How to set up Customer Match Lists for Google Ads using Octanist
Learn how to use Customer Match Lists in Google Ads and Meta to improve targeting, cut ad spent, and increase conversions with Octanist’s BigQuery integration.
How Customer Match Lists Improve Your Campaigns in Google Ads and Meta
Customer Match Lists in Google Ads, or Customer List Audiences in Meta, are powerful tools that help advertisers refine targeting, optimize budgets, and ultimately drive more conversions.
But what exactly are they, and how can you use them effectively? Let’s dive in.
What Are Customer Match Lists or Customer List Audiences?
Customer Match Lists (Google Ads) or Customer List Audiences (Meta) are lists of first-party customer data collected by your business, for example, email addresses, phone numbers, or names.
When you upload this data into Google Ads or Meta, the platform anonymizes it and attempts to match it with its own anonymized user database. If a match is found, the two data sources are connected, allowing you to include or exclude these users from specific campaigns or audience segments.
This process ensures privacy and compliance while enabling highly targeted advertising.
Customer Match Lists vs. Audiences, What’s the Difference?
While they sound similar, Customer Match Lists and Audiences are built on different types of data:
- Customer Match Lists Contain first-party data collected directly from your clients — for instance, after they make a purchase, become a lead, or complete a conversion on your site.
- Audiences Are based on behavioral or web data — such as pages visited, clicks on buttons, time spent on site, or demographics. This data is often collected through tracking tools like Google Tag Manager or Meta Pixel.
By combining both, you can better understand your customers and their online behavior for smarter targeting.
How Octanist Helps You Build Smarter Customer Match Lists
At Octanist, we make it easy to create and maintain flexible Customer Match Lists based on your preferences.
Through our Google BigQuery integration, all qualified or converted leads (along with additional data such as marketing channel, personal notes, or custom labels) are automatically sent to BigQuery.
When a lead is qualified or becomes a client, this information is synced to BigQuery, where it becomes extremely versatile and ready to connect with both Google Ads and Meta.
Setting Up in Google Ads
Once your data is in BigQuery, head over to Google Ads to create a Customer Match List.
In Google Ads, go to Tools & Settings › Audience Manager, then click the plus (+) icon to add a new Customer Match List.
Select Data Source › BigQuery and continue.
Choose the data type “Emails, phone numbers and/or mailing addresses.” Then select the project, dataset, and table where your Octanist data is stored in BigQuery. Select the field event_type (status) and filter for “win” to include only your won leads.
Here, you can connect BigQuery directly and build dynamic filters such as:
- Status = Won
- Status = Lost
- Value Greater than 1500
- User is Qualified but not yet won or lost
This allows you to exclude existing customers from acquisition campaigns or retarget warm leads who are close to converting, improving efficiency and reducing wasted ad spend.
Next, map your fields. Match the email and phone fields from BigQuery to the corresponding fields in Google Ads. You can optionally map first name, last name, country code, and postal code if available, though email and phone are usually sufficient for accurate matching.
Finally, review your settings and click Save.
Targeting your ideal client
Once your Customer Match Lists are set up, you can use them to build Lookalike Audiences (Meta) or Similar Audiences (Google Ads).
These audiences target users who aren’t on your list but behave like your existing customers, helping you reach new prospects who are more likely to convert.
And since Octanist can send data to BigQuery containing multiple stages of the lead qualification process, you can easily exclude lost leads and target lookalikes based on high-quality (qualified) or converted leads.
Need help setting up Octanist? Create a free account or contact us at support@octanist.com.