Time targeting in advertising refers to displaying specific ads at predetermined times or on particular days of the week. Advertisers use this strategy to maximize campaign effectiveness or to prevent certain types of ads—such as adult content—from appearing at inappropriate times, like during family hours.
While often seen as a tool for advertisers, time targeting also offers significant benefits for publishers. It allows you to adjust ad delivery to match user behavior, increasing engagement and improving the overall ad performance.
This manual will explain why time targeting matters for publishers and how to set it up using Advanced Ads Pro.
Reasons for time targeting for publishers
Time targeting helps publishers improve ad performance by aligning ad implementation with peak traffic hours and user activity patterns. Ads shown during high-activity periods are more likely to generate impressions and clicks.
It also allows you to balance monetization and user experience. For example, adult-oriented ads can be limited to evening hours, while family-friendly content remains the focus during the day.
Additionally, publishers can offer premium time slots to advertisers at higher rates, strengthening advertiser relationships and making their ad space more attractive.
Setting up time-targeted ads with Advanced Ads Pro
Advanced Ads Pro makes it easy for publishers to implement time targeting. You can break down the process into two main categories: targeting by days and targeting by hours.
Targeting ads by days
Scheduling ads to appear on specific days of the week can be helpful for businesses focusing on particular days, such as weekdays for B2B services or weekends for entertainment.
To set this up, open an existing ad unit or create a new one. In the Publish meta box, check the option “Set specific days.” Then, you can select which days the ad should appear and when Advanced Ads should hold it back.
Targeting ads by hours
Below the option to target days of the week, you’ll find the “Set specific hours” checkbox. Enabling this lets you control ad display based on the time of day. For example, you could schedule adult content from 10 PM to 4 AM or target professional services during peak business hours.
Technical Considerations
Advanced Ads Pro uses the server time (the time set in your WordPress backend under Settings > General) by default. If you want to switch to the user’s local time instead, you can set a constant in your config.php. Just set ADVANCED_ADS_ADS_BY_BROWSER_HOUR to true. Learn more about constants in our codex.