Troubleshooting
Beta refers to pre-release features or products that are under active development and available for users to try out.
Where does a sponsored listing appear?
Your sponsored listing can appear in two places, and in both it appears only when it's relevant to the customer:
- Home grid. Your store can appear in a sponsored position in the retailer grid. It doesn't appear in any other Home module.
- Cross-retailer search. When a customer searches across stores, your store can appear in a more prominent position in the retailer results.
Why isn't a sponsored listing in a more prominent spot?
Sponsored listings appear when they're most relevant to the customer's search, so you might not win every auction. Check that your targeting isn't too narrow, that your campaign is active (not paused, ended, or out of budget), and that both your campaign budget and a promotion budget have funds.
Can an existing promotion be sponsored?
No. Existing promotions can't be boosted. Pause the retailer promotion for that banner and create the promotion in the sponsored listings flow.
Why can't a sponsored listing campaign be created?
Sponsored listings are in a closed beta for a limited group of retailers, so you might not see the option yet. If you do have access, you can draft your campaign at any time, and Ads Manager tells you if there is an active promotion or sponsored listing that you need to pause first.
How do you get access to the closed beta?
Sponsored listings with promotions are in a closed beta and available by invitation to select U.S. retailers. To ask about access, contact your Instacart representative. If you don't have a representative, email ads-help@instacart.com.
Can promotion ad groups in the same campaign use different banners?
Yes. Create one promotion ad group per banner in the same campaign. A single promotion can't include several banners. You also can't run a sponsored listing at the same time as a retailer promotion for the same banner.
How are sponsored listings charged?
Sponsored listings with promotions are billed on a cost-per-click (CPC) basis, so you're charged only when a customer clicks your sponsored listing, not when it's shown. You also fund the promotion savings when a customer redeems the offer. For more information, see Introduction to sponsored listings.
What targeting options are available?
You set targeting on each promotion ad group, so different promotions in the same campaign can reach different customers. You can combine an audience segment with a region or store group. Targeting can be updated after launch. For more information, see Creating a promotion group.
Audience segments
- New to retailer. Customers who haven't ordered from your store in the last 12 months.
- New to Instacart. Customers with fewer than 5 purchases on Instacart.
- New to category. Customers who haven't purchased from the selected category recently.
- Lapsed buyers. Customers who have ordered from your store before, but not recently.
- Loyal buyers. Customers who have ordered from your store recently.
- Buys category but not from you. Customers who buy from the selected category, but not from your store.
- Interacts with category. Customers who have browsed or engaged with the selected category but haven't purchased from your store.
Region and store group
Narrow a promotion to specific regions or store groups.
Can each promotion have its own dates?
No. All promotions follow the campaign's start and end dates.
What happens to customers who already clipped a promotion?
If the promotion is paused because a budget ran out or you paused the campaign, they can't redeem it until it resumes.
How long do edits take to appear?
Up to 2 hours.