How to Get Started with Amplify for Amazon Ads Management

If you’re planning to work with Amplify to manage Amazon Ads for your books, the setup process is straightforward. This guide outlines the steps required so we can begin building and launching campaigns.

Compared to many other advertising platforms, getting started with Amazon Ads tends to be less complex for publishers. Because ads run directly within Amazon and promote existing product pages, many of the onboarding steps required for advertising on other platforms (such as preparing book descriptions, creative assets, or sharing cover designs) are not necessary. In addition, there is no need for additional landing pages or tracking pixels

While there is significant work involved on our end in auditing accounts, conducting keyword research, structuring campaigns, and optimizing performance, the initial steps required from publishers are relatively simple.

We created this guide to remove uncertainty about the onboarding process and make it easy for new partners to get started. Most publishers can complete the steps below quickly once the necessary information is gathered.

Once these steps are completed, our team can begin auditing your account, preparing campaigns, and launching ads according to the agreed timeline and budget.

Amazon Ads Agency Setup Checklist

Before campaigns can launch, we will need:

  • Access to your Amazon Ads account

  • A confirmed budget and launch timeline

  • A spreadsheet of the books (ASINs) you’d like to advertise

  • Access to Vendor Central analytics (if applicable)

Once these pieces are in place, we can begin building campaigns and preparing your advertising strategy.

Step 1: Grant Access to Your Amazon Ads Account

The first step is giving our team access to your Amazon Ads account so we can audit existing campaigns and begin preparing new ones.

There are two ways to do this.

Option 1: Provide the Email Address of an Account Admin

If you prefer, you can provide us with the email address of an administrator for your Amazon Ads account. We will send a request for agency access.

Option 2: Provide Your Amazon Ads Account ID

Alternatively, you can provide your Amazon Ads Account ID. To find this:

  1. Log in to Amazon Ads

  2. Look at the URL in your browser

  3. Copy the portion of the URL that begins with ENTITY, followed by a 12-digit alphanumeric identifier

  4. Send this identifier to us and we will request agency-wide access to the account.

Timing

We typically request access at least two weeks before ads are scheduled to begin. This allows us time to:

  • Audit the ad account

  • Review past campaign performance (if applicable)

  • Conduct keyword and category research

  • Build campaign structures for launch

Our goal is to have campaigns fully prepared so they can launch on the approved start date and with the budget that has been agreed upon.

Step 2: Confirm Budget and Timeline

Before building campaigns, we need to confirm the initial advertising budget and timeline. This does not require a formal document. Any of the following works well:

  • A Google Sheet

  • An Excel spreadsheet

  • A simple email confirming the budget

We typically confirm at least the first month’s advertising budget so campaigns can be structured appropriately.

Knowing the budget allows us to determine:

  • How many titles to promote initially

  • Campaign structure and bidding strategy

  • How aggressively to test keywords and audiences

Step 3: Provide a Spreadsheet of Titles to Advertise

Next, please provide a list of the books you’d like to promote in the first phase of advertising. For many publishers, the easiest way to do this is by sharing a spreadsheet (Google Sheets or Excel) that lists the books you would like to advertise.

However, this step is flexible.

If your catalog includes fewer than about 50 books, a formal spreadsheet may not be necessary. In that case, simply sending us a list of the titles or ASINs you’d like to prioritize is usually sufficient.

If creating a spreadsheet feels confusing or time-consuming, another option is to export your catalog directly from Amazon and send that file to us as a starting point. We can organize and refine the information from there.

If your team is able to export a spreadsheet for us, we recommend one row per book, with separate columns for each format and the following information.

Recommended Spreadsheet Columns

  • ASIN – Hardcover

  • ASIN – Paperback

  • ASIN – Kindle

  • ASIN – Audiobook (if applicable)

  • Title

  • Subtitle

  • Series Name (if applicable)

  • Author Last Name

  • Author First Name

  • Publication Date

  • Price

  • BISAC Code 1

  • BISAC Code 2

  • BISAC Code 3

  • Imprint

  • Genre / Topic / Category

  • Additional Notes (optional)

Examples of helpful notes include:

  • Priority titles

  • Overstock inventory

  • Limited availability

  • Seasonal relevance

  • Upcoming promotions

  • Titles with strong existing sales

This information helps us structure campaigns, conduct keyword research, and prioritize which titles to advertise first. To make this easier, we’ve created a simple spreadsheet template that you can use if you’d like. You can download it below:

Step 4: Grant Vendor Central Analytics Access (If Applicable)

If your titles are managed through Amazon Vendor Central, we also request access to the following reporting tools:

  • Brand Analytics

  • Retail Analytics

These reports provide valuable insight into how readers discover and purchase books, which helps inform keyword research and campaign strategy.

Currently, Vendor Central access must be granted one email address at a time, so we will provide the email addresses that need access.

Additional Information That Can Help Campaigns Launch Faster

The following information is not required but can help us plan campaigns more effectively.

Account Type

It is helpful for us to know how your books are managed within Amazon. Publishers typically operate through one of the following:

  • Vendor Central

  • Seller Central

  • Amazon Advantage

  • KDP

This helps us understand which reporting data and advertising tools are available.

Priority Titles

If there are specific books you want to prioritize in the initial phase of advertising, please note those in the spreadsheet or provide a short list separately.

Common priorities include:

  • New releases

  • Backlist titles with strong sales history

  • Titles with upcoming publicity or promotions

  • Books with strong seasonal relevance

  • Overstock titles in danger of large returns

Identifying priorities helps ensure advertising budget is focused where it can have the greatest impact.

What Happens Next

Once we have:

  • Amazon Ads account access

  • Budget confirmation

  • A spreadsheet of titles

  • Vendor Central analytics access (if applicable)

Our team will begin:

  • Conducting keyword and category research

  • Structuring advertising campaigns

  • Setting budgets and bidding strategies

  • Preparing campaigns for launch

From there, we focus on ongoing testing and optimization to improve performance over time.

Thank You for Partnering with Amplify

Thank you for partnering with Amplify. We appreciate the opportunity to work together and look forward to helping grow visibility and sales for your books through strategic Amazon advertising.

If you have any questions during the setup process, feel free to reach out. We’re always happy to help guide you through the next steps.

Related Articles