Guide to Amazon DSP Specs
If you’re running programmatic campaigns on Amazon, understanding the exact Amazon ad sizes and file requirements for Amazon DSP is non-negotiable. This practical guide covers everything you need to know about web display, mobile, and video ad specifications to get your creatives approved and performing.
Key Takeaways
- Understanding Amazon DSP ad sizes, file requirements, and creative policies is essential to avoid rejections and ensure your display, mobile, video, and streaming TV ads perform effectively.
- Amazon DSP offers advanced audience-based targeting, premium ad formats, and broad inventory access, making it a powerful tool for brands and Amazon sellers ready to scale their advertising efforts.
- Following proper design standards, technical specifications, and compliance guidelines helps maximize reach, improve engagement, and streamline campaign launches without costly delays.
What Is Amazon DSP? (And How It Differs from Sponsored Ads)
This platform is a demand-side solution for buying programmatic display, video, and audio inventory across owned digital properties and a wide network of third-party publisher websites and apps. This includes placements across major e-commerce environments, connected TV platforms, streaming services, entertainment portals, and extensive external ad exchange inventory.
Understanding how DSP differs from Amazon’s other ad types is essential before diving into specs:
- Audience-based targeting vs. keyword-based: Unlike sponsored product ads or headline search ads, Amazon DSP uses audience-based targeting built on shopping behavior, browsing history, and streaming data rather than search keywords.
- Traffic destinations: DSP can send traffic to your Amazon store, product detail pages, or external websites that meet Amazon’s editorial policies. Sponsored ads typically keep shoppers within Amazon’s ecosystem.
- Expanded formats: DSP includes access to display and video ads, streaming tv placements, and audio ads that sponsored display ads and sponsored brands simply don’t offer.
- Retargeting power: While sponsored display handles basic retargeting, DSP provides granular audience segments, including in-market, lifestyle, and lookalike audiences built from Amazon’s first-party data.
For budget planning, managed-service DSP typically requires a significant minimum campaign commitment. Self-service access through agencies or approved advertisers usually involves a substantial starting investment. This makes DSP a strong consideration for sellers and brands ready to scale their advertising efforts meaningfully.
Now that you understand what DSP offers, let’s break down the specific ad formats and their corresponding specs.
Main Amazon DSP Ad Formats
The platform supports three broad creative categories: standard web display, video (online and streaming TV), and mobile in-app banners. Each format serves different stages of the customer journey and comes with distinct technical requirements.
Here’s how these format groups break down:
Standard Web Display
Static image or HTML5 banner ads that appear across owned digital properties and third-party publisher sites. These are billed primarily on CPM and work well for awareness and retargeting campaigns targeting the right audience.
Online Video
In-stream or out-stream video ads delivered across web and mobile app inventory. Often skippable, these formats drive mid-funnel consideration and work alongside display advertising to boost brand awareness.
Streaming TV (STV)
Full-screen, non-clickable video ads are shown within connected-TV and streaming environments. Focused on upper-funnel brand campaigns, STV reaches cord-cutters in immersive, lean-back viewing experiences.
The platform also offers dynamic e-commerce creatives. These auto-generated ads pull in product images, pricing, ratings, and a call-to-action button, assembled automatically by the system. They still follow minimum dimension requirements but require less custom design work.
Standard Web Display Specs & Best-Performing Amazon DSP Sizes
Amazon DSP follows IAB standards for display advertising, but not all sizes perform equally within Amazon’s retail media ecosystem. Certain dimensions historically earn more impressions and better CPMs based on placement availability and advertiser demand.
300 × 250 (Medium Rectangle)
This medium rectangle is the foundation of any DSP campaign and is one of the most widely supported ad sizes across digital inventory. It appears frequently within search result environments, product pages, and across extensive third-party placements. Its balanced layout allows for clear product presentation, strong branding, and concise messaging, making it a reliable format for both awareness and performance-focused campaigns.
160 × 600 (Wide Skyscraper)
The wide skyscraper format runs along the side rails of desktop layouts, providing extended vertical space for storytelling and brand reinforcement. This format is particularly effective when campaigns require more visual depth or sequential messaging. The vertical orientation works well for lifestyle imagery, stacked product displays, and designs that benefit from a scrolling visual flow.
300 × 600 (Half Page / Large Rectangle)
This large rectangle offers high-impact visibility in premium placements and content-heavy layouts. The expanded canvas enables stronger visual hierarchy, allowing creative teams to showcase brand identity, hero visuals, and supporting copy without crowding the design. This format is ideal for product launches, featured promotions, and immersive storytelling.
728 × 90 (Leaderboard)
Leaderboards typically appear at the top or bottom of desktop web pages, delivering broad exposure and high impression volume. While they offer less vertical space than larger formats, their prominent positioning makes them effective for driving awareness, reinforcing brand recall, and supporting seasonal or time-sensitive campaigns.
970 × 250 (Billboard)
Billboards provide the largest creative canvas available for desktop DSP advertising, delivering exceptional visual impact. This format is best suited for bold imagery, major brand announcements, and high-profile product campaigns where visibility and memorability are the primary objectives.
320 × 50 and 320 × 100 (Mobile Banners)
These mobile banners dominate across smartphone and tablet environments, making them essential for mobile-focused strategies. Their compact dimensions require clean layouts, strong contrast, and simple calls to action. The larger variant offers slightly more room for messaging, enabling clearer value propositions without sacrificing load speed or usability.
File Requirements for All Display Sizes
Static creatives must be delivered in standard image formats using RGB color mode, with sufficient resolution to prevent pixelation on high-definition screens. File size limits are tightly controlled to ensure fast loading and optimal user experience across devices. HTML5 creatives must be delivered as compressed packages with lightweight initial loads, while any additional assets should load politely from approved servers.
Animated creatives must follow strict duration and loop limits to prevent distraction and excessive bandwidth usage. All clickable elements must direct users to a single, relevant landing page using secure HTTPS links and comply fully with content and editorial policies.
To maximize reach and campaign efficiency, it is recommended to produce multiple core ad sizes rather than relying on just one or two formats. A diversified creative set ensures broader inventory access and stronger overall performance.
Mobile & App Banner Specs on Amazon DSP
Mobile inventory on DSP spans mobile web placements on owned websites and partner sites, in-app banners across third-party apps, and specialized tablet environments, including wake screens. With mobile representing the majority of traffic, getting these specs right is essential for campaign performance and user experience.
Standard Mobile Banner
The standard mobile banner is the primary unit for in-app and mobile web placements across DSP inventory. Designs should be simple, featuring a single product image, a clear brand logo, and a concise call-to-action. Creatives must load quickly on cellular connections to ensure a smooth user experience, so file size and performance are critical considerations.
Large Mobile Banner
The large mobile banner provides slightly more vertical space, making it ideal for including additional offer text or supplementary brand messaging. It is best used when campaigns require a second line of copy while maintaining fast loading and readability on small screens.
Mobile Medium Rectangle
The mobile medium rectangle appears mid-content within mobile web pages and apps. This format captures high user engagement due to its placement and visibility, making it a staple in mobile campaigns that aim to balance brand messaging with action-oriented design.
Mobile Detail Page Creative
Specialized mobile creatives are designed for product detail page placements on phones, reflecting specific mobile layouts. These placements often require adherence to unique safe zones and dimensions, ensuring the creative displays correctly across devices.
Design and Usability Considerations
Touch targets require careful attention on mobile creatives. Buttons and calls-to-action must be large enough for finger taps, while overly small fonts or cluttered layouts can frustrate users and result in rejected ads. Text legibility is essential; designs should be readable at typical mobile screen scales, as what looks clear on a monitor may not translate to smaller devices.
Specialized Mobile Placements
For specialized placements, such as digital publishing environments or tablet lock screens, template-based creative workflows are often provided. These templates guide asset placement and dimensions, ensuring compliance with platform-specific requirements and safe zones while streamlining the creative production process.
Online Video & Streaming TV (STV) Specs
Video ads and Streaming TV represent core growth areas for Amazon DSP, running across multiple platforms and premium publisher inventory. Understanding the distinction between online video and STV and their respective specs prevents costly creative mistakes.
Online Video Specifications
Online video ads run as in-stream or out-stream units across web and mobile app placements. The primary aspect ratio is 16:9, though a square 1:1 format can be used for certain placements. Typical durations range from short bumpers to 15- or 30-second spots, with the mid-range duration being most common for standard campaigns. Videos should be delivered in MP4 format using a widely supported codec with high-quality audio. Maintaining consistent frame rates and resolution ensures smooth playback, while higher-definition files improve visual impact for premium placements.
Streaming TV Specifications
Streaming TV ads are full-screen and non-clickable, designed for connected TV environments and immersive viewing experiences. The recommended aspect ratio is 16:9, and creatives should avoid including on-screen URLs or interactive buttons since viewers cannot engage directly. Calls to action should be communicated visually or through the narrative of the ad. While durations can extend up to several minutes, the majority of campaigns focus on short, 15- to 30-second placements. Streaming TV campaigns are generally available across major markets, with availability expanding over time.
Formatting Consistency
Video creatives must maintain consistent formatting throughout the ad. Mixing pillarbox and letterbox within a single file can lead to rejection or poor playback, so each video should be delivered in a single, uniform format that aligns with the platform specifications.
Audio Guidelines
High-quality stereo audio is required, and sudden spikes or jarring transitions should be avoided. Audio levels must remain within safe limits for broadcast standards, and the ad’s message should remain understandable even when muted. Reliance on audio alone can reduce effectiveness, particularly on mobile devices or in environments where viewers watch with sound off.
Captioning and Accessibility
Including burned-in or optional subtitles is strongly recommended for all video assets. Captions improve accessibility, help convey the message in sound-off environments, and can increase ad completion rates by making content consumable across a broader range of viewing contexts.
Amazon DSP Creative Policies & Compliance Requirements
Meeting pixel dimensions and file sizes is only half the battle. Your dsp ads must also pass Amazon’s editorial and technical review, which catches policy violations that delay campaign launches.
Compliance and Review Requirements
Meeting pixel dimensions and file size specifications is only part of preparing effective DSP ads. Creatives must also pass editorial and technical reviews, which are designed to catch policy violations that could delay campaign launches. Adherence to these guidelines is critical for ensuring smooth approvals and timely campaign execution.
Prohibited Content and Brand Safety
Ads cannot include prohibited content such as adult material, illegal products, unverified health claims, misleading pricing, or unsafe items. Maintaining brand safety is equally important; offensive language, hate speech, and disruptive experiences, like auto-playing audio at full volume or deceptive user interfaces, are not permitted. Ads should provide a safe and professional experience for all users.
Landing Page Compliance
Landing pages linked to ads must load quickly, display correctly on mobile devices, and match the messaging presented in the creative. Misleading content, “bait-and-switch” tactics, or non-secure connections can result in creative rejection and negatively impact campaign performance.
Text, Imagery, and Color Standards
Text and imagery must be clear and legible at full scale. Overcrowded copy, microscopic fonts, or excessive all-caps text are unacceptable. All logos and trademarks used must be properly licensed, and unauthorized use of competitor branding is strictly prohibited. Digital creatives should be delivered in RGB color mode rather than CMYK to ensure proper display across screens.
Third-Party Tracking and Delivery
For ads using third-party tracking or delivery mechanisms, all video tags and JavaScript/iFrame implementations must be secure using HTTPS. Unauthorized cookies or trackers that violate privacy policies will lead to rejection. Only approved ad servers should be used for delivery and tracking.
Revision Timelines
Non-compliant creatives are typically flagged within a few business days, and revisions may be required before the campaign can launch. It is essential to build time for at least one round of feedback into every campaign timeline to avoid delays and ensure on-time delivery.
Design Best Practices for High-Performing DSP Creatives
Spec-compliant creatives can still underperform if design and messaging fall flat. Here’s how to build ad creative that actually converts, not just loads correctly.
Designing High-Performing Creatives
Even when creatives meet all technical specifications, they can underperform if design and messaging are weak. Effective ad design combines clarity, visual appeal, and persuasive messaging to convert viewers, not just display correctly.
Logo Placement
The brand logo should be visible in every frame and consistently positioned, typically at the top-left or top-right. Logos must maintain strong contrast with the background and preserve proper aspect ratios—avoid squeezing, stretching, or distortion.
Headline Strategy
Headlines should feature one clear, benefit-focused statement. Starting with an active verb can increase engagement, and specificity helps communicate real value. Generic taglines should be avoided in favor of concise, actionable messaging that clearly differentiates the brand or product.
Imagery Standards
Use high-resolution product or lifestyle photography, ensuring the primary subject occupies the majority of the frame. Lifestyle images should align with the target audience and product use case, while cluttered compositions or competing focal points should be avoided to maintain visual clarity.
Copy Guidelines
Body text should be concise, focusing on a single benefit supported by a proof point, such as a rating, review snippet, guarantee, or limited-time offer. Every word should earn its place in the creative; unnecessary copy can dilute the message and reduce effectiveness.
Call-to-Action
Calls-to-action must be clear, visually prominent, and placed in a consistent, high-contrast location. Buttons should be large enough for easy interaction on mobile devices, encouraging users to take the desired action without confusion or friction.
Visual Hierarchy and Contrast
Maintain strong color contrast between background, text, and calls-to-action to ensure readability and accessibility. Focus on a single clear focal point, such as the product or key message, and limit secondary elements to avoid visual noise that distracts from the core message.
A/B Testing Approach
Testing multiple creative variations is essential for optimization. Each variation should adjust only one element at a time, such as the headline, hero image, button color, or offer. Run tests long enough to gather meaningful performance data before making decisions.
Adaptation Across Sizes
Creatives should not be scaled uniformly across all formats. Each ad size requires a dedicated layout to preserve readability, visual hierarchy, and clarity. What works in one format, such as a medium rectangle, may need full restructuring for a skyscraper or leaderboard, ensuring every placement performs at its best.
Amazon DSP vs. Sponsored Display: When Do Specs Overlap?
Many advertisers confuse Amazon DSP with sponsored display because both deliver Amazon display ads on and off Amazon. However, creative workflows and specifications aren’t identical, and conflating them causes unnecessary rejections.
Where Specifications Overlap
Some creative specifications are shared across different programmatic and display ad types. Standard IAB sizes, such as medium rectangles and leaderboards, are commonly used across multiple formats. Both ad types require clear, compliant imagery and concise copy, and both can be used for retargeting users who have viewed products or abandoned carts. Content policies regarding prohibited categories apply equally, ensuring a safe and professional advertising environment.
Key Differences Between DSP and Other Display Ads
Demand-side platforms provide access to a broader range of inventory, including connected TV, premium video, and audio placements that standard display ads cannot reach. Full video ads can be produced with fully custom creative, whereas some other display formats rely on templated or auto-assembled assets. Custom creatives allow for more detailed messaging, richer visuals, and a stronger alignment with the campaign’s objectives.
Some campaigns can repurpose assets from other ad formats if they are correctly sized, but specifications must always be verified within the ad console before uploading. Each system operates independently, with separate review processes and creative requirements, so careful attention is required when planning cross-format campaigns.
Typical Campaign Progression
For small businesses and emerging brands, the typical progression begins with standard product and brand display campaigns. As ad spend increases and campaigns become more sophisticated, advertisers can graduate to programmatic DSP campaigns to access expanded inventory, advanced targeting, and fully custom creative assets. This staged approach allows brands to scale efficiently while maintaining control over campaign performance and investment.
Implementation Checklist: Launching DSP Campaigns Without Spec Issues
Before uploading creative assets to Amazon DSP, walk through this pre-launch checklist to avoid rejections and delays.
Planning Campaign Objectives
Before launching any programmatic campaign, it is essential to define clear objectives. Determine whether the campaign is intended for brand awareness, retargeting, prospecting, or a product launch. Your objectives dictate the formats you will use; some campaigns may rely on web display only, while others require video or streaming TV formats to reach audiences effectively.
Building a Creative Matrix
A creative matrix helps organize all required sizes and formats across the campaign. Display campaigns should include core dimensions, while video campaigns require variants at recommended aspect ratios and durations. Planning all creative assets ensures comprehensive coverage across inventory and minimizes gaps that could limit reach or performance.
Verifying Technical Specifications
Double-check all technical specifications, including pixel dimensions, maximum file sizes, accepted file types, animation limits, and delivery tags. Ensure that site-served and third-party assets comply with security and format requirements. Thorough verification prevents rejections during the review process and keeps campaigns on schedule.
Preparing Layered Audiences
Audience targeting should be structured before uploading creatives. Build retargeting, in-market, lifestyle, and lookalike segments, and align messaging to each stage of the customer journey. This ensures that awareness-focused creatives are not shown to audiences intended for retargeting or conversion, maintaining relevance and efficiency.
Quality Assurance Review
Conduct a comprehensive internal QA review before submission. Test all click-through URLs for accuracy, verify spelling and grammar, and ensure that every resource uses secure connections. Preview each creative at full scale across device mockups to catch potential display or functionality issues.
Backup and Submission Strategy
Include static image backups for rich media assets, sized to render correctly on platforms that do not support advanced formats. Upload creatives well in advance of the planned go-live date to allow time for at least one round of review and revisions. Maintaining a documented record of all dimensions, file sizes, and specifications helps teams stay organized and aligned.
Staying Current with Guidelines
Creative requirements evolve regularly, and staying updated is critical. Always cross-reference official guidelines before launching a campaign, as specifications for placements and formats may change. Building revision time into your workflow ensures campaigns launch on schedule and reduces the risk of costly delays.
For advertisers exploring programmatic DSP campaigns for the first time, start with the core creative sizes and formats. Build assets to specification, allow ample review and revision time, and use the documented guidelines as a reference for ongoing campaigns. Following these best practices maximizes campaign efficiency, ensures compliance, and supports stronger performance across display, video, and streaming TV placements.
Summary
Understanding Amazon DSP is essential for any brand or Amazon business looking to scale digital marketing efforts. Core display sizes like 300 × 250, 320 × 50, and 728 × 90 dominate placements across Amazon websites, search results pages, home pages, and third-party sites, ensuring creatives reach the right audience. Mobile campaigns, including mobile app shopping banners, require clean, concise layouts and fast-loading files to drive traffic effectively. Video formats, such as Amazon video ads, demand precise aspect ratios, durations, and high-quality encoding to maintain performance on high-resolution screens. Specialized formats for Kindle Direct Publishing and custom ad size placements further expand inventory options, while compliance with creative guidelines ensures smooth approvals in Seller Central.
Following proper Amazon marketing services and technical specifications allows campaigns to maximize reach, leverage advanced targeting options, and effectively combine multiple products into compelling layouts. Regularly referencing official Amazon DSP ad specs and cross-checking file requirements prevents delays, ensures consistent branding across formats, and improves overall campaign ROI. Brands that plan carefully, test variations, and adapt creatives across all supported placements are best positioned to succeed in programmatic advertising.
