This feature is advanced and available only by request. Please see How to Request a Data In Integration for details on enabling it or reach out to your account manager for assistance.
1. Introduction
What Is a Custom Audience for Activation Only?
This method enables you to create audiences solely from personally identifiable information (PII) that you’ve hashed and uploaded, without using Loop’s standard data enhancement features. Once uploaded, these audiences are directly activated in supported DSPs/SSPs.
Key Use Case
If you have first-party data with personal information (emails, phone numbers, etc.) , have already set up a Data-In integration, and want to run campaigns in external platforms, you can send these identifiers to Loop and form a segment for activation without further enrichment.
2.Initial Setup (Bucket Configuration)
Obtain a Bucket
Loop will provide a bucket for file transfers, or you can use your own.
If using your own, notify Loop and create two folders:
meta/(for metadata files)data/(for data files)
Confirm File Compression
Decide if you will upload uncompressed TSV files or require compression (if supported).
Inform Loop of your chosen format if applicable.
Check Account Setup
Confirm that your Loop workspace is configured to support Custom Audience using Data In.
Ensure your seat in the external platform (e.g., TikTok, Facebook) is authorized to accept PII-based uploads.
3. Licensing a Segment (Metadata File)
Before uploading your hashed PII, you must first license a segment by providing a metadata file. This file tells Loop:
Which Segment ID you want to license.
Which ad accounts (DSPs/SSPs) will receive this audience.
3.1 Metadata File Requirements
Location: Place the JSON file in the
meta/folder of your bucket.One Segment per File: Each metadata file licenses a single segment.
Multiple Ad Accounts: Allowed if they belong to the same platform.
Filename Convention:
segment_metadata_{RequestID}_{SegmentID}_{UnixTimestamp}.jsonRequestID: Custom number used for audit/support.
SegmentID: Your internal ID for the segment.
UnixTimestamp: Prevents duplicate filenames.
Example Filename
segment_metadata_10235_1909098_1650481120.json
Example Metadata File (JSON)
{
"segmentId": "1909098",
"segmentName": "Golf",
"segmentDescription": "People born between the early 80s and mid 90s with an affinity for golf",
"requestId": "10253",
"numRecords": 3000000,
"platforms": {
"tiktok": {
"adaccounts": [ { "id": "213123123123" } ]
}
}
}Key Fields
segmentId: Matches the ID in the filename.segmentName: Name for the segment in Loop.platforms: Specifies the external platforms (e.g.,tiktok) and the relevantadaccounts.
3.2 Licensing Response
After processing, Loop generates a .success or .fail file in the meta/ folder. A valid success response might look like:
{ "currentStep": 8, "totalSteps": 8, "relySegmentId": 1243151, "platformsLicensed": { "tiktok": { "seatIds": [ "213123123123" ] } }, "platformsSegments": [ { "platformId": 71, "platformName": "tiktok", "platformSegmentId": "175550673", "relySegmentId": 1243151 } ] }Interpreting This Response
relySegmentId: The ID of the segment in Loop.platformsLicensed: Lists external platforms and ad accounts where the segment is licensed.platformsSegments: Additional info about the segment ID in each platform (e.g.,platformSegmentIdfor TikTok).
4. Uploading PII Data (Data File)
After licensing the segment, you can upload your hashed PII data in the data/ folder. Loop will then activate (send) it to the external platform(s) specified.
4.1 Data File Requirements
Format: TSV (Tab‑Separated Values).
Filename Convention:
segment_pii_{RequestID}_{SegmentID}_{UnixTimestamp}.tsvUse the same Segment ID from the metadata file.
Example Filename
CopyEditsegment_pii_2_1909098_1650481120.tsv
Header Row: Must list column names.
Hashing: All PII must be hashed in SHA256 before upload.
Single Segment: Each file references one segment ID.
Max Lines: 50 million per file.
4.2 File Example (Excerpt)
device_type segments first_name last_name emails phones city state zip country pii_sh2
1909098 24226214... 431ae70b... 0587a43f..., ... 479b145a2537... ... ...
pii_sh2indicates hashed PII.segmentsreferences your chosen segment ID.
4.3 Activation Process
Upload to
/data/FolderAutomated Workflow
Loop processes the file and pushes the data to your chosen platforms.
Processing Time
Could be hours or up to a week, depending on volume and system load.
4.4 Activation Response
Loop creates a .success or .fail file with details like:
{ "version": "v2", "payload": { "translations": { "total": 10, "failed": { "partial": 0, "all": 0 } }, "uniques": { "total": 10, "pii_sh2": 10 }, ... "activated": { "total": 10, "platforms": { "71": { "total": 10, "pii_sh2": 10 } } }, ... } }Important Fields
payload.activated.total: Total devices activated.payload.uniques: Unique records processed.payload.invalid: Number of invalid rows.
Note: Loop does not validate data normalization or hashing. Data quality is your responsibility.
5. Common Errors & Troubleshooting
Issue | Diagnosis / Actions |
Metadata File Fails | - Workspace not configured for Data In. |
PII File Not Processed | - Check |
File Format Error | - Missing header row or invalid separators (must be tab). |
No Volume in External Platform | - The segment must be licensed first. |
Low Segment Volume | - Match rate depends on the quality of your hashed PII. |
6. Supported Activation Only Platforms
At the moment, Loop supports only Meta for activation only.
SSP/DSP | Supported fields | External documentation |
Meta Ads (Facebook) | Personal Identifiable Information (PII):
Device identifiers:
Other supported fields:
|
7. FAQ
Q: What is a Data In integration?
A: It’s a way to provide your data to Loop for programmatic usage. If you haven’t requested one yet, see How to Request a Data In Integration.
Q: What does “activate a segment” mean?
A: Activating a segment means assigning hashed user identifiers to an audience so it’s ready for marketing campaigns. See here for more relevant concepts.
Q: What is PII (Personally Identifiable Information)?
A: Any data that can identify an individual—email addresses, phone numbers, etc. All PII must be hashed prior to upload for privacy protection.
By following these steps—configuring your bucket, licensing a segment with a metadata file, and uploading hashed PII—you can harness this advanced feature to build custom audiences and activate them in external platforms without involving Loop’s data enrichment processes.