Ad Detection and Filtering in ANZ Broadcast Content
Ad Detection and Filtering in ANZ Broadcast Content
Last updated: June 2026 | Applies to: All Meltwater plans | Region: Australia and New Zealand
| Availability: Ad Detection is currently available for TV station content only. It applies to content streamed after 7:00 PM AEDT on October 27, 2025 (Sydney time). Radio and content streamed before this date and time are not covered. |
What Is Ad Detection?
Ad Detection is a Meltwater technology for ANZ broadcast content that identifies and filters out commercial advertisements from TV and radio content in real-time. It allows PR and broadcast professionals to focus on relevant editorial content, saving time and improving the accuracy of reporting and campaign tracking.
What you can do with Ad Detection:
- Filter out commercial advertisements from your broadcast search results
- Include only advertisements in a search to monitor competitor or brand ad activity
- Create reusable Custom Categories in Explore to apply ad inclusion or exclusion filters across multiple searches
- Improve the accuracy of coverage reporting by removing paid promotional content from editorial results
| How to access Ad Detection filters are applied through Custom Categories in Explore. Select Explore from the left-hand navigation bar, open or create a search, then use the Custom Categories drop-down in the Filter Bar. |
Key Concepts
Ad Detection
A real-time technology that identifies commercial advertisements in ANZ TV broadcast content. When content is flagged as promotional, it can be included or excluded from search results using a Boolean filter in a Custom Category.
Custom Category
A saved Boolean filter in Explore that you can apply to any search in one click. For Ad Detection, you create a Custom Category using the promotional Boolean operator to either include or exclude ad content from your results. Custom Categories appear in the Filter Bar and can be reused across multiple searches.
Boolean Filter for Ad Detection
The Boolean query used to identify broadcast ad content in Meltwater. To target broadcast advertisements, use:
| infoType:broadcast AND promotional:true |
This query matches content identified as broadcast and flagged as promotional. Use it inside a Custom Category to include or exclude ads from any search.
Excludes from Results Toggle
A setting inside the Custom Category creation flow. When this toggle is on, the Custom Category acts as an exclusion filter — results matching the Boolean query are removed from your search. When the toggle is off, only results matching the query appear. Use the Excludes from Results toggle to create an ad exclusion filter.
Filter Bar
The row of filter controls above the content stream in Explore. Custom Categories appear here after they are created. Select the checkbox next to a Custom Category and click Apply to activate it for the current search session.
infoType:broadcast
A Boolean operator in Meltwater that limits results to broadcast content. Combined with promotional:true, it targets only broadcast content flagged as an advertisement.
promotional:true
A Boolean operator in Meltwater that identifies content flagged as a commercial advertisement by the Ad Detection system. Use it in combination with infoType:broadcast to target ANZ TV ad content specifically.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Ad Detection in Meltwater?
Ad Detection is a real-time technology that identifies and filters commercial advertisements in ANZ TV broadcast content. You can use it to exclude ads from your search results so only editorial content appears, or to include only ads if you want to monitor promotional activity.
Which content does Ad Detection cover?
Ad Detection is currently available for ANZ TV station content only. It applies to content streamed after 7:00 PM AEDT on October 27, 2025 (Sydney time). Radio content and TV content streamed before that date and time are not covered.
What is the Boolean filter for Ad Detection?
The Boolean query to target broadcast advertisements is: infoType:broadcast AND promotional:true. Use this inside a Custom Category in Explore to include or exclude ad content from your search results.
How do I exclude ads from my broadcast search results?
Create a Custom Category in Explore using the Boolean query infoType:broadcast AND promotional:true, and turn on the Excludes from Results toggle before saving. Apply the Custom Category from the Filter Bar to remove ad content from your results. See How to create an ad exclusion filter below for the full steps.
How do I include only ads in my broadcast search results?
Create a Custom Category using the Boolean query infoType:broadcast AND promotional:true, with the Excludes from Results toggle turned off. Apply the Custom Category from the Filter Bar. Only broadcast content flagged as promotional will appear in your results. See How to create an ad inclusion filter below.
Do I need to create a new Custom Category for every search?
No. Once created, a Custom Category is available in the Filter Bar for any search. Create the category once, then apply it by selecting the checkbox and clicking Apply whenever you need it.
Where do I find Custom Categories in Explore?
Custom Categories appear in the Filter Bar above the content stream in Explore. Click the Custom Categories drop-down to see existing categories or create a new one. After applying a category, it filters your current search results without changing your saved query.
What happens if I apply both an inclusion and an exclusion Custom Category to the same search?
Applying both at the same time will produce conflicting filters. Use one or the other depending on your goal: the exclusion filter to remove ads from editorial results, or the inclusion filter to view only ad content.
Does Ad Detection affect my saved search query?
No. Custom Category filters are applied on top of your saved search for the current session. They do not change your underlying saved query. Remove the filter to return to your original results.
Is Ad Detection available for radio content in ANZ?
Not currently. Ad Detection is available for TV station content only, for content streamed after 7:00 PM AEDT on October 27, 2025. Radio support is not available at this time.
How-To Guides
How to Create an Ad Exclusion Filter
| Use this when: You want to remove commercial advertisements from your broadcast search results so only editorial content appears. You will need an existing search in Explore, or create one first. |
- Click Explore in the left-hand navigation bar
- Open an existing search or create a search. Learn how to Create a Search.
- Click the Custom Categories drop-down in the Filter Bar
- Select Create Custom Category
- Name your category (e.g., “TV Ads”).
| infoType:broadcast AND promotional:true |
- Turn on the Excludes from results toggle
- Click Save
- In the Filter Bar, select the checkbox next to your new Custom Category and click Apply.
| Result: Commercial advertisements are removed from your broadcast search results. Only editorial content matching your search appears in the content stream. The filter is active for this session and does not change your saved query. |
How to Create an Ad Inclusion Filter
| Use this when: You want to view only commercial advertisements in your broadcast results — for example, to monitor competitor ad activity or track brand campaign placements. You will need an existing search in Explore, or create one first. |
- Click Explore in the left-hand navigation bar.
- Open an existing search or create a new one.
- Click the Custom Categories drop-down in the Filter Bar.
- Select Create Custom Category.
- Name your category (for example, TV Ads Only).
- In the Boolean query field, enter:
| infoType:broadcast AND promotional:true |
- Leave the Excludes from Results toggle turned off.
- Click Save.
- In the Filter Bar, select the checkbox next to your new Custom Category and click Apply.
| Result: Only broadcast content identified as commercial advertisements appears in the content stream. Use this view to monitor ad placements, competitor campaigns, or brand promotional activity. |
Related Articles
- Getting Started with Explore — create and save searches before applying filters
- How to Apply a Custom Category Filter — apply saved Custom Categories to any search
- Boolean Foundations Course — learn to write and combine Boolean operators
- How to Filter by Source Type — apply the Broadcast source filter and other source types
- Source Types in Explore — full list of available data sources including ANZ broadcast