Yandex Direct updates geotargeting to weigh query context, real location and history

September 2, 2026 · worldppc

Starting today, Yandex Direct's geotargeting algorithm reads three real-time signals instead of relying on a single detected region: the intent behind a search query, the user's actual location even if it is hidden or spoofed through a VPN, and a pattern of past purchases tied to a specific region. Yandex's press service told ppc.world that advertisers do not need to configure anything for the change to take effect in existing campaigns. The update also retires the separate extended geotargeting setting, which advertisers previously had to turn on to catch users whose search queries named a region outside their detected location; that logic is now built into the base algorithm and the old setting is no longer available. New campaigns only require a target region set at the ad group level, with bid adjustments applied as needed.

Campaigns that previously missed VPN users, business travelers and out-of-town shoppers now pick them up without extra setup, which should lift relevant impressions and reduce wasted spend on geography-based exclusions. Agencies running extended geotargeting as a workaround should check their account settings, since the control has been removed and its function absorbed into the core targeting logic. The shift signals a broader move by Yandex toward inferring purchase intent from behavioral history alongside device-reported location, a pattern likely to spread across other platforms as location spoofing and VPN use grow.