Should I turn off LinkedIn Audience Network for B2B campaigns?

TofuAnswer by the Tofu team · checked

Turn it off by default if you judge LinkedIn on leads, pipeline or reach into named accounts, then test it on purpose. LinkedIn switches Audience Network (LAN) on for new single image, carousel, document and video ad sets. LAN impressions and clicks aren't MRC-accredited, and LAN conversions report only at the ad set level. Keep it on, ideally with a block list or allow list, for awareness campaigns where extra reach matters most: LinkedIn says LAN adds up to 25% more reach. Decide with the On/Off Network breakdown in Campaign Manager, not by habit.

As of October 2026.

LAN on vs block list vs allow list vs LAN off: how do they compare?

LinkedIn Audience Network shows your Sponsored Content on third-party sites and apps, to LinkedIn members who match your targeting. It uses the same targeting, bid type and budget as the ad set. When LinkedIn can't confirm a match, for example when a member isn't logged in, it uses a model to estimate whether that person fits your targeting.

LAN on (default)LAN on with a block listLAN on with an allow listLAN off
Where ads showLinkedIn plus LinkedIn's third-party sites and appsSame, minus the publishers you blockLinkedIn plus only the publishers you listLinkedIn only
ReachMost. LinkedIn says "up to 25% more reach"Less than the default, by however much you blockDepends on the list; can be much smallerLeast
Control over placementIAB category exclusions, if you add themUp to 100,000 website domains, app store URLs or CTV bundles per listAds run only on listed publishersNo third-party placements
SetupNone. On for new ad setsUpload a CSV or TXT file (3 MB or smaller); processing can take up to 48 hoursSame as a block listClear one checkbox per ad set
ReportingLAN impressions and clicks not MRC-accredited; LAN conversions at ad set level onlySame as defaultSame as defaultLinkedIn-only numbers
Custom schedule (dayparting)Not allowedNot allowedNot allowedAllowed (also needs a lifetime budget and set dates)
Main limitLeast say over where ads appearOnly blocks publishers you know aboutA narrow list can choke deliveryYou give up LAN's extra reach

Two limits apply whatever you pick. LAN isn't available for the Lead generation objective, so those ad sets run on LinkedIn only. And LinkedIn says that "under certain cases, placement outside your intended targeting can occur," even with lists in place.

When should I leave LinkedIn Audience Network on?

  • You run awareness or video campaigns, where reach counts more than which page the impression lands on. For the Brand awareness objective, LinkedIn recommends turning on Audience Network or audience expansion.
  • You've compared On/Off Network results against your own conversions or CRM data, and LAN holds up. LinkedIn says LAN "can help result in lower cost per key result," but test that on your account.
  • You run CTV Ads. When you turn on the CTV Ads toggle, LinkedIn selects Audience Network automatically and you can't change it.

When is a block list the right pick?

Use a block list when you want LAN's reach but already know sites or apps you don't want. Download LinkedIn's publisher list or run a publisher delivery report, then block what doesn't fit. Add IAB category exclusions (LinkedIn's categories come from its partner Pixalate and can change during a run) for whole groups of sites. If you work with DoubleVerify, you can import its brand suitability profiles, but LinkedIn says that is "currently available by request."

When is an allow list the right pick?

Use an allow list when brand safety rules say ads may only run on approved publishers and you accept less reach. Keep the list wide enough to deliver. An account-level allow list applies to every active ad set. LinkedIn's own example: an account-level allow list with only CTV publishers would stop Audience Network delivery.

When should I turn LinkedIn Audience Network off?

  • You judge LinkedIn on leads, pipeline or account reach and haven't tested LAN yet.
  • You report on audience penetration for named accounts. LinkedIn says the penetration metric on LAN campaigns can go above 100% when you use audience expansion or the "Recent or permanent location" option.
  • You need a custom schedule. LinkedIn requires LAN to be off for dayparting.
  • You need MRC-accredited impression and click counts.

Some ABM practitioners go further. ZenABM, an ABM analytics vendor, recommends switching LAN off for ABM campaigns, citing bot traffic and low-quality placements. It also notes that LinkedIn publishes no official LAN quality metrics. That is one vendor's view, not LinkedIn's.

How do I turn LinkedIn Audience Network off?

LinkedIn's help page describes this one ad set at a time:

  1. New ad set: in Campaign Manager, under Placements, clear the LinkedIn Audience Network checkbox.
  2. Existing ad set: click Advertise, open the campaign in the Campaigns tab, go to the Ad sets tab and click Edit. Under Placements, click Change, clear the LinkedIn Audience Network checkbox, then scroll down and click Next.

If a tool builds your campaigns through LinkedIn's API, check its settings. In the API, offsite delivery (offsiteDeliveryEnabled) is false by default, so LAN stays off unless the tool turns it on.

How do I use a publisher block list on LinkedIn Audience Network?

To apply a list to every active ad set in the account:

  1. In Campaign Manager, click Account settings, then Brand safety in the left menu.
  2. In the LinkedIn suitability controls tab, click Edit in the Block and allow lists section.
  3. Click Upload list, name it and select LinkedIn Audience Network in the Placements dropdown. LinkedIn says to pick this for a CTV Ads list too.
  4. Choose Block list or Allow list, click Select file and pick your CSV or TXT file.
  5. Turn on Enable on all active ad sets, then click Agree & Upload.

To apply a list to one ad set, use Select block or allow lists (or Upload block or allow list) while you create or edit the ad set.

Rules to know:

  • Only account managers and billing admins can change account-level lists. Campaign managers can add lists only at the ad set level.
  • An ad set can have a block list or an allow list, not both.
  • Lists work at the root domain level. If a publisher has a website and an app, list both.
  • To see LAN's publishers first, click Download publisher list in the same section and pick Web and mobile app list (LAN) or Connected TV list (CTV).

What changes for LAN and CTV publisher lists on December 15, 2026?

LinkedIn's Marketing API change log lists this as a breaking change in its October 2026 notes. Starting with API version 202611, the November 2026 release, publisher lists need a surface field that sets their placement type: LAN or CTV. On 202611 or later, creating a list without a valid surface fails. Existing partner API accounts have until December 15, 2026 to migrate. After that date, campaigns and account-level list settings in the API can only use lists whose placement type matches the campaign, and requests that break this rule fail on every API version. Lists already attached to campaigns keep working.

This is a change to LinkedIn's API, so it affects tools that manage your lists through the API. The note doesn't mention Campaign Manager. If a tool manages your block or allow lists, ask whether it has updated. In Campaign Manager, LinkedIn's two help pages on lists don't agree. The newer one, "Apply block lists and allow lists," says you "must upload a separate block list or allow list" for CTV Ads and for LAN ad sets, but still has you pick LinkedIn Audience Network in the Placements dropdown for both. The older one, "Get started with block lists and allow lists," lists "LinkedIn Audience Network (includes CTV Ads)" as one placement type and says an account-level list applies to both LAN and CTV ad sets. The safe move: keep one list for LAN and one for CTV, and if you run both, apply each list to the ad sets it's for rather than to the whole account.

How do I check whether LAN is worth it for my account?

  1. In Campaign Manager, go to Advertise and open the Campaigns, Ad sets or Ads tab.
  2. In the Breakdown dropdown, select On/Off Network. Audience Network and On LinkedIn rows appear under each line.
  3. To export, click Export and choose Audience network ad performance.
  4. In Account settings > Brand safety, open the Publisher delivery reports tab and generate a report (ad set or ad account level) to see which publishers served your ads.

Judge LAN on what happens after the click (leads, opportunities, target accounts reached) more than on CTR or CPM. LAN conversions show at the ad set level only. If your ad has no call-to-action button, LinkedIn adds one for LAN placements, which also changes your landing page click counts.

Sources (15)

Ask Tofu next

Pick a question and Tofu Ads Agent answers it in chat.

Related answers

More on