> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.narrative.io/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Addressability Expansion > Improving media activation reach by appending additional identifiers to existing identity graph records Addressability expansion appends additional identifiers to existing records in your identity graph to improve match rates in downstream activation platforms. Unlike [graph enrichment](/concepts/identifiers/graph-enrichment), which changes the graph's structure by adding edges between nodes, addressability expansion adds more "handles" to existing nodes—giving activation platforms more ways to find your customers. ## What addressability expansion is Every activation platform has its own identifier ecosystem. The Trade Desk works with UID2 and MAIDs. Meta matches on hashed emails and phone numbers. CTV platforms use device-level identifiers. If your CRM only contains email addresses, your match rate on a MAID-based platform will be low—not because your targeting is wrong, but because you lack the right identifiers to reach your audience there. Addressability expansion solves this by appending additional identifier types to your existing records. A customer who was previously reachable only via email becomes reachable via email, MAID, hashed phone, and postal address. ## How it works Consider a direct-to-consumer brand with a CRM containing one email per customer. Their current match rates: | Platform | Identifier accepted | Match rate | | -------------- | ------------------- | ---------- | | Meta | Hashed email | 62% | | The Trade Desk | UID2, MAID | 15% | | CTV platforms | MAID, IP address | 8% | After addressability expansion with a provider that appends MAIDs, hashed phones, and additional email addresses: | Platform | Identifiers available | Match rate | | -------------- | --------------------------- | ---------- | | Meta | Hashed email + hashed phone | 78% | | The Trade Desk | UID2 + MAID | 51% | | CTV platforms | MAID + IP address | 34% | The brand's audience segments did not change. The same customers are targeted with the same logic. But those customers are now reachable on more platforms. ## What it does NOT do Addressability expansion has clear boundaries: * **Does not change segmentation.** Your audience definitions stay the same. If a customer was in a segment before expansion, they remain in it. If they were not, expansion does not add them. * **Does not improve targeting quality.** You are reaching the same people with the same intent. The improvement is in reach, not precision. * **Does not resolve identity.** Expansion does not merge separate profiles or discover that two records are the same person. That is [graph enrichment](/concepts/identifiers/graph-enrichment). The value of addressability expansion is straightforward: higher match rates on activation platforms, which means more of your intended audience actually sees your campaigns. ## What to look for in providers When evaluating addressability expansion providers, focus on activation outcomes: | Criterion | What to measure | Why it matters | | ------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Identifier coverage by type** | Volume of MAIDs, hashed emails, hashed phones, etc. | Determines which platforms benefit from expansion | | **Match rate lift by platform** | Before/after match rates per destination | The direct measure of value | | **Freshness and churn rate** | How recently identifiers were observed, how quickly they go stale | Stale identifiers waste spend on unreachable users | | **Identity type breadth** | Person-level vs. household-level identifiers | Different activation strategies require different granularity | | **Cost per incremental match** | Total cost divided by net new matched users | The efficiency metric for comparing providers | ## Addressability expansion in Narrative Narrative's platform supports addressability expansion through Rosetta Stone matching and connector-based activation. ### Appending identifiers via Rosetta Stone Use NQL to join your first-party data against identity providers and append additional identifier types: ```sql theme={null} SELECT seed.internal_user_id, seed."_rosetta_stone"."unique_identifier"."value" AS seed_id, seed."_rosetta_stone"."unique_identifier"."type" AS seed_id_type, provider."_rosetta_stone"."unique_identifier"."value" AS appended_id, provider."_rosetta_stone"."unique_identifier"."type" AS appended_id_type FROM company_data."crm_seed" seed INNER JOIN external_provider."identity_data" provider ON seed."_rosetta_stone"."unique_identifier"."value" = provider."_rosetta_stone"."unique_identifier"."value" AND seed."_rosetta_stone"."unique_identifier"."type" = provider."_rosetta_stone"."unique_identifier"."type" WHERE provider."_rosetta_stone"."unique_identifier"."type" IN ('maid', 'sha256_phone') ``` ### Measuring match rate lift After expanding your identifiers, use [connectors](/reference/connectors/index) to activate audiences on destination platforms. Compare match rates before and after expansion to quantify the lift each provider delivers. *** ## Related content The foundational concepts behind identity graph structure The complementary approach: improving graph structure and resolution Delivering audiences to destination platforms Translating offline data for digital activation