Amazon Ads has started inviting US advertisers into an extended closed beta for DVA+, a four-step campaign builder inside Amazon Ads Agent. The pitch is direct: choose an objective, pick products or a brand URL, review AI-generated creatives, set a budget, and let the system handle targeting, bidding and placements. Open beta is expected in late October 2026, with general availability across 35 markets targeted for Q1 2027.
What DVA+ actually does
The tool builds Display, Video and Audio campaigns across streaming TV, online video, display and audio inventory on Amazon properties and the open web. Amazon is using the line “no DSP expertise required” to describe the default experience. That matters because the demand-side platform is normally where programmatic buyers do their most technical work.
DVA+ sits on top of Brand+ and Performance+, Amazon’s automated products launched in 2024. Brand+ drives awareness, reach and engagement; Performance+ chases consideration and conversion. DVA+ selects between them based on the advertiser’s objective.
The control trade-off
Amazon frames DVA+ as a toggle between automation and manual control. The default tier lets the system manage audience targeting, bidding, inventory, budget delivery and format allocation. The advanced tier exposes frequency caps, deal activation, custom bidding, publisher lists and audience controls.
For agencies and experienced programmatic teams, the question is whether this simplifies media buying or hides the controls they need. Visibility into placements is standard, but control over placements sits in advanced settings. That is a familiar tension: advertisers ask for automation, then ask where their budget went.
Read the performance claims carefully
Amazon lists seven performance results, but all are marked as internal data and each footnote says individual results may vary. The headline figures include a 68% cost-per-acquisition improvement and a 34% higher return on ad spend. The numbers predate DVA+ and are mostly attributed to Brand+ and Performance+ campaigns between February 2025 and Q1 2026.
There is no third-party validation, and Amazon does not state what the improvements are measured against. That is not unusual in ad tech, but it should shape how teams model the opportunity.
What to do now
If you are in the US and have an Amazon Ads Agent account, check your eligibility and ask your account manager about advanced settings. During closed beta, payment is invoice-only, with credit card support planned for Q1 2027. Keep an eye on fees and minimum spend, because the announcement does not specify them.
- Sellers, vendors and off-Amazon brands with Amazon Ads Agent access are eligible.
- Programmatic buyers get both DVA+ and advanced settings immediately.
- New and Sponsored Ads advertisers can request advanced settings via an Amazon account manager.
- Agencies with existing entity access get both experiences.
The practical move: treat DVA+ as a testing ground, not a proven performance engine. Use the reporting to track publisher, format and geography placements, and hold the AI-generated assets to the same standard as hand-built creative.
Source: PPC Land
