Display Ads
Banner ads on and off Amazon, aimed at in-market, product engagement and site visitor audiences.
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Amazon DSP
Amazon DSP Online Video Ads
Amazon DSP online video ads play before, during or between content, or within the page flow, on Amazon's own properties and across the open web. Unlike Prime Video ads, they serve mostly on desktop, mobile and tablet rather than the TV screen, and the creative specs are more flexible. We use Amazon online video to make first contact with Amazon audiences through video and to move viewers to the next step.
Purpose and appearance
What do we use this format for?
Online video is the model we use to show the brand to Amazon audiences on video for the first time and to build a new retargeting pool from viewers. For brands without a Prime Video budget or a TV film, we build awareness with short videos and move viewers into display and conversion campaigns in the following weeks.
Funnel stages it serves
- Awareness
- Consideration
- Conversion
- Loyalty
Amazon online video vs. Prime Video ads
Both models are bought through Amazon DSP, but they don't do the same job. Prime Video ads run in films and series, overwhelmingly on the TV screen, as non-skippable, fixed-price inventory. Online video runs in the open auction, across devices and content types; the budget can start smaller and flex with the audience.
There is a technical difference too. Prime Video requires 1920x1080 and at least 15 Mbps, while online video accepts a minimum of 640x360 and 2 Mbps for third-party serving. A short social media video or a vertical cut can't run on Prime Video but can be used in online video.
Amazon DSP video ad specs we check before launch
With rejected creatives, the problem usually isn't image quality but file settings. Before uploading a file delivered by the agency or production company, we check it against the list below. Files exported for social media usually fall short on bitrate or audio settings; taking a new cut from the TV master is often faster.
- For Amazon-served video, at least 1920x1080 (horizontal) or 1080x1920 (vertical); for third-party serving, at least 640x360
- Video bitrate at least 4 Mbps, 8 Mbps recommended; at least 2 Mbps for third-party
- Audio at least 192 kbps, 44.1 or 48 kHz, at least two channels
- Constant frame rate: 23.976, 24, 25 or 29.97
- H.264, MPEG-2 or MPEG-4 video with AAC audio; up to 500 MB for Amazon-served files
- Vertical (9:16) video currently runs only on Twitch and Amazon Publisher Direct
Video completion audiences and measurement
The most overlooked return from online video is the viewer audience. Amazon DSP lets you segment users who reach a set view rate into a video completion audience. We re-engage those who watched to or near the end the following week with display or a longer product video; those who dropped off in the first seconds we try again with a different opening, rather than counting them as wasted frequency.
In measurement we don't rely on video completion rate alone; in out-stream placements, muted autoplay can inflate completion rates. That's why we report in-stream and out-stream results separately. After the campaign we compare branded search volume and direct site visits with the previous period in GA4, and if the budget allows, we ask whether Amazon's brand lift measurement is available on your account.
Amazon DSP video alongside YouTube and DV360
In Türkiye, most video budget goes to YouTube video campaigns, and we don't recommend changing that. We add Amazon DSP online video as a second touchpoint, narrowed by shopping signals, for the audience reached on YouTube. For brands already using DV360 Online Video on open web video, we limit the Amazon side to Amazon audiences only; otherwise the two DSPs can end up bidding against each other for the same inventory.
Online Video: when do we recommend it?
We recommend it
- Brands without a TV ad that can produce short videos
- Advertisers wanting to make first contact with Amazon audiences through video and follow up with display
- Brands wanting to test Amazon video inventory on a small budget before Prime Video
We don't recommend it
- Campaigns expecting direct last-click sales from video
- Brands that want to appear only on the TV screen and in long-form content; Prime Video is the better fit here
- Videos that don't make sense with the sound off, have no subtitles and show the logo late
How we manage Online Video
- File auditWe check resolution, bitrate, audio and frame rate before upload and request a re-export if needed.
- Placement separationWe run in-stream and out-stream in separate line items and read their completion rates separately.
- Length testWe compare 6-second and 15-20-second versions of the same message.
- Viewer audienceWe put users who pass a set view rate into a separate audience and build the second-touch plan around it.
- Second-touch returnWe compare conversions from display impressions served to the viewer audience with those of an audience that didn't see the video.
Online Video: metrics and requirements
Metrics we track
- Video completion rate
- Viewable impressions
- Cost per completed view
- Unique reach
- Change in branded search
- Viewer audience size
What you need to get started
- Horizontal and, ideally, vertical video in 6-second and 15-30-second versions
- Subtitles and an early logo so the video works with the sound off
- Inline VAST 2.0 or 3.0 tags for third-party serving
- The Amazon Ads tag, if traffic is directed to the site
Official sources
The Brand Move Amazon DSP Team
Contact us nowTo learn more about Online Video or other Amazon DSP ad formats, contact The Brand Move Amazon DSP team today.
Explore further
Amazon DSP overview
Other Amazon DSP campaign types and ad formats
Prime Video Ads
Full-screen, non-skippable pre-roll and mid-roll in films and series. Most viewing is on TV screens, with a light ad load.
ExplorePerformance+ and Brand+
Brand+ for reach and consideration, Performance+ for conversions and ROAS. Both combine first-party data with Amazon signals.
ExploreMobile App Campaigns
Amazon DSP app install and in-app event campaigns with CPI or CPA goals, measured in Events Manager with MMP data.
ExploreFrequently asked questions
Online Video: frequently asked questions
Where do Amazon DSP online video ads run?
On Amazon's own properties and on open web inventory, before, during or between content (in-stream) or within the page flow (out-stream). They serve mostly on desktop, mobile and tablet. Ads in Prime Video films and series are a separate model bought as fixed-price inventory.
What length should Amazon video ads be?
Amazon accepts videos between 6 and 120 seconds, with recommended lengths of 6, 15, 20, 30 and 60 seconds. For awareness, we start by testing a 15-20 second main version together with a 6-second reminder version.
Can we use the vertical video we shot for Instagram?
Partly. Vertical 9:16 video currently runs only on Twitch and Amazon Publisher Direct inventory and needs at least 1080x1920 resolution. For open web in-stream, we recommend a horizontal cut.
Why do you report in-stream and out-stream completion rates separately?
Skippability depends on the publisher's player, and out-stream video plays within the page, mostly muted, which can inflate completion rates. One combined rate would be misleading, so we report by line item and fit the message into the first five seconds.
Which third-party video tags does Amazon DSP accept?
VPAID 2 is accepted only within inline VAST; wrapper tags and standalone VPAID are rejected. If the same tag will be used on Prime Video as well, we have it prepared to Prime Video's stricter specs.
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