> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.mediarithmics.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.mediarithmics.io/audience-and-activation/target-contextually/contextual-reference/targeting-lists.md). # Targeting lists The set of URLs both contextual solutions produce, the criteria a semantic list accepts, and the blacklisting patterns. ## What a targeting list is A **targeting list** is a set of URLs to be targeted. Both contextual solutions produce one: [semantic](/audience-and-activation/target-contextually/contextual-reference/semantic-targeting.md) from criteria you name, [panel-based](/audience-and-activation/target-contextually/contextual-reference/panel-based-targeting.md) from the content a seed audience consumes. It is the object you activate on an ad platform, and - for semantic lists only - the object you can use as an audience segment criterion. ## The Targeting lists menu The **Targeting lists** menu holds every list previously created by either solution. Among the information displayed:

Column	What it tells you
Type	Panel-based or Semantic.
# URLs	The number of targeted URLs.
30-days page views	Page views over the last 30 days.
Activated on	The platforms where the list has been activated.
Use for Audience segments	Whether the list can be used as an audience segment criterion. Only applicable to Semantic lists.

## Criteria a semantic list accepts Inclusion and exclusion are not symmetric across criteria types, and that asymmetry drives how blacklists have to be built. | Criterion | Inclusion | Exclusion | | -------------------- | --------- | --------- | | Entities | Yes | Yes | | IAB categories | Yes | Yes | | Raw keywords | Yes | **No** | | URL or group of URLs | Yes | Yes | | Channels | **No** | Yes | ## Blacklist management For brand safety and brand suitability, you will want to keep certain content out of your targeting. Two patterns, depending on how often you need the exclusion.

Need	Pattern
One-time exclusion	Add the entity or category directly to your targeting list as an exclusion criterion. Remember that raw keywords cannot be used as exclusion criteria.
General exclusion, across many campaigns	Create dedicated targeting lists that act as blacklists in your ad servers: the list targets everything to be excluded, and you then apply it as an exclusion criterion at campaign or line-item level in the ad server.

{% hint style="info" %} The second pattern inverts the usual reading of a list: the URLs in it are the ones you do **not** want. The exclusion happens in the ad server, not in mediarithmics - which is what makes one list reusable across every campaign. {% endhint %} ## Making a list usable in audience segments A semantic list carries a **Use for Audience segments** option, set when the list is saved. Without it, the list will not appear in the targeting list search when you build a segment. {% hint style="warning" %} Two delays to expect: * After enabling the option, wait around **15 minutes** for the targeting lists to be refreshed before the list appears in the search input. * The option is **not retroactive**. Events ingested before the list was configured with it are not tagged with the list's ID, and are therefore not targetable through that criterion. Updating a list's definition likewise has no effect on events ingested earlier. {% endhint %} See [Use contextual targeting in segments](/audience-and-activation/target-contextually/use-contextual-targeting-in-segments.md). ## When the list changes The **contextual targeting JavaScript tag** is regularly updated to take into account new targeting lists, configuration changes on existing lists, and new URLs. {% hint style="info" %} Only URLs with a minimum number of page views are targetable. Consult your Account manager to check or update the minimum for your organisation. {% endhint %} ## Related pages


Contextual activation	Sending a list to an ad platform.	Contextual activation
Semantic targeting	The criteria that fill a semantic list.	Semantic targeting

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