Half of LinkedIn advertisers still leave Audience Network on.
LinkedIn Audience Network shows your ads outside LinkedIn, in third-party apps and sites, and it is on by default. 48% of 989 advertisers had it on in at least one campaign that spent money, and 8% ran most of their budget through campaigns with it on.
By Phil Ilic · Published 26 Oct 2026 · From Kiin Labs Report No. 5, How Much Do LinkedIn Ads Cost
| Measure | Value | Accounts |
|---|---|---|
| Accounts with Audience Network on in at least one campaign with spend | 48% | 473 of 989 |
| Median share of spend in those campaigns, among accounts using it | 13% | 473 |
| Accounts with more than half their spend in Audience Network campaigns | 8% | 989 |
Campaign-level setting. The spend in an Audience Network campaign includes its LinkedIn feed delivery too.
Kiin Labs (2026). 48% of LinkedIn advertisers had LinkedIn Audience Network switched on in at least one campaign with spend, and 8% ran most of their budget through Audience Network campaigns (989 accounts, 1 Oct 2025 to 30 Sep 2026). https://kiin.co/research/linkedin-audience-network-usage
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A default setting that spends your budget off LinkedIn.
What Audience Network is
A tick box in campaign setup, on by default, that lets LinkedIn serve the ad as a placement in partner apps and websites. Those impressions and clicks are cheap, and they are not on LinkedIn: you cannot verify who saw them, and accidental mobile taps inflate the click count.
Why Kiin research excludes it
Every Kiin Labs benchmark excludes Audience Network campaigns, so a CPM or cost per click from LinkedIn's own reporting that includes it is not comparable with ours.
What to do
Switch it off on every campaign, and audience expansion with it, before you launch. On an account you inherit, use the Breakdown button in Campaign Manager to split delivery by Audience Network on or off, then turn it off. See the LinkedIn Audience Network explained.
Where the number comes from
Kiin Labs panel, 1,000+ advertiser accounts and $65M+ of LinkedIn spend; this cut covers the twelve months to 30 September 2026, accounts with $1,000 or more of spend, using each campaign's Audience Network setting.
Questions about this number.
Should I turn off LinkedIn Audience Network?
Yes, on every B2B campaign. It serves your ads outside LinkedIn, in third-party apps and sites, where you cannot verify the audience. It is on by default.
How many advertisers use LinkedIn Audience Network?
48% of 989 advertisers had it on in at least one campaign that spent money in the twelve months to 30 September 2026. Among them, a median 13% of spend sat in those campaigns.
How do I turn off LinkedIn Audience Network?
In Campaign Manager, open the campaign, go to placement in the budget and schedule step and untick LinkedIn Audience Network. Untick audience expansion in the targeting step too.
Why are my LinkedIn clicks so cheap?
Often because Audience Network is on. Its clicks are cheap and come from outside LinkedIn, so cost per click falls while real visits from your buyers do not rise.
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Your benchmark
Your CPM, CTR, CPC, CPL and cost per demo, next to advertisers buying your audience. From $65M+ of real LinkedIn spend.
Your business case
What LinkedIn should cost for your market, and the pipeline range your budget can realistically buy.
Your first three fixes
The changes that would move your numbers most, ranked by how much spend each one touches.
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