Guide
Three Performance+ setup best practices that reduce cost per acquisition
These three setup best practices can help advertisers achieve significantly lower CPA. Each takes minutes to implement and expands the tactics Performance+ can deploy to help optimize delivery and maximize campaign performance.
Why campaign setup matters
Performance+ is Amazon Ads AI-powered campaign solution that automatically optimizes towards lower-funnel goals like consideration and conversion. How you configure your campaign determines how many tactics Performance+ can deploy to find your highest-value audiences at the lowest cost per acquisition.
The three best practices below take minutes to implement. Together, they unlock more tactics, broaden delivery, and drive significantly lower cost per acquisition (CPA). Advertisers who follow all three consistently achieve stronger campaign outcomes.
1. Optimize for one outcome
Designate only your primary desired outcome event for optimization. When you select a single event, Performance+ focuses delivery toward driving that specific action—removing ambiguity and concentrating spend where it matters most.
Page views and remarketing
Page view events power the remarketing tactic. They provide the upper-funnel signal the model needs to improve lower-funnel performance. Even if your optimization target is a purchase or sign-up, associating page view events enables Performance+ to re-engage users who have already shown interest.
Multi-LOB considerations
For advertisers with multiple lines of business (LOB), ensure page view events carry conversion definitions for each product line. This allows the model to distinguish between audiences and allocate budget accordingly.
2. Associate every conversion event
Optimize for the event you care about most—but associate every conversion event available. Each associated event unlocks additional optimization tactics that expand your campaign's reach and efficiency.
Remarketing and retention
- Remarketing requires the page view event to be associated. Without it, Performance+ cannot re-engage mid-funnel audiences.
- Retention requires off-Amazon purchase or sign-up events. These signals tell the model which users have already converted, enabling it to find new customers rather than over-serving existing ones.
Pairing tactics for best CPA
The highest-performing campaigns pair Customer Acquisition with Remarketing. This combination produces the best CPAs because it balances prospecting with re-engagement—reaching new audiences while capitalizing on warm intent signals.
Associate every available event. Let the model decide which tactic serves your goal most efficiently.
3. Enable all open auction sources
Include Amazon Publisher Services (APS) and third-party open auction supply to give Performance+ the widest possible pool of impressions to evaluate and bid on.
Removing open auction sources constrains delivery and degrades results. When supply is limited, the model has fewer opportunities to find high-value impressions at efficient prices—and CPA rises as a result.
Enable open auction across all available channels—display, online video, and audio. Broader supply gives Performance+ more room to optimize consistently.
The bottom line: more supply equals stronger performance. Keep open auction sources enabled.
Your Performance+ setup checklist
Review your current campaign configuration against these three steps:
- Optimize for one outcome
- Associate every available conversion event
- Enable all open auction sources across channels
When all three are in place, Performance+ operates with maximum flexibility. It can deploy more tactics, evaluate more impressions, and find more efficient paths to conversion. The result: lower CPA, stronger campaign outcomes, and a setup that lets automation work at its best.
