How to Use Ads

This feature is still in beta mode, and is only available to selected sellers. 

Shopee Ads currently offers two bidding methods for Product Ads: Auto Bidding and Manual Bidding.

Your bidding method is set during the ad setup process, and cannot be changed once your Product Ad is published.

This article will describe what each bidding method entails to help you choose the right bidding method for your Product Ad.

Overview of each bidding method

1. Auto Bidding

With Auto Bidding, Shopee’s system optimises the keyword selection (if applicable) and bidding for you. There’s no need to manually configure keywords or manually set the bids for each keyword and Discovery location.

1. If you would like a bit more control over your ad spend, you can set a ROAS Target [link needed] for your Product Ad.

2. Manual Bidding

With Manual Bidding, you can manually set your own bids for each keyword and Discovery location, giving you more control over your ad spend and ad performance.

1. With Enhanced Bid Price, Shopee can help you to optimise the bids that you have manually set, in real time.

Auto Bidding

When a Product Ad is using Auto Bidding, Shopee's system automatically matches and delivers your Product Ad to relevant shoppers in your chosen placements. 

The system takes into account various factors to predict the likelihood of a conversion, bidding more aggressively when there is a high likelihood of generating a sale, and bidding more conservatively when there is a lower likelihood. 

The system aims to maintain a healthy ROAS to allocate your ad spend effectively, unless you set a specific ROAS Target.

The Auto Bidding system also learns and adjusts its own behaviour automatically over time, thus reducing the need for you to repeatedly adjust your settings manually.

Manual Bidding

Choosing Manual Bidding during ad setup allows you to:

1. Manually add keywords and set the match type and bid price for each keyword. (Applies to Search placement only)
2. Manage your Discovery locations and set the bid price for Daily Discover and You May Also Like respectively. (Applies to Discovery placement only)
3. Enable or disable Enhanced Bid Price

Additionally, audience targeting capabilities are only available for Product Ads using Manual Bidding.

Which bidding method is right for my Product Ad?

Determining the right bidding method depends on your goals and experience. 

1. If you are new to Shopee Ads or ads, are experimenting with a new product or customer segment, or simply prefer a hassle-free ad management experience, Auto Bidding may be best for you.
2. If you are an experienced advertiser or desire more precise control over your bids, Manual Bidding may be the right option.

Can I run both bidding methods simultaneously?

Yes, if you would like to enjoy the benefits of both bidding methods or compare their respective performance, you can run two Product Ads for a given product simultaneously – one using Auto Bidding and the other using Manual Bidding.

Why can't I change the bidding method for an existing Product Ad?

Your choice of bidding method is set during the setup process, and cannot be changed once your Product Ad is published.

To switch from one bidding method to the other, you can pause the current Product Ad and create a new Product Ad that uses the other bidding method.

Why is the Manual Bidding option unavailable to me during setup?

Currently, we only support the selection of Manual Bidding when you are setting up Product Ads for one product at a time. 

When you try to mass create Product Ads by selecting multiple products during the setup process, Manual Bidding cannot be selected. Auto Bidding will be the only available bidding method and will apply to all the Product Ads that are created in the same setup process.

Additionally, Manual Bidding is not an available bidding method when you create an Auto Product Ad (which is when you select "Automatically select best products for me").