Amazon dsp creative and formats

Amazon DSP creative and formats

Pick the creative type that matches the line item's product type and supply, then build it to Amazon's requirements so it is eligible to serve. The creative is what actually runs in the impression the bidding won, so a line item with no eligible, approved creative does not deliver no matter how the goal is set. This skill covers the creative types, where their specs live, how third-party tags fit, and the practices that make a creative perform on Amazon supply.

Amazon DSP is Amazon's programmatic demand-side platform for display, video, streaming TV, and audio across Amazon properties and third-party exchanges. Its creative model is distinct from Amazon Ads sponsored ads (Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, Sponsored Display), which auto-generate retail-search ad units from product listings. DSP creatives are assets you build and assign to a line item, including exclusive Amazon options such as responsive e-commerce creatives that an off-Amazon DSP cannot run.

This skill assumes you know what an impression, a creative, a CPM, and an ad tag are. For shared definitions, see the programmatic-foundations skill.

When to use this skill

• "What creative type do I use for this Amazon DSP line item?"
• "What are the Amazon DSP creative specs / requirements for display / video / STV / audio?"
• "What is a responsive e-commerce creative?" / "How do dynamic e-commerce creatives work?"
• "Can I run a third-party ad tag on Amazon DSP?" / "1x1 tracking, VAST tag, audio tag."
• "Amazon streaming TV creative." / "Online video creative." / "Audio creative for Amazon."
• "Why is my creative rejected / not eligible / not serving?"

Boundaries with sibling skills:

• The full order and line item build sequence (where creative assignment is the last step): hand off to amazon-dsp-campaign-setup.
• Product types and where creative sits in the hierarchy: hand off to amazon-dsp-account-structure.
• Which supply and deals the creative will run against: hand off to amazon-dsp-inventory-and-supply.
• The optimization goal the creative is being judged against: hand off to amazon-dsp-bidding-and-optimization.
• Reading creative performance (CTR, VCR, detail page views by creative): hand off to amazon-dsp-measurement-and-reporting and the reporting-by-campaign-goal skill.
• Uploading creatives or assigning them through the API: hand off to amazon-dsp-api-and-automation.

Quick reference

Match the creative type to the line item's product type. The product type is set first and constrains which creative is eligible.

Creative type	Runs on	Build from	Notes
Standard display	Desktop, mobile web, mobile app	IAB-standard sizes or custom display	Third-party tags supported; assets must pass Amazon policy
Responsive e-commerce creative	Amazon owned-and-operated and beyond	Product (ASIN) data, auto-assembled	Amazon-exclusive; pulls price, image, rating, badges live
Online video (OLV)	In-stream and out-stream, desktop and mobile	Video asset, common durations	Skippable and non-skippable inventory
Streaming TV (STV) video	Connected TV, plus mobile and desktop video	Full-screen video asset	Full-screen, non-skippable; interactive options exist
Audio	Audio supply, including Amazon Music and podcasts	Audio asset plus a companion image where supported	Non-skippable; interactive audio call-to-action options exist

A creative is eligible to serve only when it matches the line item's product type, meets the format's current spec, and passes Amazon's creative policy review. Any one of those failing blocks delivery.

Exact dimensions, file sizes, aspect ratios, durations, bitrates, and accepted file types change and differ by placement. Do not hardcode a number from memory. Pull the current values from the Amazon Ads ad specs page (in Sources) before you build or hand specs to a designer.

Core process

1. Confirm the line item's product type first. Standard display, online video, streaming TV, or audio. The product type is set on the line item and decides which creative type is eligible, so a creative built for the wrong product type cannot be assigned. Product types are covered in amazon-dsp-account-structure.
2. Choose the creative type that matches the product type and the supply. For Amazon owned-and-operated retail supply, a responsive e-commerce creative usually outperforms a static banner because it shows live price, image, rating, and badges. For broad display reach, standard display covers desktop, mobile web, and mobile app in one type.
3. Pull the current spec before building. Open the Amazon Ads ad specs page and read the exact dimensions, file size, duration, aspect ratio, bitrate, and accepted file types for that creative type and placement. Specs differ by placement and change over time, so this is the step that prevents rework.
4. Build or source the asset to that spec. Provide every required size and the safe-area and text-overlay constraints for video and STV. For a responsive e-commerce creative, supply the product (ASIN) and let the template assemble the unit; the live retail data fills in.
5. Add tracking and any third-party tag. Standard display supports third-party ad tags and impression and click trackers; video placements take a VAST tag where supported. Confirm the tag type and the secure (HTTPS) requirement against the current spec, and make sure click-through URLs and trackers are valid.
6. Submit for creative policy review and fix rejections. Amazon reviews creatives against its acceptance policies; a rejected or pending creative does not serve. Read the rejection reason and correct the asset or claim rather than resubmitting unchanged.
7. Assign the approved creative to the line item. A line item with no eligible, approved creative does not deliver. This is the final pre-launch step in amazon-dsp-campaign-setup.

Creative types in depth

• Standard display. IAB-standard sizes or custom display units across desktop, mobile web, and mobile app. The most flexible type for reach and the natural home for third-party ad tags. Supply the full set of sizes the placements call for so the line item is eligible across its inventory.
• Responsive e-commerce creative. An Amazon-exclusive format assembled from product (ASIN) data. It renders live retail signals (price, primary image, star rating, Prime and deal badges) and adapts across placements, so it stays current without a manual rebuild and tends to lift retail consideration. Use it whenever the goal is shopping behavior on Amazon and the products are in the catalog. Pair it with the retail goals in amazon-dsp-bidding-and-optimization.
• Online video (OLV). In-stream (before, during, or after video content) and out-stream (in non-video environments) across desktop and mobile, in skippable and non-skippable inventory. Build to one of the accepted durations and respect the safe area for any text or logo. Confirm the exact accepted durations on the ad specs page rather than assuming.
• Streaming TV (STV) video. Full-screen, non-skippable video on connected TV plus mobile and desktop video. Treat it like a TV spot: the viewer cannot skip, the screen is large, and legibility and audio matter. Interactive options (shop with the remote or a phone scan) exist for STV. Cap exposures tightly on the line item, because video wears out fast (frequency is set in amazon-dsp-campaign-setup).
• Audio. Non-skippable audio across audio supply, including Amazon Music's ad-supported tier and podcasts available programmatically. Most placements pair the audio with a companion display image, so supply both. Interactive audio call-to-action options exist on some inventory. Write for the ear: a clear single message and a spoken call to action.

Decision rules and thresholds

• Product type gates the creative. Decide the line item's product type first; it determines which creative type can be assigned. A mismatch is the most common reason a creative cannot be attached.
• Prefer responsive e-commerce creative for retail goals on Amazon supply. It shows live price, image, rating, and badges and updates itself, which static banners cannot, so it lifts consideration and avoids stale-price rebuilds. Reserve static display for cases where brand art must be pixel-controlled.
• Supply every required size and asset. A display line item missing the sizes its placements need is under-eligible and underdelivers; a video or audio creative missing a companion or a required duration may be ineligible on part of its supply.
• Match creative weight and length to the channel. STV and OLV viewers cannot skip non-skippable inventory, so front-load the message; audio has no visual, so carry the message in voice.
• Third-party tags are allowed on display (and VAST on video where supported) but must meet the secure-tag and format requirements on the current spec. A non-secure or malformed tag is rejected.
• Never assert an exact spec from memory. Dimensions, file sizes, durations, aspect ratios, bitrates, and accepted file types differ by placement and change. Always read the current value off the ad specs page before building.

Reference material

This skill deliberately does not reproduce a spec table, because exact creative specifications change and differ by placement, and a stale number causes rejected creatives and rebuilds. The authoritative, current values live on the Amazon Ads ad specs page in Sources. Read it when you need a dimension, file size, duration, aspect ratio, bitrate, or accepted file type, and when you brief a designer.

Templates and examples

A retail-consideration display line item on Amazon owned-and-operated supply:

Product type: standard display
Creative type: responsive e-commerce creative
Build: supply the promoted ASIN(s); template assembles unit with live price, image, rating, badges
Tags: Amazon-native; add impression/click tracking per current spec if required
Why: live retail data lifts detail page views and never shows a stale price; pairs with a DPVR or
     ROAS goal in amazon-dsp-bidding-and-optimization

A streaming TV awareness line item:

Product type: streaming TV
Creative type: streaming TV video (full-screen, non-skippable)
Build: video to the current STV spec (read durations, aspect ratio, file type off the ad specs page);
       keep text inside the safe area; mix audio for living-room playback
Tags: VAST where supported, per current spec
Frequency: tight cap on the line item (video wears out fast); set in amazon-dsp-campaign-setup
Why: non-skippable full screen means the message lands; legibility and audio carry it

An audio line item on Amazon Music and podcasts:

Product type: audio
Creative type: audio (non-skippable) + companion display image where supported
Build: audio asset to the current spec; supply the companion image at the required size
Copy: one clear message and a spoken call to action; consider an interactive CTA on eligible inventory
Why: no skip and no guaranteed screen attention, so the voice must carry the whole message

Common pitfalls

• No eligible creative assigned, so the line item does not deliver. Creative assignment is the final gate; confirm it in amazon-dsp-campaign-setup before launch.
• Creative built for the wrong product type and cannot be attached. Set the product type first, then build to it.
• Hardcoding a spec from memory or an old brief. Specs differ by placement and change; pull the current value from the ad specs page every time.
• Missing sizes or a missing companion asset. The line item is under-eligible on part of its supply and underdelivers. Supply the full required set.
• A static banner where a responsive e-commerce creative belongs. On retail-goal Amazon supply you lose live price, rating, and badges and risk showing a stale price.
• A non-secure or malformed third-party tag. It fails policy review. Meet the secure-tag and format requirements on the current spec.
• Resubmitting a rejected creative unchanged. Read the rejection reason and fix the asset or the claim; policy review will reject it again otherwise.
• Treating this as sponsored ads creative. Sponsored ads auto-build retail-search units from listings; DSP creatives are assets you build and assign. If the request is about search-result ad units, it is sponsored ads, not the DSP.

Sources

• Amazon Ads ad specs (creative specifications and requirements) (as of June 2026)
• Amazon DSP: Advertise with a demand-side platform (as of June 2026)
• Streaming TV ads (as of June 2026)
• Online video ads (in-stream and out-stream OLV) (as of June 2026)
• Audio ads (as of June 2026)
• amzn/ads-advanced-tools-docs (official Amazon Ads advanced tools documentation) (as of June 2026)

Amazon publishes the creative format families on the pages above, but the exact, current specifications (dimensions, file sizes, durations, aspect ratios, bitrates, accepted file types) live on the Amazon Ads ad specs page and change over time, and some placement-level detail and the in-console creative builder sit behind login. This skill therefore states the creative types and general requirements and points to the ad specs page for any exact number, rather than asserting a dimension or duration it cannot verify on a public page. Confirm the current spec there before building.