Most Sponsored Products advice assumes data. Check the search term report, look at conversion by keyword, adjust bids based on ACoS. A brand-new listing has none of that. No sales history, no reviews, no search terms, no idea yet which keywords will convert.

This playbook is for that starting point. It covers what to fix on the listing before the first ad runs, a simple campaign structure for launch, how to set bids without data, and what to do in each of the first 60 days. For the wider launch plan beyond ads, see launching a new product with PPC.

Before the first ad

Ads send shoppers to the listing. If the listing does not convert, the spend is wasted, and a new listing has fewer ways to earn trust than an established one. Check four things before launch.

Main image. Clear, on white, shows the product at a glance. It decides whether anyone clicks.

Title. Includes the words shoppers search for, in plain language. It affects both relevance for ads and click-through rate.

Price. Competitive with what shoppers will see beside your ad. A new listing without reviews has a harder time justifying a premium.

Bullets and images. Answer the obvious questions: size, materials, what is included, how it is used. Listing optimization before ads covers the full checklist.

Also check stock. Running out in the first weeks of a launch stalls the sales history you are trying to build.

The launch structure

Keep it simple. Three campaigns cover most launches.

An automatic campaign. Amazon matches the product to searches and products based on the listing. Its job is discovery: finding search terms you did not think of. Use a modest budget and moderate bids.

A manual exact-match campaign. A short list of keywords that describe the product precisely, the searches where a shopper is most likely to buy exactly this. Its job is conversion. Give it the larger share of the budget.

A manual broad or phrase campaign. A slightly wider list to catch variations. Its job is discovery in a more controlled way than auto.

Keep one product per ad group so every search term and sale can be traced. Organizing ad groups covers why. If the brand is registered, a brand defense campaign on your brand name is worth adding once anyone is searching for it.

Setting bids with no data

Start near Amazon's suggested bid for each keyword. It reflects what is currently winning auctions, which is the best information you have. For the most relevant exact-match keywords, bidding at or slightly above the suggestion helps the ads get enough impressions to produce data. For broader terms, bid lower.

Use dynamic bids down only at first. It lets Amazon lower the bid when a click looks less likely to convert, which limits waste while the listing has no reviews. Bidding strategies covers the options.

Leave placement adjustments at zero until you have a few weeks of placement data. Paying a premium for top of search makes sense only once you know the listing converts there.

Setting expectations

Expect ACoS to be higher than on established products, often above break-even at first. Conversion improves as reviews arrive and as the campaigns learn which searches convert. That is the cost of building sales history.

Set two limits before launch: a maximum ACoS you will accept during the launch period, and a time limit, such as 60 days. If the trend is moving toward target, continue. If it is not moving after the time limit, the issue is likely the listing, the price or the product's fit with demand, and more ad spend will not fix it. How long ads take to work covers realistic timelines.

Weeks 1 and 2

Watch impressions and clicks, not ACoS. The first question is whether the ads are being shown. If impressions are very low on exact-match keywords, raise bids. If clicks are high and orders are zero after a meaningful number of clicks, look at the listing before the bids.

Check budgets daily. A campaign that runs out by mid-morning is missing most of the day's shoppers.

Weeks 3 to 6

Now there is search term data. Review the auto and broad campaigns weekly. Move search terms that converted into the exact-match campaign. Add clearly irrelevant terms as negatives. When unsure whether a term is irrelevant or just early, wait for more clicks.

Adjust bids on exact-match keywords based on early results. Raise bids on terms that convert, lower them on terms that spend without converting, but give each term enough clicks before judging it.

Weeks 7 to 9

Compare the launch period against your limits. Is ACoS trending toward target? Is organic rank improving on the main keywords? Are total sales rising, not just ad sales?

If yes, start moving the product toward normal management: tighter ACoS targets, a schedule built from its own hourly data, and placement adjustments where the report supports them. If no, revisit the listing and price before deciding whether to continue. The first 90 days of PPC covers the transition.

Frequently asked questions

Should I run Sponsored Products on a new listing with no reviews?

You can, but expect lower conversion and higher ACoS until reviews arrive. Make sure images, title, price and bullets are strong first, and use a modest budget focused on highly relevant keywords. Ads drive traffic; the listing has to convert it.

What ACoS should I expect on a new Amazon product?

Higher than on established products, often above break-even for the first weeks, because the listing has no reviews or sales history and the campaigns have no data. Set a launch ACoS limit and a time limit in advance, and judge progress by the trend rather than the first week.

Should I start with auto or manual campaigns for a new product?

Both. An automatic campaign finds search terms you did not think of, and a manual exact-match campaign on a few highly relevant keywords concentrates spend where conversion is most likely. Move converting search terms from auto into manual as data builds.

Off Hours spend alerts and budget rules keep a new listing's launch campaigns inside the limits you set while the data builds. Start a free 14-day trial.