How it works
With Audience Expansion on, LinkedIn shows your ads to members whose attributes resemble the ones you targeted. LinkedIn's own example uses skills: target members with one skill and expansion can reach members who list a similar one. Attributes you exclude stay excluded, because LinkedIn leaves excluded criteria out of the expanded group. The audience size in the Forecasted Results panel does not count expansion members, so the estimate understates who can actually see the ad.
Where it doesn't apply
LinkedIn enables it automatically, but only on ad sets where it's available. It isn't available for dynamic ad formats (follower, spotlight and jobs ads) or for auto-generated audiences such as Auto-Targeting, buyer groups and predictive audiences. It is also a different feature from LinkedIn's lookalike audiences, which LinkedIn discontinued on February 29, 2024.
When to turn it off
LinkedIn positions Audience Expansion as an upper-funnel option for awareness and consideration. Your performance and professional demographic reports combine the target audience and the expansion audience, so impressions can land on seniorities or other attributes you never selected. We usually turn it off for account-based campaigns, Matched Audiences lists, retargeting, and any ad set where a tight ICP is the point. It can stay on for broad awareness ad sets where reach matters more than precision.
Common questions
Is LinkedIn Audience Expansion on by default?
Yes. LinkedIn automatically enables it on ad sets where it's available. To turn it off, clear the Enable Audience Expansion checkbox in the Audience section of the ad set setup page.
Does Audience Expansion ignore my exclusions?
No. Attributes you exclude from your targeting are also left out of the expanded audience.
Why does my LinkedIn demographics report show people I didn't target?
Often because Audience Expansion is on. LinkedIn reports members reached through your targeting and through expansion together, so seniorities and other professional attributes can appear that don't match your selections.
Is Audience Expansion the same as LinkedIn lookalike audiences?
No. Lookalike audiences were a separate feature that LinkedIn discontinued on February 29, 2024. Audience Expansion is a checkbox on the ad set that widens the targeting you already set.
Can I use Audience Expansion with predictive audiences?
No. LinkedIn says it isn't available for auto-generated audiences, including Auto-Targeting, buyer groups and predictive audiences, or for dynamic ad formats.