Which Campaigns on Amazon are Better? Manual vs Automatic Explained

The Classic Amazon Advertising Dilemma

Picture this: you’ve launched your first Amazon ad campaign. The dashboard looks like a spaceship control panel, and you’re wondering, “Should I go automatic or manual?”

This isn’t a small question. Choosing the right campaign type determines how effectively your ads reach shoppers. With 9.7 million sellers on Amazon, standing out is no longer optional; it’s survival.

Automatic campaigns promise ease and speed. Manual campaigns promise control and precision. Both can work brilliantly or burn your budget, depending on how you use them.

So, let’s break it down once and for all: which one’s right for your Amazon business?

Automatic Campaigns: Easy, Fast, and Data-Driven

If you’re new to Amazon ads, automatic campaigns are your best friend. Think of them as an “autopilot” mode where Amazon’s algorithm takes over choosing your keywords, placements, and bids based on your product listing and buyer behavior.

How it works: You select a product, set your budget, and Amazon does the rest. It matches your listing with search terms buyers are already using.

Why Sellers Love It:

• Fast setup: You can launch a campaign in minutes. No keyword lists or deep research required.
• Data collection: It helps uncover high-converting keywords you didn’t even know existed.
• AI-powered targeting: Amazon’s machine learning analyzes patterns, showing your ad to the right shoppers at the right time.

The Catch:

• You’ll pay for irrelevant clicks because you don’t control keywords directly.
• The cost-per-click (CPC) can rise if Amazon tests too broadly.
• There’s limited visibility into which search terms are working.

Still, automatic campaigns are gold for data discovery. You’re essentially letting Amazon’s algorithm do the keyword research for you, and once you know what performs, you can switch gears to manual for full control.

Pro tip: Run automatic campaigns for 2–3 weeks, then download the search term report to find winning keywords to transfer to a manual campaign.

Manual Campaigns: Precision Targeting and Total Control

If automatic campaigns are your training wheels, manual campaigns are your Formula One car. You decide what roads to take, what speed to go, and which turns to skip.

In a manual campaign, you select every keyword, set bids individually, and define targeting down to the match type: broad, phrase, or exact. This gives you granular control over where your ads appear and how much you spend.

Why Manual Campaigns Shine:

• Complete control: You handpick high-performing keywords and control where your ad budget goes.
• Better ROI: Because you’re targeting intent-based searches, you waste less money.
• Actionable insights: You see exactly which keywords drive sales and can optimize accordingly.

Challenges:

• You’ll need time to research, test, and tweak.
• It requires consistent monitoring to maintain performance.

A 2025 Helium10 report found that sellers running manual campaigns achieved 22% lower CPCs and 15% higher conversion rates compared to those using only automatic campaigns.

Bottom line: Manual campaigns take more work, but they reward you with better profitability and long-term scalability.

Amazon Ad Automation: The Smart Middle Ground

Here’s the good news: you don’t have to pick one or the other.

With Amazon ad automation, you can blend the best of both, letting data drive your strategy while keeping full control of your campaigns.

Automation uses AI and machine learning to handle tedious tasks like bid adjustments, keyword pausing, and budget reallocation. It’s your invisible assistant that never sleeps.

How It Helps:

• Automated bidding: Increase bids for converting keywords and lower bids for poor performers.
• Time savings: Eliminate manual updates; automation handles them 24/7.
• Keyword migration: Automatically move high-performing keywords from automatic to manual campaigns.
• Performance tracking: Receive real-time alerts when your ACoS or CTR changes.

A 2025 Tinuiti report showed that advertisers using Amazon ad automation improved ROI by 37% and cut campaign management time in half.

Automation doesn’t replace your marketing brain; it simply frees it up to focus on strategy, not spreadsheets.

Manual vs Automatic Campaigns Amazon: The Real Performance Showdown

Let’s face it: the question isn’t which one’s better, it’s how they perform differently.

Here’s a side-by-side comparison:

Manual campaigns require patience but deliver powerful insights and high returns. Automatic campaigns are faster to launch but rely heavily on Amazon’s judgment.

The winning formula: Start with automatic data gathering. Then, transition into manual campaigns for precise control.

Best Practices for Blending Campaign Types

Here’s how professional marketers and our team at Bridgeway Digital blend the two for the best results:

1. Start Automatic: Run an automatic campaign for 2–4 weeks to gather keyword data.
2. Analyze Data: Use Amazon’s search term report to find top-performing search phrases.
3. Build Manual Campaigns: Transfer the most profitable keywords into a manual campaign.
4. Automate Smartly: Use Amazon ad automation tools to adjust bids based on ACoS and CTR.
5. Test and Optimize: Review results weekly and refine your bidding strategy.

This approach, called the Hybrid PPC Strategy, helps you improve ad relevance, reduce wasted spend, and maintain consistent performance.

Sellers who follow this hybrid system see, on average:

• 28% higher click-through rates (CTR)
• 20% less wasted ad spend
• 35% faster optimization cycles

Pro tip: Always keep 10–20% of your budget for automatic campaigns to keep discovering new keywords.

The Hidden Metric: Intent Matching

Here’s something most sellers overlook: search intent.

Automatic campaigns help you discover the intent, the “why” behind the buyer’s search. Manual campaigns help you capitalize on it by showing up when the buyer is ready to purchase.

Example:

An automatic campaign might show your ad for “wireless headphones” and “Bluetooth earbuds under £50.” If you notice conversions spike for the second term, move it into a manual campaign and bid higher.

This process, called intent matching, turns automatic discovery into manual domination. It’s how top sellers use both campaign types to stay one step ahead.

Amazon Ad Automation Tools You Should Know

If you’re serious about scaling, here are some tools to make automation easy:

• Helium10 Adtomic: Ideal for bid optimization and keyword automation.
• PPC Entourage: Great for managing hybrid manual/automatic campaigns.
• Sellics: Offers AI-powered budget control and campaign insights.
• Amazon Campaign Manager: Built-in, easy to use, and free for beginners.

Each of these tools helps sellers save time, maintain consistency, and maximize ad performance, no matter how big or small your store is.

How to Choose the Right Strategy for Your Business

The right campaign type depends on where you are in your Amazon journey:

• New Sellers: Start with automatic campaigns to learn the market.
• Growing Brands: Use manual campaigns for better control and profit.
• Established Sellers: Combine both with automation for consistent scaling.

Remember, the most successful Amazon businesses aren’t guessing they’re testing.

The Future of Amazon Advertising: Smarter, Not Harder

By 2026, AI is expected to manage over 60% of Amazon advertising, transforming how sellers run campaigns. This shift means faster optimizations, smarter targeting, and lower ad costs.

With AI-driven Amazon ad automation, brands will effortlessly analyze trends, predict outcomes, and adjust bids in real time, all without manual guesswork. Sellers will gain more time for creativity, product storytelling, and brand growth.

The future of Amazon PPC isn’t about working harder or spending more; it’s about using intelligent automation to outsmart the competition, scale efficiently, and let data drive decisions that maximize every advertising pound.

Manual or Automatic? The Smartest Sellers Say Both

In the debate of manual vs automatic campaigns Amazon, the real winner is balance.

• Automatic campaigns help you discover opportunities.
• Manual campaigns help you own them.

When used together and powered by Amazon ad automation, they become a growth engine that scales your business intelligently.

At Bridgeway Digital, we’ve helped Amazon sellers master this blend to boost conversions, reduce costs, and achieve data-driven growth.

Because in the Amazon marketplace, success doesn’t belong to the loudest brand; it belongs to the smartest.

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. What Are The Main Amazon Campaign Types?

Amazon offers Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, Sponsored Display, and DSP campaigns, each designed for specific goals like awareness, remarketing, or conversions.

2. What’s The Difference Between Manual and Automatic Campaigns on Amazon?

Automatic campaigns let Amazon select keywords for you, while manual campaigns give you full control over bids, keywords, and targeting.

3. How Does Amazon Ad Automation Work?

Amazon ad automation uses algorithms to optimize bids, pause low-performing ads, and transfer strong keywords from automatic to manual campaigns.

4. Which Campaign Type is Better For Beginners?

Automatic campaigns are better for beginners since they simplify setup and help identify high-converting keywords for future manual optimization.

5. Can I Use Both Manual and Automatic Campaigns Together?

Absolutely! This hybrid strategy is what top sellers use to gather insights through automatic ads and scale profit through manual control.