Meta Ads Targeting Changes 2026: Prepare for Project Andromeda & Optimize Campaigns

Meta Is Retiring Deprecated Targeting Options — Here’s What You Need to Do

Thu 15 - Jan - 2026 5 0

Meta Is Retiring Deprecated Targeting Options — What Advertisers Need to Know

Starting 15 January 2026, Meta will stop delivering ads that rely on deprecated targeting options across Facebook and Instagram.

This is more than just housekeeping — it’s part of Project Andromeda, Meta’s long-term push to consolidate manual targeting and double down on AI-driven automation.

The message is clear:
???? Advertisers who feed the algorithm with variety, volume, and clean signals will perform best.

Brands already leaning into automation are seeing better performance, faster learning, and stronger ROAS. If your campaigns rely on legacy targeting, now is the time to act.

How to Prepare Your Meta Ads for January 2026

Here’s a practical roadmap for advertisers:

1. Audit Your Audiences

Review all saved audiences and live ad sets.
Remove deprecated targeting options to avoid delivery issues in January.

Pro tip: Audiences untouched for 6–12 months likely need a refresh.

2. Default to Automation

Make Advantage+ and broad targeting your baseline.
Use exclusions or demographic controls only when necessary.

Automation performs best with room to explore, so trust the algorithm to optimise for you.

3. Increase Creative Velocity

Automation thrives on variety. Plan weekly creative drops with:

• Multiple hooks

• Different formats (video, static, carousel, UGC)

• Clear, varied CTAs

Performance will reveal what sticks and scales.

4. Clean Up Your Signals

Strong automation depends on accurate data.

• Ensure conversion tracking is correct

• Prioritise events properly

• Align Pixel and CAPI setups

Clean signals help the algorithm learn faster and more efficiently.

5. Reduce Audience Fragmentation by Combining Ad Sets

Meta now recommends combining ad sets and campaigns to optimise delivery and efficiency.

Why this matters:

• Better budget allocation: Multiple ad sets targeting overlapping audiences can split your budget and reduce performance. Combining them allows Meta’s delivery system to find the best opportunities for your budget.

• Faster learning phase: Each ad set goes through an initial learning phase. Running too many simultaneously slows optimisation. Combined ad sets reach stable results faster.

• Improved reporting: Use breakdowns in Ads Reporting to see performance across demographics, regions, or locations without fragmenting audiences.

Meta offers tools like Opportunity Score (gradually rolling out) and automated rules to detect audience fragmentation and combine ad sets automatically.

Note: Opportunity Score helps identify recommendations but doesn’t guarantee performance — actual results depend on many factors.

6. Benchmark Now, Not Later

Track your key metrics before the changes:

• CPM

• CPC

• CVR

• ROAS

Set alerts for delivery issues or unusual cost swings to act quickly during the transition.

Final Thoughts

Project Andromeda is not about losing control; it’s about working smarter with AI-driven automation.

Advertisers who adapt their campaign structure, creative cadence, and tracking now will thrive in 2026.

???? Need help pivoting your campaigns for automation success? We can guide your strategy for seamless transition and higher performance.