CTV Geofencing Guide: Can You Target a Neighborhood With CTV Ads?

Yes - you can target Connected TV campaigns to a neighborhood, ZIP code or local trade area, but the exact level of precision depends on the platform and targeting method you use.

In Display & Video 360, advertisers can use regional targeting such as cities and ZIP codes, or proximity targeting around street addresses, points of interest and latitude/longitude coordinates. You can then combine that geography with Connected TV inventory or device targeting so the campaign is built specifically for TV-screen delivery.

What you cannot do in DV360 is upload a list of specific household IP addresses and target those IPs directly.

That distinction matters.

CTV geofencing is best understood as local geographic targeting applied to Connected TV inventory - not as a guarantee that every individual household or apartment can be isolated with perfect precision.

Quick answer: Yes, you can geofence a neighborhood and run CTV-only advertising. In DV360, use ZIP/postal-code or proximity targeting together with Connected TV inventory. In Amazon DSP, radius targeting can also be built around addresses, points of interest or coordinates. For true address-level household activation, the available method depends on the platform, identity solution and market.

What is CTV geofencing?

CTV geofencing combines two targeting decisions:

1. Where should the campaign serve?

2. Which type of screen should receive the ad?

The geography might be:

• A city

• A ZIP or postal code

• A group of neighborhoods

• A radius around a store

• A radius around a dealership

• A point of interest

• A group of business locations

• A regional service area

The inventory is then restricted to Connected TV environments.

Connected TV includes internet-connected television experiences such as:

• Smart TVs

• Streaming devices

• Set-top boxes

• Gaming consoles used for streaming

The result is a campaign that can reach viewers on television screens while staying within a defined local market.

This is particularly useful for advertisers that need the impact of TV without paying to reach an entire DMA, state or national audience.

Can I geofence a neighborhood and only show CTV ads?

Yes.

The most practical setup is:

Geographic boundary + CTV inventory/device targeting = Local CTV campaign

For example, a retailer could:

1. Select the ZIP codes around its stores

2. Restrict delivery to Connected TV

3. Run a video campaign only inside those areas

4. Compare performance between store markets

Or a dealership could:

1. Enter the dealership address

2. Build a proximity radius around the location

3. Target CTV inventory

4. Run creative built specifically for that dealership

5. Measure performance inside the trade area

The geography controls where the audience is eligible.

CTV targeting controls where the ad appears.

ZIP targeting vs radius targeting vs address-level targeting

These terms are often used interchangeably, but they solve different problems.

The best option depends on whether your campaign needs scale, local relevance or household-level precision.

ZIP-code targeting for CTV

ZIP-code targeting is often the simplest way to build a local CTV campaign.

It works particularly well when:

• Your service area aligns with postal areas

• You have multiple stores

• You want clean geographic reporting

• You need enough scale to maintain delivery

• You want to compare markets

For example, a regional restaurant chain could create separate CTV line items for the ZIP codes surrounding each location.

That gives the advertiser more control over:

• Budget

• Creative

• Offers

• Reporting

• Frequency

• Market-level optimization

ZIP targeting is often more practical than trying to force extremely narrow household-level precision.

Radius and proximity targeting for CTV

Radius targeting is useful when a business's real trade area does not match ZIP boundaries.

In DV360, proximity targeting can be built around:

• Street addresses

• Points of interest

• Business locations

• Latitude and longitude coordinates

A radius is then applied around the selected location.

This is useful for businesses such as:

• Car dealerships

• Furniture stores

• Restaurants

• Gyms

• Medical or dental groups

• Universities

• Hotels

• Shopping centers

• Entertainment venues

• Local service businesses

For example:

Dealership address → 15 km radius → CTV inventory → local video campaign

This can reduce wasted impressions outside a realistic drive-time market.

How precise is DV360 proximity targeting?

Proximity targeting is more granular than city-level targeting, but it should not be treated as unlimited precision.

DV360 applies privacy safeguards to proximity targeting.

Very small radii may not be available, particularly where the population is too low.

That means the goal should not be:

“Can I target one exact home?”

A better question is:

“Can I build a realistic local trade area around this location?”

For most local CTV campaigns, that is the more useful planning framework.

Can DV360 target a specific IP address?

No.

DV360 does not support targeting based on specific IP addresses.

This is important because CTV geofencing is sometimes described as though an advertiser can simply upload a list of household IPs directly into DV360.

That is not how native DV360 geography targeting works.

Instead, DV360 provides geographic controls such as:

• Country

• Region

• City

• ZIP / postal code

• Proximity

• Address

• POI

• Coordinates

The platform may use multiple signals internally for CTV delivery and measurement, but advertisers cannot use a list of specific IP addresses as a native targeting input.

Do not confuse IP signals used by advertising technology with advertiser-controlled IP-address targeting. They are not the same thing.

Can you target only Connected TV devices?

Yes.

DV360 supports Connected TV as a device type and also offers dedicated Connected TV campaign and line-item workflows.

Connected TV device targeting includes categories such as:

• Smart TVs

• Streaming devices

• Set-top boxes

• Gaming consoles

This means a local campaign can be constructed so that geography defines the eligible market while the CTV line item or device targeting restricts delivery to TV-screen environments.

That is what makes CTV-only geofencing possible.

How to set up CTV geofencing in DV360

A practical workflow looks like this:

Step 1: Create the CTV campaign structure

Start with a Connected TV insertion order or Connected TV line item.

This ensures the campaign is built around CTV inventory rather than standard web or mobile delivery.

Step 2: Define the geography

Choose the geography method that matches the business.

You can use:

• City

• Region

• ZIP code

• Postal code

• Address

• Point of interest

• Latitude/longitude

• Proximity radius

Step 3: Separate important locations

For multi-location campaigns, avoid putting every store into one blended line item when you need individual control.

Instead, consider:

Location A → Line Item A
Location B → Line Item B
Location C → Line Item C

This gives you clearer:

• Budgets

• Pacing

• Creative

• Reporting

• Optimization

Step 4: Select CTV inventory

Choose the inventory sources and deals that support the campaign objective.

Depending on the campaign, this may include:

• Open-auction CTV inventory

• Curated inventory

• Private Marketplace deals

• Programmatic Guaranteed deals

• Publisher-specific packages

Step 5: Add audience targeting carefully

You may combine geography with relevant audience signals.

But every additional targeting layer reduces the available audience.

For a small geographic area, over-layering can cause serious underdelivery.

Start with the geography that matters most, then add only targeting that genuinely improves relevance.

Step 6: Set frequency controls

CTV is typically a high-attention environment.

That makes frequency important.

The goal is to create sufficient repetition without repeatedly serving the same household or device beyond the point of value.

Step 7: Forecast before launch

Use available reach and inventory forecasting to check whether the combination of:

Geography + CTV + Audience + Inventory

is large enough to spend the planned budget.

A simple DV360 CTV geofencing structure

The key principle is simple:

Set the local market first. Add complexity only when it improves the campaign.

Amazon DSP radius targeting for CTV campaigns

Amazon DSP also offers location-based radius targeting.

Advertisers can define a location using inputs such as:

• Address

• Business name

• Point of interest

• Latitude and longitude

• Map pin

They can then create a radius around that location.

Amazon's current radius-targeting capability supports multiple locations within the same line item, making it useful for large retail or multi-location campaigns.

A campaign could therefore combine:

Store locations + Radius targeting + Streaming TV inventory + Amazon audiences

This can be especially relevant for retailers or brands that want to combine local targeting with Amazon's first-party shopping and behavioral signals.

DV360 vs Amazon DSP for local CTV targeting

The platform should be chosen based on the broader media plan, not geography alone.

Which platform is better for neighborhood CTV campaigns?

There is no universal winner.

DV360 may be more attractive when:

• You already use DV360

• You need broader programmatic inventory

• You want integrated Google media planning

• You use YouTube or other Google Marketing Platform tools

• You want CTV within a broader multi-channel strategy

Amazon DSP may be attractive when:

• Amazon shopping behavior is strategically important

• Retail intent matters

• Prime Video or Amazon streaming inventory is part of the plan

• Location-based advertising needs to combine with Amazon audiences

Many advertisers use more than one DSP when the campaign requires different inventory or audience advantages.

What CTV geofencing cannot reliably do

CTV geofencing is powerful, but it has limits.

It does not guarantee one-household precision

ZIP or proximity targeting defines geographic eligibility.

It does not mean every impression can be proven to have reached one exact household.

It cannot reliably isolate one apartment

Dense multi-dwelling buildings make household-level precision more difficult.

Very small geographies can reduce delivery

CTV inventory is already narrower than general digital inventory.

Adding a tiny radius, narrow audience and premium inventory deal may leave too little supply.

Geography does not guarantee relevance

A viewer can live inside the correct radius and still have no interest in the advertiser.

Location signals are not perfect

Any digital location model has limitations.

Campaigns should be measured against business outcomes rather than treated as mathematically exact maps of household behavior.

Why overly narrow CTV targeting fails

A common setup looks like this:

2-mile radius + tiny audience segment + one CTV publisher + strict frequency + short campaign

Each individual setting looks reasonable.

Together, they may leave almost no eligible impressions.

When a local CTV campaign underdelivers, check restrictions in this order:

1. Geography

2. Inventory

3. Audience

4. Device

5. Deals

6. Frequency

7. Budget and bid

Do not automatically increase bids before checking whether the campaign simply has too little eligible inventory.

Local CTV use cases

Retail

Reach neighborhoods surrounding physical stores.

Use different creative or offers for each market.

See our retail and ecommerce programmatic solutions.

Automotive

Target realistic dealership trade areas instead of buying an entire DMA.

This works especially well when creative references:

• Model availability

• Local incentives

• Dealership location

• Test-drive offers

Restaurants

Create radius campaigns around restaurant locations and promote relevant local offers.

Real estate

Target areas surrounding new developments, leasing offices or priority neighborhoods.

Healthcare

Reach broad local service areas around clinics or healthcare networks, subject to applicable advertising and privacy rules.

Education

Promote universities, colleges or training programs within recruitment markets.

Home services

Local contractors, home improvement companies and service providers can align CTV coverage with operational service areas.

Tourism

CTV campaigns can target feeder markets or specific origin cities rather than only the destination itself.

Multi-location CTV geofencing

For brands with many locations, campaign structure becomes especially important.

Imagine a retailer with 25 stores.

There are two basic options.

Option A: One combined location target

Advantages:

• Simple setup

• Easier management

• Larger audience pool

Disadvantages:

• Less control

• Harder location-level reporting

• Harder creative customization

Option B: Separate location groups or line items

Advantages:

• Better budget control

• Local creative

• Cleaner reporting

• Easier optimization

Disadvantages:

• More setup

• More campaign management

For priority stores, separate line items are often worth the additional operational work.

How should you measure a CTV geofencing campaign?

CTV should not be judged only by clicks.

TV screens are not primarily click environments.

Measurement should match the objective.

Awareness metrics

Useful metrics include:

• Impressions

• Reach

• Frequency

• Completed views

• Video completion rate

• CPM

Website response

Depending on the measurement setup:

• Website visits

• Search activity

• Conversions

• Post-view actions

Store or location outcomes

Where measurement infrastructure allows:

• Store visits

• Sales lift

• Market-level conversion lift

• Geographic holdout comparisons

Brand outcomes

For larger campaigns:

• Brand lift

• Awareness

• Consideration

• Search lift

The important question is not:

“How many people clicked the TV ad?”

It is:

“Did the targeted market respond differently after being exposed?”

Use geographic holdouts when possible

One of the strongest ways to evaluate local CTV is to compare targeted markets with similar untreated markets.

For example:

10 ZIP codes targeted
vs
5 comparable ZIP codes held out

Then compare:

• Website traffic

• Leads

• Sales

• Store activity

• Brand search

This will not eliminate every external factor, but it gives the campaign a stronger measurement framework than simply looking at impressions.

How to choose between ZIP and radius targeting

Use ZIP targeting when:

• Your existing marketing territories use ZIPs

• You want straightforward reporting

• You need larger local audiences

• You need easy multi-market planning

Use radius targeting when:

• The business draws from a distance around a physical location

• ZIP boundaries do not match the trade area

• You need coverage around a store, venue or dealership

• You are targeting many physical locations

You can also use both approaches where the platform and campaign structure support it.

CTV geofencing and privacy

Hyperlocal targeting should always be planned within platform policies and applicable privacy law.

Advertisers should avoid treating approximate geographic targeting as personally identifying an individual viewer.

Good practice includes:

• Using platform-approved location targeting

• Avoiding unsupported personal-data uploads

• Respecting minimum geographic thresholds

• Using approved audience and identity products

• Reviewing local advertising rules

• Applying additional care in sensitive categories

Privacy restrictions are one reason ad platforms place limits on extremely granular geographic targeting.

Those limits are a feature of responsible campaign design, not simply an inconvenience.

CTV geofencing mistakes to avoid

Mistake 1: Assuming “geofencing” means exact household targeting

It may mean ZIP, radius, POI or another geographic method.

Always ask what targeting method is actually being used.

Mistake 2: Building the geography too narrowly

Small audiences can prevent delivery.

Mistake 3: Forgetting to restrict the campaign to CTV

Geographic targeting alone does not automatically mean television delivery.

Mistake 4: Using one creative for every location

Local relevance is part of the value of geofencing.

Mistake 5: Measuring CTV like paid search

CTR is rarely the main reason to buy Connected TV.

Mistake 6: Ignoring frequency

A small local audience can be overexposed quickly.

Mistake 7: Treating IP targeting as a native DV360 feature

Specific IP-address targeting is not available in DV360.

CTV geofencing campaign checklist

Before launch, confirm:

If those ten questions are answered before launch, the campaign is much easier to manage.

When CTV geofencing is the right strategy

CTV geofencing is a strong fit when:

• Your customers come from defined local markets

• National CTV would create significant waste

• TV-quality creative matters

• Multiple locations need different budgets or messaging

• You want streaming-TV reach around stores or venues

• You can measure performance by geography

It is less useful when the campaign requires extremely narrow one-to-one household precision or when the target geography is too small to produce enough CTV inventory.

The bottom line

Yes, you can geofence a neighborhood and run Connected TV advertising only inside that market.

But successful CTV geofencing is not about drawing the smallest possible circle on a map.

It is about finding the smallest useful audience that can still deliver enough scale to produce a measurable result.

In DV360, that generally means combining regional or proximity geography targeting with Connected TV inventory.

In Amazon DSP, radius targeting provides another way to build local streaming-TV campaigns around real-world locations.

For most advertisers, ZIP and radius targeting offer the most practical balance between:

Precision → Scale → Inventory → Measurement

If you want a broader view of how Connected TV fits into a programmatic media plan, explore our Connected TV advertising solution.

For teams running the campaign through DV360, our DV360 campaign management services guide explains how to evaluate the provider responsible for setup, optimization and reporting.

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