Overview
Realize ID is the identity and signal infrastructure behind every campaign on Realize. It connects the identifiers a user leaves across the open web — on mail, news, search, and beyond — into one evolving profile, then layers on the behavioral signals that show what they're likely to do next. This is what lets Realize's Performance Engine bid on high-intent users earlier, and lets your own first-party data work harder wherever you connect it.
Realize ID runs automatically on every campaign. There's nothing to turn on — this article explains how it works and how to get more out of it by connecting your own data.
Before you begin
No setup is required to benefit from Realize ID — it's active on every Realize campaign by default.
To get the most from it, have a hashed CRM file, DMP/CDP connection, or clean-room match ready to connect (see Connect your own data, below). This step is optional but recommended.
How Realize ID works
Realize ID brings together three layers into a single, continuously updating profile:
Identity — who is this, across every touchpoint? Realize ID clusters the identifiers a user leaves behind — Hashed Emails (HEM), Mobile Ad ID (MAID), Publisher IDs, 3rd party ID, and RampID — into one profile, built on 140+ attributes. The Realize Identity Graph processes roughly 240–390 million distinct user clusters daily to keep every profile current (Taboola internal data, 2026).
Observed Signals — what has this user shown interest in or done? Realize observes signals directly, from both the publisher and advertiser side, including search keywords and mail domains, context/location/device data, reader engagement, purchase and lead data, and ad engagement. These signals span the full journey rather than a single touchpoint.
Predicted Intent — what are they most likely to do next? Realize combines those signals to predict what category a user is in-market for, how far along their buying journey they are, and how confident that prediction is. Campaigns built on signal-enriched predicted-intent models have seen up to a 2.4x increase in conversion efficiency (Taboola internal data, 2026).
Connect your own data
You can enrich your own first-party data with Realize's live intent signals in three steps:
1. Connect
Choose how to share your data with Realize:
Direct 1P file upload — upload a hashed email or MAID list directly into Realize as a custom audience.
DMP / CDP connection — connect audience segments via LiveRamp, Adobe, or other supported DMPs.
Custom ID Sync — sync your own identifier directly to the Realize graph via cookie sync.
Snowflake — clean-room matching via Snowflake; matching happens without sending raw data to Realize.
If you are interested in a Custom ID sync or integration via Snowflake, reach out to your Account Manager.
2. Match
Your data is matched against the Realize ID. Match rate and audience size are visible directly in Realize.
3. Enrich
Once matched, Realize layers on live signals observed across its network:
Search keyword signals — campaigns using these have seen CPAs up to 40% lower
Mail domain signals — up to 28% lower CPA
Behavioral signals — engagement across organic and paid content.
Demographic signals — individual profile insights.
Conversion data — purchase intent from the Taboola Pixel.
How advertisers can put Realize ID to work
There are two ways to use it:
Automatically — Realize ID feeds every campaign's bidding, so the Performance Engine leans toward users showing the strongest intent, without any manual setup.
Through targeting — the same signals are packaged into a targeting toolkit you can select directly: In-Market For segments (3,000+ live across verticals including finance, home and garden, auto, and healthy living), search keyword and mail domain targeting and bundles, Taboola first-party audiences, and contextual/topics targeting.
Privacy and data use
Realize ID supports advertiser compliance needs, including consent, opt-out, and deletion choices under GDPR and applicable U.S. state privacy laws. Taboola is a registered IAB TCF participant (Vendor ID 42), supports major CMPs and cookie-consent banners, applies data-retention and de-identification practices, and maintains ISO 27001- and ISO 27701-aligned security with regular audits.
FAQs
Do I need to set anything up to benefit from Realize ID?
No. It runs automatically on every campaign. Connecting your own first-party data (see Connect, Match, Enrich above) is optional, and enriches it further.
How is Realize ID different from a standard identity graph or unified ID?
An identity graph alone can only tell you a user came back. Realize ID's difference is what's attached to that identity — observed signals and predicted intent, built from what Taboola sees directly on both the publisher and advertiser side.
What happens when Realize can't fully identify a user?
Complete profiles aren't available for every impression. When identity signals are partial, Realize uses available contextual signals (device, location, page context) to inform targeting, prioritizing the users most likely to convert based on the signals it does have.
Where can I see my match rate or audience size after connecting my data
Match rate and audience size are visible directly in Realize once your data is connected and matched — not reported back separately.
Does Realize ID replace my own first-party data or targeting?
No — it's designed to work alongside it. Connecting your own CRM, DMP/CDP, or clean-room data lets Realize enrich what you already know with live behavioral signals.
✅ If you have questions or concerns, contact your Account Manager, chat with Abby, our AI assistant on realize, email support@taboola.com or contact our support over live chat within Realize.