Facebook Lookalike Audience: How to Create & Optimize (2026 Guide)

Facebook Lookalike Audiences find new potential customers who are similar to your existing best customers. It's one of the most powerful targeting features in Meta Ads. Here's how to create and optimize them.

Skip to: Create Lookalike | Source Audiences | Size Percentages | Strategies

What Is a Facebook Lookalike Audience?

A Lookalike Audience is a targeting option in Meta Ads Manager that finds people who share characteristics with your existing customers or audience.

How It Works:

Why Lookalikes Work:

• Data-driven targeting vs. guessing interests
• Scales your best customers to find more like them
• Higher conversion rates than interest-based targeting
• Continuously optimized as Facebook learns

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How to Create a Lookalike Audience

Step-by-Step (Meta Ads Manager):

1. Go to Meta Ads Manager → Audiences
2. Click "Create audience"
3. Select "Lookalike audience"
4. Choose your source:
   • Custom Audience
   • Page
   • Pixel data
   • Event data
5. Select location (country/region)
6. Choose audience size (1%-10% of population)
7. Click "Create audience"

Source Audience Options:

Best Source Audiences for Results:

High value (use these first):

1. Purchasers/customers
2. High-value customers (top 20%)
3. Repeat buyers
4. Email subscribers who purchase

Good starting points: 5. All email subscribers 6. Website visitors (all) 7. Video viewers (75%+ watched) 8. Engaged page followers

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Lookalike Audience Sizes Explained

Percentage Sizes:

Size Strategy:

Start narrow, expand based on results:

1. Test 1% first for conversions
2. Expand to 2-3% if 1% works
3. Use 5%+ for awareness campaigns
4. Stack multiple sizes in different ad sets

Audience Size by Country:

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Custom Audiences (Lookalike Sources)

Creating Custom Audiences First:

Customer List Upload:

1. Prepare file with emails/phones
2. Go to Audiences → Create → Custom Audience
3. Select "Customer list"
4. Upload file and map fields
5. Wait for matching (24-48 hours)
6. Create Lookalike from this audience

Website Custom Audience:

1. Ensure Meta Pixel is installed
2. Create audience from specific actions:
   • All website visitors
   • Specific page visitors
   • Time on site
   • Event triggers (add to cart, purchase)

Engagement Custom Audience:

1. Choose engagement source:
   • Video views
   • Lead form interactions
   • Page engagement
   • Instagram engagement
   • Event responses

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Lookalike Audience Strategies

Strategy 1: Value-Based Lookalike

Target your highest-value customers:

1. Create customer list with purchase values
2. Upload as value-based custom audience
3. Facebook prioritizes finding people like top spenders
4. Results: Higher average order values

Strategy 2: Stacked Lookalikes

Test multiple lookalike sizes:

• Ad Set 1: 1% Lookalike
• Ad Set 2: 1-3% Lookalike
• Ad Set 3: 3-5% Lookalike

Allocate budget based on performance.

Strategy 3: Multi-Source Lookalikes

Create lookalikes from different sources:

• Lookalike from purchasers
• Lookalike from email subscribers
• Lookalike from video viewers

Test which source performs best.

Strategy 4: Exclusion Strategy

Avoid wasting budget on existing customers:

• Exclude current customer list
• Exclude recent website visitors (if retargeting separately)
• Exclude recent converters

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Lookalike Audience Best Practices

Do:

Don't:

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Troubleshooting Lookalike Audiences

Common Issues:

"Audience too small":

• Increase source audience size
• Expand geographic targeting
• Use broader percentage (2-3% vs 1%)

"Audience not populating":

• Wait 24-48 hours for processing
• Check if source audience is large enough
• Verify pixel/event data is flowing

"Poor performance":

• Try different source audience
• Test smaller percentage size
• Check ad creative (not just audience)
• Ensure exclusions are set

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Lookalike Audiences vs. Other Targeting

Comparison:

When to Use Each:

• Lookalike: Primary prospecting method when you have data
• Interest: Testing new markets, no customer data yet
• Retargeting: Converting warm audiences
• Broad: Brand awareness, large budgets

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Advanced Lookalike Techniques

International Expansion:

Create lookalikes in new countries using:

• Same source audience
• New country selection
• Consider cultural differences

Advantage+ Lookalike:

Facebook's newer targeting allows:

• Algorithm expands beyond lookalike automatically
• Can deliver to broader audiences when beneficial
• Enable in ad set settings

Lookalike Refresh:

Update source audiences regularly:

• Monthly for fast-changing data
• Quarterly for stable businesses
• After major sales/promotions

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Frequently Asked Questions

What's the minimum source audience size for lookalikes?

Facebook requires at least 100 people in your source audience, but recommends 1,000-5,000 for better results. Larger source audiences give the algorithm more data to find patterns.

How long does it take to create a lookalike audience?

Lookalike audiences typically take 6-24 hours to fully populate. You can start running ads immediately, but wait until the audience is fully created for best results.

Can I create a lookalike from a lookalike?

Technically yes, but it's not recommended. Each generation dilutes the quality of the original seed data. Always use first-party data (customers, subscribers) as your source.

Should I use 1% or larger lookalikes?

Start with 1% for conversion-focused campaigns. It's the most similar audience to your source. Expand to 2-5% if you need more reach or if 1% is performing well and you want to scale.

How often should I refresh my lookalike audience?

Update your source audience quarterly at minimum. If your business changes quickly (seasonal, trending products), update monthly. The lookalike will automatically reflect source updates.

Do lookalikes work for all businesses?

Lookalikes work best when you have quality customer data. For new businesses without customer data, start with interest-based targeting, collect data, then create lookalikes once you have 100+ customers.

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Next Steps

Ready to create lookalike audiences?

1. Export your customer list (emails/phones)
2. Create custom audience from customers
3. Build 1% lookalike from that source
4. Launch test campaign with that audience
5. Analyze and expand based on results

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Related Resources

Facebook Marketing:

• Facebook Target Audience Guide
• Facebook Ad Funnel Strategy
• Facebook Business Manager Guide
• Create a Facebook Business Page
• Best Time to Post on Facebook

Social Media Advertising:

• Facebook Advertising Cost Guide
• Instagram Promotion Cost Guide
• LinkedIn Ads vs Facebook Ads

Tools:

• Facebook Engagement Calculator
• Facebook Post Generator
• SocialRails - Social Media Scheduling