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Your first optimization

Walk through a complete optimization workflow — from finding an opportunity to making a change. This tutorial takes about 5 minutes.

Prerequisites​

Step 1: Open the Ad Manager​

Click Ad Manager in the sidebar. Your campaigns load into a sortable table with key metrics like Spend, Sales, ACOS, and ROAS.

Ad Manager campaign table

Step 2: Find a high-ACOS campaign​

You want to find campaigns spending more than they should. Use the filter bar to narrow your view:

  1. Click the filter icon in the toolbar
  2. Add an ACOS filter and set it to greater than 40%
  3. Add a Spend filter and set it to greater than $50

The table now shows only campaigns with high ACOS and meaningful spend — these are your optimization targets.

Filtered campaigns showing high ACOS

Step 3: Review the campaign​

Click on a campaign row to open the metrics panel at the bottom. This shows:

  • Spend vs Sales trend over your selected date range
  • ACOS and ROAS daily breakdown
  • Click-through rate and conversion rate patterns

Look for campaigns where ACOS has been trending upward or conversions are declining.

Step 4: Adjust the budget​

If a campaign is overspending without returning enough sales, reduce its daily budget:

  1. Click the Budget cell for that campaign
  2. A popover appears with the current value
  3. Type a new budget amount (e.g., reduce from $100 to $75)
  4. Press Enter or click away to save

The change applies immediately to Amazon. You'll see a brief confirmation.

Step 5: Check the targets​

For more precise optimization, look at the individual keywords and targets within the campaign:

  1. Switch to the Targets view using the toggle at the top
  2. Filter by the same campaign name
  3. Sort by ACOS descending to see the worst performers
  4. Pause targets with high spend and zero sales by clicking the state dropdown

What you've accomplished​

In just a few minutes, you've:

  • Identified underperforming campaigns using filters
  • Analyzed performance trends in the metrics panel
  • Adjusted a campaign budget with inline editing
  • Paused wasteful targets

What's next​

Now that you know the basics, explore the tools that automate these optimizations: