The Amazon PPC Reference Guide

Every Amazon ad format: what it requires, how it’s priced, and where it works best. Verified in the live ad console and against Amazon’s published specs. Updated monthly.

Last verified July 16, 2026 Checked in the live ad console Reviewed monthly
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How to read this guide

Amazon advertising splits into two worlds. Self-serve sponsored ads (Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, Display, Streaming TV) are built right in the ad console: low minimums, fast to launch. Amazon DSP is a separate programmatic platform for display, video, and audio at scale. A third surface arrived in 2026: conversational ads inside Alexa for Shopping, which existing sponsored campaigns feed automatically. A handful of free brand tools round out the kit.

Three things that trip people up

Brand Registry gating: only Sponsored Products is open to every seller. Sponsored Brands, Display, Streaming TV, DSP, and the free brand tools all require Amazon Brand Registry (a registered trademark). Names changed in 2026: the console now groups “Display, Video, & Audio”, so Sponsored Display lives on as Display, and Sponsored TV as Streaming TV. Older guides use the old names. Specs change: everything here was verified in the live campaign builder and against Amazon’s published ad specs in July 2026, but always confirm exact limits in the builder before a creative handoff.

One-look table

At-a-glance comparison

The fastest way to pick a format: creative burden, pricing model, and the job each one does best.

FormatCreative neededPricingTargetingBrand RegistryMin budgetFunnelBest for
SPSponsored ProductsNone (uses your listing)CPCKeywords, products, autoNot required$1/dayLowerConversions, rank, search-term harvesting
SBSponsored BrandsLogo + headline + 3 products, or videoCPC, vCPM, or fixedKeywords, productsRequired$1/dayMid / UpperAwareness, branded-search defense, new-to-brand
DISDisplay (was Sponsored Display)Auto from listing, or image, or videovCPM or CPCAudiences + contextual; retargetingRequired$1/dayAllRetargeting, cross-sell, page defense
STVStreaming TVVideo (15s/30s), or generate with AICPMDynamic or manual audiences, geoRequiredNo minimumUpperBig-screen reach & storytelling
AIPrompts (SP + SB)None (AI-generated from listing)CPCRides on SP / SB campaignsPer parent formatn/aMid / LowerConversational selling in Alexa for Shopping
DSPAmazon DSPDisplay, video, OTT, and/or audioCPMDeepest: 1P signals + AMCAdvertiser accountNo official min*AllScaled audiences, off-Amazon reach
AUDAudio (via DSP)10–30s audio + companion imageCPMAudiences, Amazon Music / AlexaVia DSPVia DSPUpperScreen-free awareness
STOREBrand StoreTiles, images, optional videoFreen/a (destination)RequiredFreeAllBrand home & ad landing page
LIVEAmazon LiveLivestream + productsFreen/a (broadcast)RequiredFreeMidLive demos, launches

*Amazon removed the official self-service DSP minimum at unBoxed 2025. In practice, budgets under ~$5k/month rarely generate enough signal to optimize; agency seats commonly run $5–10k/month and Amazon’s managed service starts around $50k/month.

The console core

Self-serve sponsored ads

Built directly in the ad console. Low minimums, quick to launch, and the core of most Amazon ad accounts.

SP

Sponsored Products

Open to all sellers
PricingCPC
Min budget$1/day
Brand RegistryNot required
FunnelLower (conversions)

Keyword- and product-targeted ads that promote a single listing in search results and on product detail pages. The workhorse of Amazon advertising, and since 2026 it reaches beyond Amazon, into Amazon Business, and even other retailers’ sites.

What it requires

Nothing to design: the ad is generated from your existing listing (title, main image, price, rating). Your only “creative” job is a strong listing: main image ≥1000×1000px (1500×1500px for zoom), white background, product filling ~85% of the frame.

Where it appears: a choice of “Sites”

  • Amazon and beyond: search and product pages on Amazon retail and Amazon Business, plus select sites and apps off Amazon.
  • Amazon Business only New · B2B campaigns that exclusively reach business buyers.
  • Across retailers New · run SP campaigns on other participating retailers’ websites and apps for products you sell there.

Best for

Bottom-funnel conversions. Capturing high-intent search, harvesting converting search terms, driving rank, and defending or attacking specific products.

Targeting

  • Automatic: Amazon matches close/loose/substitutes/complements
  • Manual keywords: broad, phrase, exact match
  • Product & category targeting: specific ASINs or categories
  • Negative keywords & negative products to cut waste

Bidding & controls

Bid strategiesDynamic down-only, dynamic up & down (raises up to +100% on all placements), fixed
Placement modifiersTop-of-search, rest-of-search & product pages, up to +900%
Audience bid boosts NewRaise bids for Amazon-built audiences (e.g. clicked / added to cart) and for Amazon Business placements
Global campaigns BetaExtend one campaign to additional countries; Amazon maps eligible products and converts bids/budgets
Automated rules BetaSchedule bid changes, boost bids on high-traffic days

No video or image upload. If you want video in search, that’s Sponsored Brands Video. SP campaigns are automatically eligible to serve inside Alexa for Shopping and to be optimized as Prompts (see the Conversational section).

SB

Sponsored Brands

Logo + headline, or video
PricingCPC · vCPM · fixed
Min budget$1/day
Brand RegistryRequired
FunnelMid / Upper

Brand-building ads, typically a banner across the top of search, that showcase your logo, a custom headline, and a set of products, your Store, or a video.

Three ad formats

  • Collections: logo, headline, and 3+ products. Automatic collections let Amazon assemble the most relevant products from your catalog per query; manual lets you choose.
  • Store Spotlight: promotes subpages/categories of your Brand Store (requires a published Store).
  • Video: a single product with an auto-playing video in search results.

Three goals (each sets the pricing model)

Drive page visitsClicks · cost per click (CPC)
Grow brand impression shareTop-of-search IS · vCPM
Reserve share of voice NewTop-of-search IS · fixed price

Best for

Awareness & brand defense. Owning your branded search, introducing your range to new-to-brand shoppers, and driving traffic to a Store. Adding Prompts to an SB ad drives a measured ~6% lift in conversions (Amazon, 2026).

Creative specs

HeadlineUp to 50 characters
Brand logo≥400×400px, 1:1, PNG/JPEG, <1MB
Custom image (opt.)≥1200×628px, PNG/JPG, <5MB
Products3+ (Collections); or a Store; or 1 (Video)
LandingBrand Store, custom landing page, or product list

Sponsored Brands Video specs

Duration6–45s (15s recommended)
Resolution1280×720, 1920×1080, or 3840×2160
Aspect / format16:9 · MP4 or MOV · <500MB
CodecsVideo H.264/H.265 · audio AAC/MP3/PCM

Targeting & controls

Keyword (broad/phrase/exact) and product/category targeting, plus negatives. Bid adjustments by placement and by audience New. Campaigns can serve on Amazon or exclusively on Amazon Business New. Free AI image generation is built into the ad builder for lifestyle creative.

Video auto-plays muted, so land the value prop visually in the first 3 seconds; don’t open on a logo card.

DIS

Display

formerly Sponsored DisplayThe retargeting format
PricingvCPM or CPC
Min budget$1/day
Brand RegistryRequired
FunnelFull funnel

Self-serve display ads that follow shoppers on and off Amazon using audiences and context. Now part of the console’s unified “Display, Video, & Audio” family, and still the only self-serve format that retargets.

Two ad formats

  • Image: creative auto-built from your listing, with an optional custom image, logo, and headline.
  • Video: an autoplaying product/brand video.

Optimization strategy (sets pricing)

ReachAwareness · vCPM
Page visitsConsideration · CPC
ConversionsSales · CPC
Cost control BetaSet a target value (e.g. max CPC) and Amazon manages bids/targets to hold it

Best for

Retargeting & defense. Win back shoppers who viewed but didn’t buy, cross-sell past purchasers, defend your detail pages, and conquest competitor pages.

Targeting (its superpower)

  • Contextual: products/categories shoppers are browsing now
  • Views remarketing: viewed your (or similar) products; lookback up to 365 days
  • Purchases remarketing: past buyers, for cross-sell/replenishment
  • In-market: recent activity signals category purchase intent
  • Interest & lifestyle: shopping/entertainment affinities

Creative specs

Image sizes300×250, 320×50, 728×90, 970×250, 160×600…
Image fileJPEG/PNG, <2MB, RGB (static only)
Logo≥400×400px, <1MB
Video6–45s, 1920×1080 rec., 16:9, MP4, <500MB

A built-in Forecast panel (beta) now estimates weekly impressions/clicks as you configure. Display can deliver off Amazon (third-party apps/sites), which SP search placements and SB cannot.

STV

Streaming TV

formerly Sponsored TVAI video gen built in
PricingCPM
Min budgetNone (rec. $150–250/day)
Brand RegistryRequired
FunnelUpper (awareness)

Self-serve streaming-TV video ads on Prime Video, Fire TV, Twitch, and other connected-TV apps, with no minimum spend and an AI video generator built into the campaign builder.

What it requires

A finished TV-quality video, or none at all: the builder’s “Generate video with AI” (Creative Agent) produces a campaign-ready video from your product page. Ads are full-screen and non-skippable; the video is the ad. Landing page: your Brand Store (including subpages) or a product detail page.

Where it appears

Prime Video, Fire TV, Twitch, and third-party CTV apps in Amazon’s streaming network.

Best for

Upper-funnel reach & storytelling. Building broad awareness on the living-room screen, tied back to Amazon shopping signals.

Video specs

Duration15s or 30s (non-skippable)
Resolution1920×1080 (full HD)
Aspect / format16:9 · MP4 (H.264) or MOV · <500MB
AudioAAC or PCM, ≥128kbps, stereo
Companion (opt.)1920×1080 static, shown post-ad on Fire TV

Targeting

  • Dynamic audiences New · Amazon optimizes toward shoppers most likely to engage
  • Manual audiences: in-market, interest & lifestyle, content interests, demographics
  • Locations New · optional geo targeting

Max average CPM is now set at the ad-group level, not per targeting selection. Brand in the first 3 seconds; keep on-screen text readable in under ~1.5s.

New for 2026

Conversational & AI-powered ads

The big shift of 2026. Amazon merged Rufus and Alexa+ into Alexa for Shopping (May 2026), one AI assistant across the search bar, product pages, and Alexa devices, and opened it to advertisers.

AI

SP & SB Prompts

conversational ads in Alexa for ShoppingGA March 2026
PricingCPC
Extra creativeNone (AI-generated)
SetupAuto-eligible from SP/SB
FunnelMid / Lower

AI-powered conversational ads that appear in shopping results and on product pages, opening a product conversation with Alexa for Shopping, like a virtual product expert working inside your ad.

How it works

Existing SP and SB campaigns are automatically eligible to be optimized as Prompts, with no separate campaign setup. When a shopper is close to a decision, the ad surfaces helpful product information and can carry the conversation from question to cart.

Why it matters

Nearly 20% of shoppers who interact with a prompt continue the conversation about that brand, and adding prompts to a Sponsored Brands ad drives a ~6% increase in conversions (Amazon, 2026). Your listing content feeds the AI’s answers; thin detail pages make weak prompts.

The wider conversational family

  • Sponsored ads in Alexa for Shopping: existing campaigns are auto-eligible to surface within AI conversations at the moment of decision.
  • Alexa+ Conversational Ads: brand messaging woven into natural dialogue on Alexa devices (audio + static); sponsored-ads advertisers are auto-enrolled.
  • Prime Video Sponsored Tiles: conversational entertainment ads on Echo Show for film/TV queries (subscribe, buy, or rent by voice/touch).

The AI toolkit behind it

  • Creative Agent: generates professional-quality ads (including STV video) from a product page, in hours.
  • Ads Agent: turns campaign setup and targeting into a prompt-driven flow.
  • Amazon Ads MCP server: connects external AI agents to the Ads API with no custom code.

Optimization angle: conversational surfaces reward complete, question-answering listing content (use cases, materials, sizing, comparisons). What wins the AI conversation is the same content that wins A+ and SEO.

Programmatic

Amazon DSP

A separate programmatic platform (not the self-serve console) for buying display, video, streaming-TV, and audio inventory across Amazon properties and the open web. Deepest audience control Amazon offers.

DSP

Amazon DSP: Display, Video, OTT, Audio

Agency seat friendly
PricingCPM (programmatic)
Min budgetNo official minimum*
AccessAdvertiser account / seat
FunnelFull funnel

Programmatic access to Amazon’s first-party audiences at scale, on and off Amazon. Run as managed service or via a self-service seat; most brands access it through an agency seat.

Formats it buys

  • Display: eCommerce creatives + standard IAB banners across Amazon & third-party sites/apps
  • Online video: in-stream/out-stream, 16:9 or 9:16 vertical
  • Streaming TV / OTT: Prime Video, Fire TV, Twitch, plus Prime Video pause ads
  • Audio: Amazon Music ad-supported tier & Alexa (below)

Why use it

Scale & precision. First-party shopping & streaming signals, lookalikes, advanced remarketing, and Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC) custom audiences, plus reach well beyond Amazon’s own pages.

Key creative specs

Display sizes300×250, 300×600, 728×90, 970×250, 320×50…
Display fileJPEG/PNG <2MB; HTML5 ≤200KB initial / 2.2MB total
Video durationUp to 3 min (15–30s recommended)
Video dimensions1920×1080 (16:9) or 1080×1920 (9:16 vertical)
Prime Video pauseStatic 1920×1080 JPEG/PNG, <2MB

Access & cost

CPM pricing. Amazon removed the official self-service minimum at unBoxed 2025; practical floors remain: most agency seats run $5–10k/month, and Amazon’s managed service typically starts ~$50k/month.

Wrong-size DSP creatives are silently dropped from placements (no error), so build per-placement assets, not one banner for all.

AUD

Audio Ads

Via Amazon DSP
PricingCPM
Creative10–30s audio + image
AccessVia DSP
FunnelUpper (awareness)

Non-skippable audio spots on the ad-supported tier of Amazon Music and on Alexa-enabled devices. Bought through DSP.

What it requires

Audio duration10–30 seconds
Audio formatMP3, WAV, or OGG · <1MB
Companion image1024×1024px, JPEG/PNG, <750KB
Headline textUp to ~19 characters

Best for

Screen-free awareness. Reaching shoppers during listening moments (commute, chores) when display can’t. Pair with a companion image and an Alexa call-to-action.

Also in this family: Alexa Home Screen and Fire tablet lock-screen placements (image-based), bought via DSP.

$0 media

Free brand-building tools

Not paid ad formats, but core to the brand presence that paid ads point to. All require Brand Registry.

STORE

Brand Store

Free · Brand Registry

A free, multi-page storefront on Amazon to showcase your full catalog and brand story, and the default landing page for Sponsored Brands and Streaming TV.

What it requires

Built with Amazon’s drag-and-drop Store builder (tiles, images, text, optional video, shoppable modules). No media buy. Approval typically takes ~2 business days to 2 weeks.

Best for

A brand destination. Store visitors purchase measurably more often and at higher order values; SB Store Spotlight and STV campaigns land here, and it earns a clean URL for off-Amazon promotion.
LIVE

Amazon Live

Free · Brand Registry

Free livestream shopping built into Amazon: demo products, answer questions, and let viewers buy without leaving the stream.

What it requires

The Amazon Live Creator app, products to feature, and a live host (brand or affiliated creator). Free to broadcast.

Best for

Engagement & launches. Real-time demos, Q&A, and seasonal moments. A strong complement to a Streaming TV or DSP awareness push.

Discontinued: Amazon Posts

Amazon Posts (the free, social-style brand feed) was retired in 2025; the program fully shut down July 31, 2025. If older guides reference Posts, treat it as deprecated. Brand presence now lives in the Store, Live, and brand/creator content tools.

Decision guide

Which format for which job

Match the format to the goal and funnel stage rather than running everything at once.

By goal

Drive sales nowSponsored Products → Display (Conversions)
Own branded searchSponsored Brands (impression share / reserve SOV)
Win back non-buyersDisplay (views remarketing) / DSP
Cross-sell past buyersDisplay (purchases remarketing)
Launch / new-to-brandSB Video + Streaming TV + Prompts
Mass awarenessStreaming TV / DSP (video, OTT, audio)
Conquest competitorsSP product targeting + Display contextual on rival ASINs
Win the AI conversationSP/SB Prompts + complete, question-answering listing content

By funnel stage

  • Awareness (upper): Streaming TV, DSP video/OTT, Audio, SB Video
  • Consideration (mid): Sponsored Brands, Display (reach/page visits), Prompts, Brand Store, Amazon Live
  • Conversion (lower): Sponsored Products, Display (conversions), DSP retargeting

By creative you have

  • Nothing but listings: Sponsored Products (start here); Prompts ride along free of extra creative
  • Logo + a headline: SB Collections, Display custom image
  • A good video: SB Video, Display Video, Streaming TV, DSP video
  • No video, big-screen ambitions: Streaming TV with AI-generated video
  • An audio spot: Audio ads via DSP
Vocabulary

Key terms

Shared vocabulary so everyone reads the numbers the same way.

CPC: Cost per click. You pay when someone clicks (SP, SB, Display, Prompts).
CPM / vCPM: Cost per 1,000 impressions / per 1,000 viewable impressions. Awareness pricing (SB impression-share goal, Display Reach, STV, DSP).
ACOS: Advertising Cost of Sales = ad spend ÷ ad-attributed sales. Lower = more efficient.
TACoS: Total ACoS = ad spend ÷ total sales (ad + organic). Measures ad reliance across the whole business.
ROAS: Return on Ad Spend = ad sales ÷ ad spend. The inverse of ACOS (4× ROAS = 25% ACOS).
NTB: New-to-brand: orders from customers who haven’t bought your brand in the past 12 months. Key for SB/DSP/STV.
Impression share (IS): Your share of available impressions for a placement (e.g. top-of-search). The SB “share of voice” metric.
CTR: Click-through rate = clicks ÷ impressions.
Alexa for Shopping: Amazon’s AI shopping assistant (the 2026 merger of Rufus and Alexa+), spanning the search bar, product pages, and Alexa devices.
Prompts: Conversational SP/SB ad units that open an Alexa for Shopping dialogue; CPC-billed, auto-eligible from existing campaigns.
Retargeting / remarketing: Showing ads to people who already viewed or bought (Display and DSP only).
Contextual targeting: Targeting by what a shopper is browsing right now, not who they are.
Dynamic audiences: Streaming TV targeting where Amazon continuously optimizes who sees the ad.
OTT / CTV: Over-the-top / connected TV: streaming video on TV devices (Prime Video, Fire TV).
AMC: Amazon Marketing Cloud: privacy-safe clean room for custom audiences & cross-format measurement (DSP).
Brand Registry: Amazon program (needs a registered trademark) that unlocks SB, Display, STV, DSP, and the free brand tools.
Placement modifier: A bid multiplier for a specific placement (e.g. top-of-search) in SP/SB.

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Every self-serve format above was verified first-hand in the live Amazon Ads campaign builder, and creative specs were cross-checked against Amazon’s published resources: Ad specs & policies · Agentic shopping for advertisers (June 2026) · Display ads · SB video specs. Specs change: confirm exact limits in the live builder before any creative handoff. Maintained by Amplifyr Marketing · reviewed monthly · last verified July 16, 2026.