Creating Meta custom audiences from Hive

Hive makes it easy to sync your user segments to Meta as Custom Audiences, so you can run highly targeted Facebook and Instagram campaigns powered by your own event and engagement data.

Meta’s default targeting leans heavily on broad interest categories. Hive audiences let you target with much more precision, using data you already have.

You can build audiences based on:

This leads to more relevant ads, higher conversion rates, and less wasted spend.

You’ll need a connected Meta Business Manager and Ad Account before syncing audiences.

Build a segment using filters such as ticket purchases, campaign engagement, clicks, or tags.

From the Segments page:

Segments → Find your segment → Actions → Create Custom Audience in Meta

Or, from the Ads section:

Go to Ads → Audiences to view existing synced audiences or create a new one.

Your Custom Audience will appear when creating Ads in Hive, and it will also be available directly inside Meta Ads Manager.

Hive keeps synced audiences up to date automatically. As users qualify for or leave a segment, the connected Meta Custom Audience updates to match—no manual uploads needed.

💡Learn how to create Hive segments

What is required for Custom Audiences to work?
Your Meta Account must be connected to Hive. Without an active Meta connection, segments cannot be synced and Custom Audiences will not populate in Meta.

​How is a Hive Custom Audience different from Meta interest targeting?
Meta interest targeting is based on inferred behavior. Hive Custom Audiences are built from your first-party data, including ticket purchases, campaign engagement, RSVP activity, and tagged segments. This allows you to target known fans and buyers instead of broad interest categories.

​How long does it take for a synced audience to appear in Meta?
Audiences typically appear in Meta within a few minutes. It can take several hours for the audience to fully populate. Meta recommends at least 100 matched users for effective delivery.

​Does Hive automatically update synced audiences?
Yes. Synced audiences update automatically. When a user enters or exits a segment in Hive, the connected Meta Custom Audience updates to reflect the change. Manual uploads are not required.

​What if I delete a user from a segment?
If you manually remove a user from a segment in Hive, that user will also be removed from the connected Meta Custom Audience during the next sync. Audience membership always reflects the current segment criteria and user list in Hive.

​Can I use Hive audiences for retargeting?
Yes. Hive audiences can be used to retarget ticket buyers, contest entrants, email clickers, RSVP lists, and any defined segment. These audiences are commonly used for event promotions, upsells, and re-engagement campaigns.

​Can I create Lookalike Audiences from a Hive segment?
Yes. After a segment is synced to Meta as a Custom Audience, you can create a Lookalike Audience directly in Meta Ads Manager using that audience as the source.

​Do I need Conversions API set up to use Custom Audiences?
No. Custom Audiences are used for targeting. Conversions API is used for conversion tracking and optimization. CAPI is not required to sync audiences from Hive to Meta.

​Why is my Meta audience size smaller than my Hive segment size?
Meta matches users based on available identifiers such as email. Not all users will match to a Meta profile. A smaller matched audience size is expected.

​What happens if I delete a synced segment in Hive?
If a segment is deleted in Hive, it will stop updating in Meta. The Custom Audience may still exist in Meta unless it is manually deleted there.

​What is the minimum audience size required by Meta?
Meta recommends at least 100 matched users for delivery. Smaller audiences may have limited or no delivery.

​Can I sync multiple segments to the same Meta Ad Account?
Yes. You can sync multiple Hive segments to the same connected Meta Ad Account and use them across different campaigns.

Need help? Contact support@hive.co