, retail stores — radii between 3 km and 10 km consistently outperform broader city-level targeting. Beyond 15 km, CPM tends to decrease (more audience available), but local relevance also drops, which can affect the ad's Quality Score and reduce algorithmic delivery priority. The right radius depends on your business category: a quick-service restaurant should work with 2–5 km, an automotive dealership with 20–40 km, a regional shopping center with 10–20 km.

1km minimum (US/EU) to 3km minimum (MENA), up to 50km maximum radius
Real-time GPS/Wi-Fi/network signals — not just self-declared profile location
80+ countries covered including US, UK, EU, AU and MENA markets since 2024
Optimal radius for physical stores: 3–10km depending on business category

How to set up radius targeting step-by-step in TikTok Ads Manager

Radius targeting is configured at the Ad Set level, not at the campaign or ad level. Here is the exact workflow in TikTok Ads Manager as of the 2026 interface: **Step 1 — Create a campaign.** Select your campaign objective (Traffic, Conversions, App Install, Reach, etc.). Advanced geographic targeting is available across all objectives. **Step 2 — Enter the Ad Set settings.** In the "Placements & Audience" section, scroll down to "Location". By default, TikTok pre-selects "Countries" as the targeting scope. Click "Add Location" to expand the more granular targeting options. **Step 3 — Select the location type.** A dropdown menu appears with the following options: Country, State/Province, City, and Radius. Select "Radius". **Step 4 — Define the center point.** Type an address in the search bar or enter GPS coordinates (latitude and longitude). TikTok Ads Manager accepts both formats. For a physical store, typing the complete street address is the fastest approach. **Step 5 — Set the radius.** A slider appears showing the available values for your market: 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 50 km. For MENA markets, the slider starts at 3 km. Select the radius that best matches your actual customer catchment area. **Step 6 — Check estimated audience size.** TikTok displays a real-time estimated audience count for the defined zone. If an "Audience too small" warning appears (orange icon), increase the radius or broaden other targeting parameters — age range, interests — until you exceed the minimum threshold. Key operational notes: you can stack multiple radius zones within a single Ad Set by clicking "Add Location" again and repeating the process. This is particularly useful for franchise operations or multi-location businesses. If two zones overlap, TikTok automatically merges them into a single extended zone to prevent overexposure of users in the overlapping area. For multi-location campaigns where you want per-location performance data, create a separate Ad Set for each location rather than stacking them in one. One technical constraint worth noting as of June 2026: radius targeting cannot be combined with city-level "Exclude Location" targeting within the same Ad Set. If you need to exclude specific zones (a competitor's neighborhood, a non-delivery zone), use custom audiences or separate Ad Sets with overlapping inclusions and exclusions handled at the campaign budget level.

Ad Set > Location > Add Location > Radius — configure in 6 steps
Radius slider: 1/3/5/10/15/20/30/40/50 km depending on market
Multiple radius zones stackable in one Ad Set (for multi-location franchises)
Real-time estimated audience shown — target minimum ~1,000 active users in zone

Radius targeting on TikTok vs Google Ads: real performance differences

Both platforms offer radius-based geographic targeting, but the underlying mechanics, audiences reached, and performance characteristics differ in ways that matter operationally. Here is a factual comparison based on how both systems work. **Location signal methodology.** Google Ads uses a blend of IP address, Google Maps search history, Google account home/work locations, and GPS when available. TikTok relies primarily on GPS and Wi-Fi triangulation from the TikTok mobile app, which makes it inherently more accurate for capturing a user's physical location in real time — provided the TikTok app has been recently active on the device and location permissions are granted. **Ad format and consumption moment.** Google Search captures declared intent: the user is actively querying for something near their location. TikTok captures a passive discovery moment: the user is scrolling a video feed with no active search intent. For drive-to-store objectives, these are complementary rather than competitive: Google Search captures existing demand ("open restaurant near me right now"), while TikTok creates new demand ("I didn't know that place existed until I saw the video"). **CPM benchmarks.** In 2025–2026, TikTok CPMs for local radius targeting (5 km radius, major city) typically range between $4 and $12 USD depending on the market, vertical, and audience composition. Google Display Network with comparable geographic targeting sits in a similar range for awareness objectives. Google Search with local keywords in competitive verticals — restaurants, real estate, automotive — can carry significantly higher CPCs, sometimes $5–20+ per click. For pure local awareness at scale, TikTok typically delivers a more cost-efficient CPM. **CTR comparison.** TikTok campaigns with radius targeting of 10 km or less show an average CTR uplift of +35% versus city-level targeting on the same platform. The amplifying variable is creative quality: a strong, locally resonant video creative in a tight radius can multiply CTR by 3x to 5x versus a generic brand creative. On Google Ads, the CTR benefit of radius vs city-level is real but less pronounced for Search (which is already intent-driven), and more significant for Display and local Performance Max campaigns. **Minimum audience requirements.** Google Ads does not impose a hard minimum audience threshold for radius targeting — you can target a very small perimeter, but delivery will be extremely limited. TikTok imposes an estimated minimum of approximately 1,000 active users within the defined zone for the targeting to be activatable. This threshold forces advertisers to calibrate radius realistically relative to local population density, which is actually a useful guardrail against overly narrow targeting that would never spend the budget. **Practical recommendation.** For physical businesses with monthly budgets under $2,000 USD, a combination of Google Search Local (high-intent queries) and TikTok radius (local awareness building) consistently outperforms going all-in on either platform alone. When running both simultaneously, server-side tracking (GTM Server-Side, Meta CAPI) becomes essential to prevent double-attribution and measure true incremental lift per channel.

TikTok uses GPS/Wi-Fi signals — more accurate than Google Display's IP-based targeting
TikTok local CPM: $4–12 USD vs high CPC on competitive Google Search keywords
Google Search captures existing demand; TikTok creates new demand — use both
Server-side tracking required when running both platforms to avoid double-attribution

FAQ

What is the minimum radius for TikTok Ads location targeting?: The minimum radius depends on the market. In the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and most European markets, the minimum configurable radius is 1 km. In MENA markets (Morocco, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt) and some Asia-Pacific markets, the minimum is typically 3 km. This difference comes down to TikTok's minimum audience size requirement for delivery: in lower-density areas, a 1 km radius would not yield enough active TikTok users to deliver ads at a meaningful frequency. The interface enforces this automatically — if you try to set a radius that results in an estimated audience below the threshold (approximately 1,000 active users), TikTok Ads Manager will display an 'Audience too small' warning and prevent you from activating the Ad Set until the threshold is met by either increasing the radius or broadening other targeting parameters.
Is TikTok Ads radius targeting available in Morocco and MENA?: Yes. TikTok rolled out radius targeting to MENA markets — including Morocco, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt — during 2024. Prior to this deployment, advertisers in MENA were limited to country-level or city-level targeting with no ability to define a precise geographic perimeter around a GPS point. The minimum radius in MENA markets is 3 km (compared to 1 km in the US and EU). For brick-and-mortar businesses in Moroccan cities like Casablanca, Rabat, or Marrakech, a 5–10 km radius around your physical address lets you precisely target your actual customer catchment area without wasting budget on the full city. Availability has also been confirmed for other MENA markets including Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain, though exact minimum radius settings may vary by country.
How does TikTok radius targeting compare to Google Ads location targeting?: The two platforms use different location signal sources and serve different roles in a local marketing funnel. Google Ads (Search) captures declared intent — users actively querying for something near their location — which produces higher conversion rates at the moment of query but at potentially higher cost-per-click in competitive categories. TikTok operates in passive discovery mode through the video feed, creating awareness and demand among users who were not actively searching. For location signal accuracy, TikTok's reliance on GPS and Wi-Fi from the mobile app gives it an edge over Google Display Network's IP-based approach for precise physical presence targeting. Cost-wise, TikTok typically delivers more efficient CPMs for local awareness, while Google Search Local provides higher-intent traffic. The most effective local strategy combines both: Google Search to capture existing demand, TikTok radius to build new demand within your catchment area. Running both platforms simultaneously requires server-side tracking to prevent double-attribution.
Can you target specific neighborhoods with TikTok Ads?: Not directly by neighborhood name, but effectively through radius targeting. TikTok Ads Manager does not offer neighborhood or postal-code-level targeting as discrete administrative units (unlike some advanced Meta Ads targeting options). However, by entering the GPS coordinates or street address of a point at the center of the neighborhood you want to reach and setting a tight radius of 2–5 km, you can approximate neighborhood-level targeting with reasonable accuracy. For cities with distinct commercial districts, stacking multiple radius zones within a single Ad Set — one centered on each target neighborhood — is an effective approach. The precision remains slightly lower than postal code targeting or address-list targeting, which TikTok does not natively support. For highly precise local targeting by address list, Meta Ads with Custom Audiences and address matching is currently more capable.
What audience size do I need for TikTok radius targeting to work?: TikTok Ads Manager requires an estimated audience of approximately 1,000 active users within your defined zone before it allows you to activate radius targeting. This number reflects the estimated eligible audience after applying all your targeting parameters — not just location, but also age range, gender, and interest categories. If your radius is too small or you stack too many restrictive targeting criteria, the estimated audience will fall below this threshold. Practical solutions: increase the radius by 1–2 km, widen the age range, or reduce the number of interest categories applied. In large cities (500,000+ population), a 3 km radius typically exceeds this threshold easily. In medium-sized cities (50,000–200,000 population), plan for at least a 5–10 km radius to stay above the delivery threshold. In rural or low-density areas, you may need 15–30 km or consider shifting to city-level targeting instead.