FAQ

What is Amazon Ads?

Amazon Ads offers a range of options to help you achieve your advertising goals to registered sellers, vendors, book vendors, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) authors, app developers and/or agencies (refer to each product’s page for eligibility criteria).

How does Amazon Ads work?

To get started with self-service advertising products, including Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, Sponsored Display and Stores, visit the Register page and choose one of the options to enrol.

Display ads, video ads and ads run through the Amazon DSP can be managed independently or with an Amazon Ads account executive. Contact us to get started.

What is the difference between a seller and a vendor on Amazon?

Sellers sell products directly to Amazon customers. If you manage your products in Seller Central, you are a seller.

Vendors sell their items directly to Amazon, who then sells them to customers. If you manage your products in Vendor Central, you’re a vendor.

What is CPC (cost-per-click) or PPC (pay-per-click) advertising, and how do I use it?

CPC or PPC advertising is a type of paid advertising where ads display at no charge – ad impressions, or views, are free – and the advertiser is charged only when a customer clicks the ad. Sponsored ads – such as Sponsored Products and Sponsored Brands – run on the CPC model.

What is CPM (cost-per-thousand-impressions [technically, “cost per mille”]) advertising, and how do I use it?

CPM advertising is a type of paid advertising where you are charged a certain price for every 1,000 impressions of your ads.

What is display advertising?

Display ads are banners or images that appear on websites. Display advertising is available through Sponsored Display or Amazon DSP.

How much does Amazon Ads cost?
  • Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands and Sponsored Display are cost-per-click ads, meaning that you only pay when customers click your ad, and you control your campaign budget.
  • The cost of display ad and video ad campaigns can vary depending on format and placement.
  • Audio ads are sold on a CPM basis.
  • Advertising through a managed-service option with an Amazon Ads account executive (display ads, video ads and ads that are run through the Amazon DSP) typically require a minimum spend of USD $50,000. Contact an Amazon Ads account executive for more information.
  • You can create a Store for free.
What are keywords?

A keyword is a single word or combination of words that you add to your Sponsored Products and Sponsored Brands campaigns. Keywords are matched to shopping queries that customers use to look for products on Amazon and determine when your ads may appear. Note that keywords are only used for Sponsored Products or Sponsored Brands. Sponsored Display ads reach products, product categories or customers' interests.

How can I do keyword research for my Amazon Ads campaigns?

To start, we recommend using the suggested keywords when creating your campaigns. Sponsored Products campaigns may use automatic targeting, which selects relevant keywords automatically.

Once your automatic campaign is running, you can check your advertising reports to see which keywords are resulting in ad clicks and sales. You can use the top-performing keywords to create a Sponsored Brands campaign or a Sponsored Products campaign with manual targeting, where you select keywords to target and set individual bids for them.

How do I make my keywords relevant to my product?

Make sure that your keywords reference metadata contained on your advertised product’s detail pages. For example, an ad will not receive impressions for the keyword “beach towels” if the campaign only contains bath towel products.

Can I get one-on-one support from Amazon Ads?

We offer free personalised support from an Amazon Ads specialist on Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, Sponsored Display and Managed Display campaigns to help you reach your goals.

Our dedicated ad specialists will help set up, review and optimise your sponsored ad campaigns, as well as assist with organic brand-building tools such as Stores and Posts. They will share tailored campaign recommendations on keywords, bids, budgets and more to help you maximise your chances of success on Amazon Ads.

To check your eligibility for this programme and get started, fill out this form and one of our ad specialists will reach out to you.

What are Stores on Amazon?

Stores are a multi-page, immersive shopping experience on Amazon that allow you to showcase your brand and products. Creating a Store is free and does not require any web development skills. Easily create custom layouts with rich multimedia content by using drag-and-drop tiles or pre-designed templates.

Where do Stores appear?

Stores appear on the Amazon website on mobile, app and desktop.

Who can create a Store?

Stores are available for sellers who are registered in Amazon Brand Registry, vendors, and agencies representing vendors. You do not need to advertise on Amazon to create a Store, but you must be selling products on Amazon. Amazon DSP customers can also create a Store but must have an advertising console account in addition to their Amazon DSP account.

How do I enrol my brand?

You must have a registered and active trademark submitted and approved by Amazon. Learn more about enrolling your brand in Amazon Brand Registry. Only sellers must enrol in Amazon Brand Registry – vendors do not need to enrol.

Why should I create a Store?

Building a Store helps drive shopping engagement, with a curated destination for customers to not only shop your products but also learn more about your brand.

Key features include:

  • Unique design: Choose from a selection of design templates with varying store layouts and customisable features to best showcase your brand.
  • Custom curation: Feature a dynamic or handpicked assortment of products along with optional multimedia content to enhance the customer shopping experience.
  • Integrated promotion: Use built-in social features such as social sharing buttons, coupled with promotional extensions such as Sponsored Brands, to drive Store awareness and traffic.
How much do Stores cost?

Creating a Store is free.

How can I measure the performance of my Store?

The Stores insights dashboard provides you with daily and aggregate views of your Store’s performance. Metrics by traffic source and by page are available, including:

  • Daily visitors: Total unique users or devices that viewed one or more pages on your Store in a single day.
  • Views: Number of page views during this time period. Includes repeat views.
  • Sales: Estimated total sales generated by Store visitors within 14 days of their last visit. Units and sales data are only available as of 25 December 2017.
  • Units sold: Estimated total units purchased by store visitors within 14 days of their last visit.
  • Views/Visitor: Average number of unique pages viewed by a daily visitor to your Store.

You can access analytics from the store builder, or from the Stores main page.

How long does it take to create a Store?

The time it takes to create a Store depends on what you would like to create. We have provided you with templates and tiles to make it easy to created pages quickly without design expertise. Before your Store can be published, we review it using a moderation process to make sure that it is up to the high standards we set for the customer shopping experience across Amazon. Bear in mind that moderation will take up to 72 hours, and your Store may be rejected if it does not meet our content acceptance policy. So plan ahead and publish your Store with plenty of time before major sales, deals or festive events.

Will Stores be displayed on all devices?

Yes. Stores templates and widgets are all designed as responsive. They work on any screen size or device type. To see how your Store will look on mobile or desktop before publishing it, a Preview link is available to you from the Store Builder.

What are display ads?

Display ads, powered by Amazon DSP, are a flexible ad format that you can use to reach your desired audiences anywhere they spend their time using either Amazon-generated creative or your own.

Where do display ads appear?

Display ads appear on Amazon websites, apps and devices, as well as on sites and apps not owned by Amazon.

Where are customers taken when they click my ads?

Customers may be taken to a product detail page, a Store, a custom landing page or an external website.

Who can use display ads?

Businesses can buy display ads whether or not they sell products on Amazon.

Why should I use display ads?

Display ads help you reach, inspire and reengage customers, with the right message, anywhere they spend their time.

How much do display ads cost?

Pricing for display ads varies depending on format and placement. Self-service Amazon DSP users can buy and manage their own display campaigns, while those seeking a managed-service option can work with our account executives. The managed-service option typically requires a minimum spend of USD $50,000. Contact an Amazon Ads account executive for more information.

What are video ads?

Video ads combine sight, sound and motion to share your brand story and engage your audience anywhere they spend their time.

What are Streaming TV ads?

Streaming TV ads are video ads that appear before, during or after streaming content. These ads cannot always be skipped and therefore are typically viewed until completion of the ad.

Where do Streaming TV ads appear?

Amazon Streaming TV ads appear alongside content on connected TVs, publisher channels and networks, IMDb and IMDb TV.

What are out-stream video ads?

Out-stream video ads are video ads that appear outside of video content, such as on a website or app. They often appear on a web page in the space reserved for a display ad.

Where do out-stream video ads appear?

Out-stream video ads appear both on Amazon subsidiaries such as IMDb and across the web as standalone videos on desktop, mobile or tablet. Formats include in-feed video, in-article/in-read video, video in-banner and interstitial video.

Where are customers taken when they click my ads?

For video ads that can be clicked, then the customer can be taken to a product page on Amazon, your own website, or another destination across the Internet.

Who can use video ads?

Businesses can buy video ads whether or not they sell products on Amazon.

Why should I use video ads?

Video ads empower you to tell stories and make emotional connections with customers throughout their decision journeys. They can help you reach relevant audiences at scale by showcasing your brand and products in trusted environments and alongside high-quality content.

How much do video ads cost?

Pricing for video ads varies depending on format and placement. Self-service Amazon DSP users can buy and manage their own video campaigns, while those seeking a managed-service option can work with our account executives. The managed-service option typically requires a minimum spend of USD $50,000. Contact an Amazon Ads account executive for more information.

What are audio ads?

Amazon audio ads are ads between 10 and 30 seconds long that play periodically in breaks between songs on Amazon Music’s free ad-supported tier.

Where do audio ads play?

Audio ads are played on the free tier of Amazon Music across Alexa-enabled devices, including Echo and Fire TV, as well as on mobile and desktop.

Who can use audio ads?

Businesses can buy audio ads whether or not they sell products on Amazon.

Why should I use audio ads?

Amazon audio ads help you connect with audiences wherever they are listening to the free tier of Amazon Music, even if they aren't watching their screens.

How much do audio ads cost?

Audio ads are sold on a CPM (cost-per-thousand impressions) basis. They typically require a minimum spend of USD $25,000. Contact an Amazon Ads account executive for more information.

Is there a visual component in audio ads?

Advertisers can provide a companion banner for their audio ads, which appears on Echo Show devices, Fire TV and in the Amazon Music app and web player on mobile and desktop. Companion banners are clickable in the Amazon Music app and webplayer.

What is Amazon DSP (demand-side platform)?

Amazon DSP is a demand-side platform that allows advertisers and agencies to programmatically reach audiences across the web.

What is a DSP (demand-side platform)?

A demand-side platform is software that provides automated, centralised media buying from multiple sources.

What is programmatic advertising?

Programmatic advertising is the automated buying and selling of digital advertising inventory. Advertising inventory is the space for ads on a given website.

What ads can I buy through Amazon DSP?

You can purchase display ads, video ads and audio ads using Amazon DSP.

Where will ads that I buy through Amazon DSP appear?

Amazon DSP programmatically delivers ads across Amazon.com and Amazon subsidiaries, such as IMDb. Additionally, advertisers have access to direct inventory from leading publisher sites through Amazon Publisher Services as well as large third-party exchanges. This inventory includes high-quality sites on desktop and mobile web display, mobile app, and video pre-roll.

Where are customers taken when they click my ads?

Display ads take customers to a product detail page, a Store, a custom landing page or an external website. For video ads that can be clicked, the customer can be taken to a product detail page on Amazon, your own website or another destination across the internet.

Who can use Amazon DSP?

Amazon DSP is available to both advertisers who sell products on Amazon and those who do not. Amazon DSP is best suited to advertisers who want to programmatically buy display and video ads at scale.

Why should I use the Amazon DSP?

Advertisers can enhance their reach by leveraging their existing audience using pixels, data management platforms (DMP) or advertiser-hashed audiences. In doing so, advertisers can deliver and optimise relevant ads to the same audiences across devices and ad formats to help drive greater relevance and improve campaign performance.

How much does it cost to use Amazon DSP?

Pricing for ads through Amazon DSP varies depending on format and placement. Self-service customers are in full control of their campaigns, and there are no management fees. The managed-service option typically requires a minimum spend of USD $50,000. Contact an Amazon Ads account executive for more information.

How do I use Amazon DSP?

Self-service and managed-service options are available with Amazon DSP. Self-service customers are in full control of their campaigns, and there are no management fees. The managed-service option is a great solution for companies that want access to Amazon DSP inventory with white glove service or those with limited programmatic experience. To register for Amazon DSP, contact an Amazon Ads account executive.

What is Amazon Live?

Amazon Live is a fun and unique shopping experience on Amazon. Brands can create interactive, shoppable livestreams, either for free using the Amazon Live Creator app, or producing them in partnership with Amazon Live.

Where do livestreams appear?

Livestreams appear in several locations on Amazon.com/Live, in the Amazon mobile app under Amazon Live and in the Amazon Live Shopping app on Fire TV. Brand-created livestreams can appear on detail pages and other relevant placements where Amazon shoppers browse. Amazon-produced livestreams appear in placements such as the Amazon.com home page, event pages and category pages.

Who can use Amazon Live?

The Amazon Live Creator app is available in the US to vendors who have a Store and professional sellers enrolled in Amazon Brand Registry.

Why should I use Amazon Live?

Amazon Live allows you to engage with shoppers in real time in order to inspire, educate and entertain. Livestreams can help you drive consideration and sales by providing live product demonstrations, connecting with customers through live chat and displaying special offers.

How much does Amazon Live cost?

Brands can livestream for free using the Amazon Live Creator app. Amazon-produced livestreams require a minimum spend. Contact an Amazon Ads account executive for more information.

What are custom advertising solutions?

Brands can collaborate with the Amazon Custom Advertising team to create custom advertising solutions. Together, they develop innovative campaigns that combine our advertising solutions with formats outside of existing ad products.

Where do custom advertising solutions appear?

Custom advertising solutions can appear in placements such as home page takeovers, Fire TV placements, customised destination pages, and even non-digital formats such as on-box advertising and in-store displays.

Who can use custom advertising solutions?

Businesses can buy custom advertising solutions whether or not they sell products on Amazon.

Why should I use custom advertising solutions?

Custom advertising solutions can help brands achieve their goals through innovative, customised experiences across Amazon’s online and physical stores. The Custom Advertising team is a global team of strategists, creatives, design technologists, engineers and more.

How much do custom advertising solutions cost?

Custom programmes require working with an ad consultant and are subject to a required minimum spend. Contact an Amazon Ads account executive for more information.

What are Posts?

Currently in beta, Posts is a shoppable feed on Amazon that allows you to reach relevant shoppers as they browse your categories on Amazon. Shoppers can click through Posts to explore your brand’s feed, and discover product pages directly from your feed.

Where do Posts appear?

Posts appear on the Amazon mobile shopping app (iOS and Android) and on mobile web in your brand’s feed, on detail pages, in feeds for related products, and in category-based feeds.

Who can use Posts?

Posts is available for sellers enrolled in Amazon Brand Registry, vendors and agencies representing vendors. Amazon DSP customers can also create Posts but must have an advertising console account in addition to their Amazon DSP account.

Why should I use Posts?

With Posts, you can deliver your brand story to in-market audiences, helping drive brand and product discovery and consideration with curated lifestyle imagery.

How much do Posts cost?

There is no cost to use Posts.

What is Amazon Ad Server?

Amazon Ad Server is a global, multichannel ad server used to create, distribute, customise, measure and optimise campaigns.

Who can use Amazon Ad Server?

Amazon Ad Server is available globally to advertisers and agencies running digital campaigns.

Why should I use Amazon Ad Server?

Amazon Ad Server offers multiple options for creative authoring, streamlined campaign management tools, advanced dynamic creative optimisation capabilities and Media Rating Council-accredited measurement. Amazon Ad Server’s integration with Amazon Attribution allows advertisers in the US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain access to aggregated reporting and audience insights that show sales and conversion metrics, anywhere customers spend their time.

What are impressions?

Impressions are the total number of times your ad was displayed.

What are clicks?

Clicks are the number of times your ad was clicked.

What is click-through rate (CTR)?

Click-through rate is the total clicks divided by the total impressions.

What is attribution?

Attribution is the assigning of credit to an ad that a customer was exposed to before taking a desired action, such as a purchase. We use a last-touch attribution model that accounts for various factors, including how the customer interacted with the ad.

What are detail page views?

Detail page views are the number of times customers viewed one of your product detail pages after viewing or clicking your ad.

What is spend?

Spend is the total dollar value of accrued clicks (CPC) or impressions (CPM).

What is advertising cost of sales (ACOS)?

Advertising cost of sales is your total spend divided by your total sales as a percentage. For example, if you spend $5 on ads and generate $25 in sales, your ACOS is 20% – a straightforward measure of your advertising’s profitability. Once you have launched your campaign, you can view all reports on the reporting page.

What is return on ad spend (ROAS)?

Return on ad spend is your total sales divided by your total spend as a percentage.

What kind of reports are available to help measure my return on investment?

Account and campaign reports are available for all ad products. For some ad types, product- and keyword-level reports are available as well.

I don’t have an account.

You can create an account by visiting the Register page.

I’m a vendor and my application to advertise was rejected. What happened? What’s next?

Thank you for submitting your application to register for Amazon Ads. If your application was rejected, you will receive an email outlining the reason for rejection and next steps.

I’m a vendor and you have requested additional information about my application to advertise. How do I provide you with the information requested?

Thank you for submitting your application to register for Amazon Ads. If we require additional information to process your application, you will receive an email from Amazon Ads. Please respond to the email with the requested information.

My business has an Amazon Ads account but I don’t have the account details to sign in.

To access your account, please reach out to an Amazon Ads account executive.

I’m interested in display ads, video ads or custom ads How do I start?
I’ve forgotten the password for my advertising console, Amazon DSP console or KDP account.

To retrieve your password, click “Forgot your password?” on the sign-in page.

How do I rename my account after registration?

You can change the name by going to Manage your accounts in the advertising console and clicking “Edit name”.

What are the eligibility requirements for KDP authors to use sponsored ads?

Your books must meet the following criteria to advertise:

  1. Eligible on your KDP bookshelf
  2. Available on Amazon in the marketplace you’re advertising in
  3. Meets the Book Advertising Guidelines and Acceptance Policies and Amazon Ads Guidelines and Acceptance Policies
What are the eligibility requirements for book vendors to use sponsored ads?

Your books must meet the following criteria to advertise:

What is the sponsored ads creative approval process for KDP authors and book vendors?

Advertisements must be appropriate for a general audience, be available in the English language, and meet the Book Advertising Guidelines and Acceptance Policies for advertising. When you generate creative for your advertisements using the advertising console or KDP dashboard, your book’s cover, title and content are part of the advertisement. These and any custom ad images that you upload will be reviewed for compliance with the policies.

What are some common reasons for book sponsored ad campaigns being rejected?

Campaigns may be rejected due to poor-quality images or covers, unreadable text, typos in text, content not appropriate for a general audience, and content that is not localised for use in the United States.

What is a partner?

A partner is an advertising agency or tool provider who works with Amazon advertisers to manage and optimise campaigns. These campaigns help advertisers achieve business objectives and connect with Amazon audiences in meaningful ways.

I am already working with a partner. How do I provide feedback on them?

We look forward to hearing about your experience. Please submit feedback here.

What is the Amazon Ads Partner Network?

The Partner Network is a self-service hub for agencies and tool providers to interact with and manage their business relationships with Amazon Ads. They can register with the Partner Network to access marketing and learning resources and showcase their capabilities to advertisers on the Amazon Ads partner directory.

Who should register on the Amazon Ads Partner Network?

Please ensure you are the representative of your organisation authorised to accept the Partner Network Terms & Conditions on behalf of your business, create and operate the Partner Network account. As the assigned partner admin, you will be able to add additional users with other access levels in the account setup process.

As a representative of my business, which Amazon account should I use to register my business on the Amazon Ads Partner Network?

We recommend using the Amazon account that is associated with your business email address to register your business on the Partner Network. Sign in with the existing Amazon account credentials you use to support advertisers. If you do not have an Amazon account, we recommend you create a new one. If you have an existing manager account, we recommend using it to register on Partner Network to activate the users, and advertisers that are already linked to the manager account. If you have multiple manager accounts, we recommend selecting the manager account which best represents your business that will be evaluated for advanced partner status.

How do I register my business on the Partner Network?

You can register on the Partner Network by providing information required to identify your business. You can also create multiple Partner Network accounts for your organisation based on regions, and distinct legal entities if you want them to be represented individually. Each Partner Network account will require a distinct business registration number and will be evaluated independently for assessment to designate advanced partner status. If multiple administrators submit a registration request for the same business, only the first registration will be considered.

Where is my business registration number?

Your local, state or federal government issues business registration numbers. You can find it on the legal document of your incorporated business.

My business registration for the Partner Network was approved. What should I do now?

We recommend you to complete the account set up by adding users, linking your Login with Amazon applications and advertisers, and submitting your partner directory profile listing that will be reflected in the Amazon Ads partner directory. For further guidance, refer to the welcome email that was sent to the email address used to register for the Partner Network.

My business wants to publish a listing on the Amazon Ads partner directory. How do I set up my company’s partner directory listing so advertisers can find my business and get in contact with me?

A partner admin can click on “Publish Directory Profile” to submit the Partner Network profile details that will be listed on the Amazon Ads partner directory. You can showcase your capabilities on the partner directory, which can be accessed by advertisers looking for partners who offer expertise across a diverse range of Amazon Ads specialities. When publishing your partner directory listing, please provide accurate, up-to-date information to describe your business.

What is the value of the Amazon Ads partner directory?

The Amazon Ads partner directory includes a list of partners (agencies and tool integrators) that have tools and offering that can help advertisers to achieve business objectives and connect with Amazon audiences in meaningful ways. If you are looking for Amazon Ads support through partners, here is a place to start. We encourage you to do your own due diligence to find the partner that best meets your unique advertising needs.

What does the check mark on the product and services on the partner directory profile signify?

The check mark implies that Amazon Ads has verified at least two associates in the partner’s organisation who have the relevant product certification through the learning console and recent campaign management activity.

What is the best way to contact an Amazon Ads partner?

Simply contact the partner directly by navigating to their profile, where you can click on a “Contact provider” button. This will connect you directly to the partner’s contact page.