You can use item-level targeting to change the scope of individual preference items, so they apply only to selected users or computers. Within a single Group Policy object (GPO), you can include multiple preference items, each customized for selected users or computers and each targeted to apply settings only to the relevant users or computers.

Each targeting item results in a value of either true or false. You can apply multiple targeting items to a preference item and select the logical operation (AND or OR) by which to combine each targeting item with the preceding one. If the combined value of all targeting items for a preference item is false, then the settings in the preference item are not applied to the user or computer. Using targeting collections, you can also create parenthetical expressions.

Configuring a targeting item

To target an existing preference item so it applies only to specific users or computers

  1. Open the Group Policy Management Console. Right-click the Group Policy object (GPO) that should contain the new preference item, and then click Edit.

  2. In the console tree under Computer Configuration or User Configuration, expand the Preferences folder, and then browse to the preference extension.

  3. Double-click the node for the preference extension, and then right-click the preference item and click Properties.

  4. In the Properties dialog box, click the Common tab.

  5. Select Item-level targeting, and then click Targeting.

    1. Click New Item, click a type of targeting item to apply to the preference item, and then configure settings for the targeting item.

      Notes
      • To change the value of the targeting item to its opposite, on the Item Options menu, click Is Not.
      • Text fields accept preference processing variables. Press F3 to display a list of variables from which you can select.
      • To provide a custom name for the targeting item, on the Item Options menu, click Label, and type a Name.
      • To provide a comment for a targeting item, on the Item Options menu, click Label, and type a Comment.
    2. If configuring multiple targeting items, on the Item Options menu, click the logical operation (And or Or) by which to combine the results of the preference item with the preceding preference item.

      Note

      To create a parenthetical expression, click Add Collection. (For more information, see Targeting Collection.)

    3. Repeat for each targeting item to apply.

  6. Click OK, and then click OK in the Properties dialog box.

Types of targeting items

You can configure the following types of targeting items:

Additional considerations

  • To reposition a targeting item within the list of targeting items that you have applied to a preference item, either drag the targeting item to a new position, or select the targeting item and then click the Move Up arrow or Move Down arrow.

  • If you want to restrict the scope of multiple preference items with a complex set of targeting items, you can simplify configuration by using an environment variable. For example, create an Environment Variable preference item that generates a new environment variable with a value of 1, and apply the targeting items to it. To apply the same targeting to other preference items, add an Environment Variable targeting item to those preference items, and configure it to require a value of 1 for the variable that you created using an Environment Variable preference item.

  • Preference items are available only in domain-based GPOs.

Additional references

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