What Is Remarketing? How Retargeting Ads Work, Types, Examples, Platforms and Best Practices
What remarketing (retargeting) is
In this article
Remarketing (often called retargeting) is a marketing strategy that shows ads or messages to people who have already interacted with your business: visited your website, viewed a product, added to cart, watched your video, used your app or are on your customer list. Because these people already know you, remarketing typically achieves higher click-through and conversion rates than reaching cold audiences, bringing back visitors who left without buying.
How remarketing works
- A tag or pixel (Google tag, Meta Pixel, TikTok Pixel, LinkedIn Insight Tag) on your site records visits and actions, subject to user consent
- Visitors are added to audiences (e.g., "viewed pricing page in last 30 days")
- You run ads targeted to those audiences on Google, YouTube, Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn and display networks
- Ads remind, persuade or offer an incentive to return and convert
You can also upload customer lists (hashed emails/phones) to target or exclude customers.
Remarketing vs retargeting
The terms are often used interchangeably. Historically, Google used "remarketing" for its ads product; some marketers use "remarketing" for email re-engagement and "retargeting" for ads. In practice, both mean re-engaging people who've interacted with you.
Types of remarketing
| Type | How it works | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Website remarketing | Ads to past visitors | Pricing page visitors see a testimonial ad |
| Dynamic remarketing | Ads show the exact products viewed | Shoes viewed appear in the ad |
| Video remarketing | Ads to people who watched your videos | YouTube viewers see a follow-up offer |
| Social engagement | Ads to people who engaged with your Instagram/Facebook | Profile engagers see a promo |
| Customer list remarketing | Target or exclude uploaded lists | Past customers see a new product |
| Email remarketing | Automated emails after actions | Abandoned cart email |
| Search remarketing (RLSA-style) | Adjust search ads for past visitors | Higher bids for returning visitors |
Examples
- E-commerce: abandoned cart → dynamic product ad + email with free shipping
- SaaS: visited pricing → case study ad → demo offer
- Local service: viewed quote page → ad with reviews and "Book this week"
- Education: watched webinar → enrolment deadline ad
Setting up remarketing
Google Ads
- Install the Google tag (or GA4 linked) with consent mode where required
- Create audience segments in Google Ads (website visitors, YouTube users, customer lists)
- Use them in Display, YouTube, Demand Gen or Performance Max campaigns, or as observation/targeting in Search
Meta (Facebook/Instagram)
- Install Meta Pixel and Conversions API
- Create custom audiences (website, engagement, customer lists)
- Create campaigns targeting them; use catalog ads for dynamic product remarketing
Audience segmentation ideas
- All visitors (last 30/90 days)
- Product/service page viewers
- Pricing page viewers
- Cart abandoners
- Video viewers (50%+)
- Past customers (for upsell, or exclude)
- Leads who didn't convert
Tailor messages to each segment's stage.
Remarketing creative best practices
- Answer the reason they didn't buy: price, trust, timing, questions
- Show social proof: reviews, case studies
- Use offers carefully (don't train people to wait)
- Show the product they viewed (dynamic ads)
- Use video and motion to stand out (see What are motion graphics?)
- Refresh creatives regularly
- Cap frequency to avoid annoyance
- Exclude converters from acquisition ads
Privacy and consent
Follow privacy laws (GDPR, CCPA and local rules), use cookie consent and consent mode, disclose tracking in your privacy policy, and respect platform policies (sensitive categories like health have restrictions). Third-party cookie limits and app tracking prompts reduce audience sizes, so first-party data (email lists, CRM) is increasingly important.
(Related: What is CPM?, What is the most effective type of advertising?)
Frequently asked questions
What is remarketing?
A strategy of showing ads or messages to people who have previously interacted with your website, app, videos or business.
Is remarketing the same as retargeting?
Mostly yes; the terms are used interchangeably, though some marketers use remarketing for email and retargeting for ads.
How does remarketing work?
A pixel or tag adds visitors to audiences based on their actions, and ad platforms show those audiences targeted ads.
Is remarketing effective?
Often yes, because people already familiar with your brand are more likely to click and convert, especially with relevant messaging.
What is dynamic remarketing?
Remarketing that automatically shows the specific products or services a person viewed, using a product feed.
How long should a remarketing window be?
Commonly 7–30 days for high-intent actions like cart abandonment and 30–180 days for broader visitors, depending on your sales cycle.
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Start a conversationWritten by Sachin Rawat
AI & automation engineer · websites, apps and motion design
I build AI agents, automations, websites, apps and motion design for businesses. These guides answer the questions people actually search, written from hands-on experience building them.
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