Amazon ad types are the advertising solutions sellers, vendors, and brands use to promote products across Amazon search results, product pages, Amazon-owned channels, and external websites.
The four main Amazon ad types are Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, Sponsored Display (display ads), and Amazon DSP. Each supports a different goal, from product sales and keyword visibility to brand awareness, retargeting, and full-funnel growth.
In this guide, weโll compare each Amazon ad type by placement, pricing, targeting, eligibility, and best use case.
What Is Amazon Advertising?
Amazon Advertising, also called Amazon Ads, is Amazonโs ad platform for sellers, vendors, agencies, and brands. It includes self-service sponsored ads, Brand Stores, display ads, video ads, Amazon DSP, and other advertising solutions that help brands reach shoppers across Amazon and beyond.
Some sellers still refer to it as Amazon Marketing Services (AMS). That is the older name many advertisers used before Amazon grouped its ad products under Amazon Advertising or Amazon Ads.
Today, Amazon Advertising is more than basic PPC. Brands can use it to promote individual products, send traffic to a Brand Store, retarget shoppers, reach audiences off Amazon, and run full-funnel campaigns across video, audio, and streaming placements.
What Are the Types of Amazon Ads?
The main types of Amazon ads are Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, Sponsored Display (display ads), and Amazon DSP.
Here is the simple breakdown:
- Sponsored Products promote individual ASINs and are best for sales, keyword visibility, and product launches.
- Sponsored Brands promote your brand, Store, video, or product collection, and are best for awareness and discovery.
- Sponsored Display / Display Ads help with retargeting, product targeting, and audience expansion.
- Amazon DSP supports programmatic display, video, audio, streaming TV, and off-Amazon reach.
Together, these Amazon ad types help brands build a comprehensive advertising system rather than relying solely on search ads.
Amazon Ad Types Comparison Table
Use this table to compare the main Amazon ad types and formats quickly.This table gives a quick overview. But each Amazon ad type works differently, so letโs break them down one by one.
Use this table as a starting point, not a fixed rule. Sponsored Products usually come first for sales, Sponsored Brands work best once brand assets are ready, display ads help with retargeting, and Amazon DSP is better suited for brands ready to scale beyond search.
Sponsored Products
Sponsored Products are Amazon ads that promote individual product listings. They are usually the best starting point for sellers because they appear close to the buying decision.
These ads are best for conversions, product launches, improving keyword visibility, and supporting rankings.
What Are Sponsored Products?
Sponsored Products are ads for individual ASINs. When shoppers click the ad, they land on the product detail page.
Most sellers start with Sponsored Products because they are simple to launch and directly tied to sales. They work well for both new products and established products.
Use Sponsored Products when you want to:
- Launch a new ASIN
- Improve keyword visibility
- Drive product sales
- Target competitor ASINs
- Test which keywords convert
They also help identify converting search terms through campaign reports.
Where Do Sponsored Products Appear?
Sponsored Products can appear in high-intent Amazon placements, including:
- Top of search results
- Rest of search results
- Product detail pages
- Amazon mobile app
- Desktop shopping results
- Select external apps and websites
Top of Search is often one of the most valuable placements because shoppers are actively looking for products. Product detail page placements can also work well for competitor targeting and comparison shopping.
Who Can Use Sponsored Products?
Sponsored Products are available to eligible professional sellers, vendors, book vendors, KDP authors, and agencies.
For sellers, the product must be in an eligible category and eligible for the Featured Offer. If the product is not retail-ready, the campaign may spend without converting.
Before scaling Sponsored Products, check:
- Inventory availability
- Pricing competitiveness
- Featured Offer eligibility
- Product images
- Reviews and ratings
- A+ Content
- Main title and bullets
- Delivery speed
Paid ads can bring traffic, but they cannot fix a weak listing. If shoppers click and do not buy, your ad spend becomes expensive.
Sponsored Products Targeting
Sponsored Products supports two main targeting options: automatic and manual.
Automatic targeting helps Amazon discover relevant searches and products for your listing. Manual targeting gives you more control over keywords, products, bids, and budgets.
Common Sponsored Products targeting options include:
- Automatic targeting
- Manual keyword targeting
- Product targeting
- ASIN targeting
- Category targeting
- Negative keyword targeting
Manual keyword campaigns usually use three match types:
A strong setup often starts with automated discovery campaigns. Then, move the best-performing search terms into manual exact campaigns for better control.
Sponsored Products Pricing
Sponsored Products are usually billed on a pay-per-click basis, so you are charged only when a shopper clicks the ad, not when the ad is simply shown.
Your cost depends on competition, bid, placement, product relevance, and category demand.
Track these metrics closely:
- CPC
- CTR
- CVR
- ACoS
- ROAS
- Orders
- Search term performance
- Placement performance
Do not raise bids just to get more visibility. Increase bids only when the keyword, placement, or product target has enough data to support the decision.
Sponsored Products Video
Sponsored Products video is a newer Sponsored Products format that lets advertisers add product feature videos to existing Sponsored Products campaigns. It is useful when shoppers need to see how a product works, what features matter, or how it looks in real use.
Advertisers can upload 1 to 5 product feature videos per product within an ad group. Amazon may show up to three video thumbnails based on the shopperโs search query and browsing behavior.
Use Sponsored Products video for products that need more explanation than static images can provide, such as beauty tools, fitness products, kitchen products, electronics, supplements, premium products, and products with multiple use cases.
Sponsored Products Best Practices
Use Sponsored Products when you want to capture shoppers who are already close to making a purchase.
Best practices include:
- Start with automatic targeting to discover keywords.
- Move winning search terms into manual exact campaigns.
- Separate branded, non-branded, and competitor campaigns.
- Use product targeting for competitor ASINs.
- Add negative keywords every week.
- Review placement performance.
- Scale only after the product listing is ready.
- Do not combine every goal into a single campaign.
Sponsored Products should be the foundation of most Amazon PPC strategies, but they should not be the only ad type a growing brand uses.
For a deeper dive into bid strategy, keyword management, and campaign structure, see our complete Amazon PPC checklist guide.
Sponsored Brands
Sponsored Brands are Amazon ads that promote your brand, Store, video, or product collection. They are best for awareness, discovery, and consideration.
These ads help shoppers notice your brand before they click into a product page.
What Are Sponsored Brands?
Sponsored Brands are brand-led ads. Unlike Sponsored Products, they are not limited to one product listing.
They can promote:
- A product collection
- A Brand Store
- A Store subpage
- A video
- A custom image
- A group of related products
Sponsored Brands are useful when you want shoppers to understand your brand, compare products, or explore multiple ASINs.
Use Sponsored Brands when you want to build awareness, drive Store traffic, promote a product line, educate shoppers with video, or increase branded search visibility.
Sponsored Brands Formats
Sponsored Brands include several ad formats.
Product Collection ads work well for related products or bestsellers and can send shoppers to a product detail page or a relevant Store landing page.
Store Spotlight ads are useful for brands with multiple categories because they send shoppers to specific Store subpages, such as โBest Sellers,โ โNew Arrivals,โ or a category page.
Sponsored Brands Video helps explain product benefits quickly and can send shoppers to a product detail page or Store experience, depending on the campaign setup.
Custom image ads create a stronger lifestyle or brand impression and help the ad feel less like a simple product grid.
Where Do Sponsored Brands Appear?
Sponsored Brands can appear in visible Amazon placements, such as:
- Top of search results
- Mobile search results
- Product detail pages
- Shopping results
- Amazon home page placements, where eligible
These placements help brands reach shoppers earlier in the buying journey.
Who Can Use Sponsored Brands?
Sponsored Brands usually require Brand Registry. They are best for registered brand owners, vendors, and eligible advertisers with brand assets.
Before using Sponsored Brands, make sure you have:
- A strong Amazon Store
- Clear brand messaging
- Good product images
- Strong creative assets
- A relevant product collection
- Enough budget for awareness and consideration
If your Store is weak or your product collection is unclear, Sponsored Brands may get clicks without enough engagement.
Sponsored Brands Pricing
Sponsored Brands can use CPC or vCPM, depending on the campaign goal and available setup.
Pricing options and objectives can vary by marketplace, campaign type, and account setup, so check the available options inside Campaign Manager before building the campaign.
CPC works well when the goal is clicks to a Store or product detail page. vCPM can be useful when the goal is visibility, reach, or impression share.
Do not judge Sponsored Brands only by last-click ROAS. These campaigns can also support Store visits, branded search, product discovery, and new-to-brand growth.
Sponsored Brands Best Practices
Use Sponsored Brands when you want shoppers to see your brand, not just one product.
Best practices include:
- Use best-selling ASINs in Product Collection ads.
- Send traffic to relevant Store pages.
- Use video for product education.
- Keep headlines simple and benefit-led.
- Match the ad to the search intent.
- Separate branded and non-branded campaigns.
- Track CTR, Store visits, NTB, branded search lift, and ROAS.
Sponsored Brands are not only awareness ads. When used well, they can support both discovery and sales.
Sponsored Display / Display Ads
Sponsored Display is Amazonโs self-service display ad solution, while Amazon DSP is the more advanced programmatic option. Sponsored Display is built for easier retargeting, product targeting, and audience targeting across Amazon and other display placements.
Display ads are best for bringing shoppers back, reaching similar audiences, and expanding beyond keyword-based search.
What Are Sponsored Display Ads?
Sponsored Display, now part of Amazonโs broader display ads offering, helps brands reach shoppers across Amazon and other placements.
These ads are useful when you want to reconnect with shoppers who viewed your product but did not buy. They can also help you target shoppers browsing similar or competing products.
Use Sponsored Display or display ads for:
- Views remarketing
- Product targeting
- Competitor conquesting
- Category targeting
- Audience expansion
- Cross-selling
- Repeat purchase campaigns
Unlike Sponsored Products, display ads are not limited to search results. They can reach shoppers before, during, and after they visit a product detail page.
Where Do Sponsored Display / Display Ads Appear?
Display ads can appear across Amazon and other placements, including:
- Amazon product detail pages
- Amazon home page placements
- Twitch
- Fire TV
- Echo Show
- Apps
- External websites
- Open internet placements
Who Can Use Sponsored Display Ads?
Sponsored Display and display ads are generally available to professional sellers enrolled in Brand Registry, vendors, and agencies managing eligible advertiser accounts. Some product targeting and view remarketing campaigns are open to a broader set of professional sellers, even without Brand Registry, depending on the marketplace and account type.
Before launching Sponsored Display, confirm:
- Brand Registry status, if required for your campaign type
- Vendor or seller account eligibility
- Product eligibility for the desired ad type
- Enough browsing or purchase history for retargeting audiences to populate
Eligibility can vary by marketplace and advertiser type, so check current requirements in Seller Central or Vendor Central before planning a campaign.
Sponsored Display Targeting Options
Sponsored Display and display ads can support different targeting options.
For example, product targeting can place your ad near a competing ASIN or a related category page. A supplement brand could target similar protein powders or adjacent wellness products.
View remarketing can bring back shoppers who viewed your product but did not buy. This works well for products where shoppers compare multiple options before deciding.
Category targeting helps brands reach shoppers browsing a broader product group, such as kitchen storage, skincare, pet supplies, or home fitness.
Audience expansion can help reach shoppers who show interest in related categories, even if they have not viewed your exact product yet.
Sponsored Display Pricing
Sponsored Display and display ads can use CPC or vCPM, depending on the campaign objective.
CPC is useful when you want clicks and visits to product detail pages. vCPM is useful when you want visibility, reach, or awareness.
Display ads often support assisted conversions, so do not measure them only by immediate ROAS. Look at the full impact.
Track:
- Detail page views
- CTR
- Reach
- NTB
- Assisted sales
- Repeat purchase behavior
- Branded search lift
- Retargeting performance
Sponsored Display Best Practices
Use display ads when you already have traffic to retarget or when you want to reach shoppers beyond keyword search.
Best practices include:
- Separate retargeting and conquesting campaigns.
- Match lookback windows to the product buying cycle.
- Use product targeting for competitor ASINs.
- Refresh creative regularly.
- Exclude irrelevant audiences when possible.
- Track assisted impact, not only last-click ROAS.
- Use the display after Sponsored Products begin generating traffic.
Display ads work best when they are connected to the rest of your funnel.
Amazon DSP Ad Types
Amazon DSP is Amazonโs demand-side platform. It helps brands buy programmatic ads across Amazon-owned channels and third-party inventory.
DSP is best for brands that want full-funnel reach, advanced audiences, streaming placements, and deeper measurement.
Amazon DSP is not just another PPC format. It is programmatic media buying for display, online video, audio, and streaming TV, with stronger controls for audience suppression, frequency, and full-funnel measurement.
What Is Amazon DSP?
Amazon DSP helps advertisers reach shoppers using Amazonโs shopping, browsing, and streaming signals.
It differs from Sponsored Products or Sponsored Brands because it is not a standard Amazon PPC campaign. It is a programmatic advertising platform.
Amazon DSP helps brands reach new audiences, display and video campaigns, use streaming TV and audio placements, retarget high-value shoppers, suppress recent buyers, and measure new-to-brand impact.
DSP is usually not the first ad type a new seller should use. It works best when the brand already has strong product pages, stable Sponsored Ads performance, and enough budget for broader media buying.
For a deeper walkthrough, see our full DSP guide.
Main Amazon DSP Ad Types
Amazon DSP supports several ad formats.
Display ads are useful for reaching audiences across Amazon and third-party publishers.
Online video ads help explain products and show benefits more visually.
Streaming TV ads help brands reach audiences through connected TV and streaming environments.
Audio ads support awareness and recall in audio-first environments.
Physical store advertising is not a core seller PPC format, but Amazon lists it as part of DSP inventory where available, including select Amazon Fresh kiosk placements.
Where Can Amazon DSP Ads Appear?
Amazon DSP ads can appear across a wide range of inventory, including:
- Prime Video
- Amazon Freevee
- Twitch
- Live sports placements
- Amazon.com
- Fire TV
- Kindle
- Alexa
- Amazon Publisher Direct
- Third-party websites and apps
- Premium publisher inventory
Availability can vary by region, advertiser type, and campaign setup.
Amazon DSP Pricing
Amazon DSP usually uses a CPM model. This means advertisers pay based on impressions.
This is different from Sponsored Products, where advertisers usually pay per click.
DSP often requires a larger budget than sponsored ads. The required spend can vary based on whether the campaign is self-service, managed service, or agency-supported.
Amazonโs managed-service DSP option typically requires a minimum spend of $50,000 USD, though the minimum may vary by country. Self-service DSP gives advertisers more direct control, but campaigns still need enough budget to reach a meaningful audience.
Because DSP works across a broader funnel, it should not be measured only by direct ROAS. The right metrics depend on the campaign goal.
Track:
- Reach
- Frequency
- Viewability
- Detail page view rate
- NTB
- Branded search lift
- Halo sales
- Incrementality
- Retargeting performance
When Should Brands Use Amazon DSP?
Brands should consider Amazon DSP when Sponsored Products and Sponsored Brands are already producing stable results.
DSP makes sense when the goal is to grow beyond high-intent search.
Use Amazon DSP when you want to:
- Reach category audiences before they search
- Run streaming TV or video campaigns
- Build awareness for a product line
- Retarget shoppers across devices
- Suppress existing buyers
- Improve full-funnel measurement
- Use AMC-based audience insights
DSP should not be used to fix poor listing conversion. If Sponsored Products are not working because the listing is weak, DSP will not solve the problem.
Amazon DSP Best Practices
Use DSP when your brand is ready to move from demand capture to demand creation.
Best practices include:
- Separate prospecting and retargeting.
- Use audience suppression to reduce wasted spend.
- Build audience cohorts based on shopper behavior.
- Control frequency.
- Match the creative to the funnel stage.
- Use DSP to create demand and Sponsored Products to capture it.
- Track NTB, reach, branded search lift, and halo impact.
- Use AMC insights where available.
Amazon DSP is powerful, but only when it is connected to a clear strategy.
Other Amazon Ad Formats Sellers Should Know
The four main Amazon ad types cover most paid advertising needs, but sellers should also understand the wider Amazon ad formats that support brand discovery, Store traffic, and measurement.
These formats are not always the first place to start, but they become more useful as a brand grows beyond basic PPC.
Sponsored TV is a self-service streaming TV ad option designed for brands that want video reach without building a full DSP setup. Streaming TV through Amazon DSP is usually better suited to larger, more advanced media plans that need broader audience controls, frequency management, and programmatic buying.
Which Amazon Ad Type Is Best for Each Goal?
Different Amazon ad types work best for different goals.
Which Amazon Ad Type Should New Sellers Start With?
Most new sellers should start with Sponsored Products.
Sponsored Products are easier to launch, support automatic and manual targeting, and send shoppers directly to product detail pages.
A simple starting structure can include:
- One automatic campaign for discovery
- One manual exact campaign for proven keywords
- One product targeting campaign for competitor ASINs
- One branded campaign if the brand already has search demand
New sellers should avoid launching too many campaigns at once. Start simple, collect clean data, and optimize weekly.
Once Sponsored Products performance is stable, add Sponsored Brands if you have Brand Registry. Then use display ads for retargeting. Consider Amazon DSP only when your brand has enough traffic, budget, and measurement discipline.
How High-Growth Brands Sequence Amazon Ad Types
High-growth brands do not ask only, โWhich Amazon ad type should I use?โ
They ask, โWhat role should each ad type play in the funnel?โ
Each Amazon ad type should support a clear stage of the shopper journey.
This sequencing matters because each format solves a different problem. Sponsored Products capture existing demand, Sponsored Brands support discovery, display ads bring interested shoppers back, and Amazon DSP helps create new demand across a wider media network.
Do not measure every ad type only by immediate ROAS. Sponsored Products should be judged by sales efficiency, while Sponsored Brands, display ads, and DSP also need supporting metrics such as Store visits, branded search lift, retargeting performance, reach, NTB, and incrementality.
How to Structure Amazon Ad Types and Campaigns
Choosing the right Amazon ad types is only the first step. The next step is building a clean campaign structure.
A clean structure makes performance easier to read and optimize.
A simple naming convention can also help teams read performance faster. For example:
[Ad Type][Goal][Targeting][ASIN or Category][Match Type]
Example: SP_Launch_Keyword_ASIN123_Exact
Example: SB_Awareness_Store_BrandTerms
Example: SD_Retargeting_Views_30Days
Separate Campaigns by Goal
Each campaign should have one clear goal.
Do not mix launch, defense, conquesting, and retargeting into the same campaign structure.
Useful campaign goals include:
- Product launch
- Keyword ranking
- Branded defense
- Competitor conquesting
- Category expansion
- Retargeting
- Awareness
- Repeat purchase
When campaign goals are clear, it becomes easier to decide what is working.
Separate Campaigns by Targeting Type
Do not mix all targeting types into a single campaign.
Common targeting layers include:
- Automatic targeting
- Manual keyword targeting
- Exact match keywords
- Phrase match keywords
- Broad match keywords
- Product targeting
- Category targeting
- Audience targeting
- Views remarketing
Each layer should have a role.
Automatic campaigns are useful for discovery. Exact campaigns are useful for control. Product targeting is useful for competitor and category visibility. Audience targeting helps with retargeting and mid-funnel reach.
Separate Campaigns by Budget Layer
The budget should align with the business priorities.
A clean Amazon campaign structure often separates:
- Hero ASIN campaigns
- New launch campaigns
- Branded search campaigns
- Non-branded scale campaigns
- Competitor conquest campaigns
This prevents low-priority targets from using the budget that should go to high-priority campaigns.
Build a Weekly Optimization Rhythm
Amazon advertising is not a one-time setup. It needs regular review.
Use this cadence:
The goal is not to make random daily changes. The goal is to optimize based on enough data.
Common Mistakes Brands Make With Amazon Ad Types
The biggest mistake brands make is treating Amazon ad types as isolated campaigns.
Amazon ads work better when Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, display ads, and Amazon DSP support a single connected funnel.
A strong Amazon ads strategy connects the ad type, campaign goal, targeting, creative, and measurement.
That is how brands move from scattered campaigns to a structured growth system.
Conclusion
Amazon ad types work best when each format has a clear role.
Sponsored Products help capture high-intent demand. Sponsored Brands help shoppers discover and evaluate your brand. Sponsored Display and display ads help bring interested shoppers back. Amazon DSP helps brands expand reach through programmatic display, video, audio, and streaming TV campaigns.
The goal is not to use every Amazon ad format at once. The goal is to choose the right ad type, structure campaigns cleanly, and measure each format based on its role in the funnel.
Ready to put the right Amazon ad types to work for your brand? Book a 1:1 growth call with our Amazon advertising management team.
Frequently Asked Questions About Amazon Ad Types
What are the different types of Amazon ads?
The main types of Amazon ads are Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, Sponsored Display (display ads), and Amazon DSP. Sponsored Products focus on salesโsponsored Brands support discovery. Sponsored Display helps with retargeting. DSP supports programmatic reach.
What is the difference between Amazon ad types and Amazon ad formats?
Amazon ad types are the main advertising products, such as Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, Sponsored Display, and DSP. Amazon ad formats are the creative or placement styles inside those products, such as video, product collection, display, audio, and streaming TV.
Is Amazon Advertising the same as Amazon Marketing Services?
Amazon Marketing Services (AMS) was the older name many sellers used for Amazonโs advertising products. Today, Amazon Advertising or Amazon Ads is the broader term for Amazonโs advertising tools, formats, and solutions.
How much do Amazon ads cost?
Amazon ad costs depend on the ad type and pricing model. Sponsored Products usually use CPC. Sponsored Brands can use CPC or vCPM. Sponsored Display (display ads) can use CPC or vCPM. Amazon DSP usually uses CPM-based buying.
Which Amazon ad types require Brand Registry?
Sponsored Brands generally require Brand Registry. Sponsored Products are available to eligible professional sellers and vendors without Brand Registry. Eligibility for Sponsored Display, display ads, and DSP can vary by marketplace, account type, and campaign setup, so sellers should verify the current requirements in Seller Central or Vendor Central.
What are Amazon DSP ad types?
Amazon DSP ad types include display, online video, streaming TV, audio, and select physical store advertising, where available. DSP is best for brands that want programmatic reach across Amazon-owned properties, streaming environments, and third-party inventory.
Which Amazon ad type is best for new sellers?
Sponsored Products are usually best for new sellers because they are easier to launch, support automatic and manual targeting, and send shoppers directly to product detail pages.
Which Amazon ad type is best for product launches?
Sponsored Products are best for early keyword discovery and conversion. Sponsored Brands can support visibility if the seller has a Brand Registry. Sponsored Display can help retarget shoppers who viewed the new product but did not buy.
What is difference between Sponsored Display and Amazon DSP?
Sponsored Display or display ads are easier to launch inside Amazonโs ad tools and are often used for retargeting and product targeting. Amazon DSP is more advanced and supports programmatic display, video, audio, streaming TV, audience suppression, and broader measurement.
Which Amazon ad type has the best ROI?
Sponsored Products often produce the strongest direct ROAS because they capture high-intent shoppers. Long-term ROI usually improves when Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, display ads, and DSP are used in the funnel stage.
About the Author
Badal Tharayil is a master of customer success, turning first impressions into lasting partnerships. Known for proactive communication and flawless onboarding, heโs the bridge between client satisfaction and operational excellence. Outside work, Badal loves exploring cinema, expressing himself on the dance floor, and staying energized through fitness pursuits.
