How Down Only and Up and Down Bidding Work
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Quick answer
Amazon Down Only and Up and Down are dynamic bidding options for Sponsored Products campaigns. Down Only lowers a submitted bid when Amazon predicts a conversion is unlikely, reducing spend without ever raising the bid. Up and Down can also lower bids in those situations, but it may increase them when Amazon sees a stronger conversion signal. The result is that Down Only behaves more conservatively, while Up and Down allows Amazon to push into more competitive placements when its model supports it.
That practical split shapes how budgets are spent across search placements. Some advertisers prefer Down Only for tighter cost control, while others accept Up and Down's wider bid range for potentially stronger visibility. The right fit depends on your campaign goal, margin, and tolerance for variable spend.
How Down Only bidding works
With Down Only, Amazon uses your submitted bid as a ceiling. The system can reduce it when click-to-conversion probability looks weak. The bid is never increased above what you set, which helps hold down spend on clicks that historically do not convert. This is useful in campaigns where the priority is efficiency over maximum exposure.
- Lowers bids in low-conversion scenarios
- Never raises the submitted bid
- Reduces wasted spend with a more predictable upper limit
How Up and Down bidding works
Up and Down gives Amazon room to move in both directions. If the auction signal suggests a click is less likely to convert, Amazon may reduce the bid, similar to Down Only. If the signal suggests a higher chance of conversion, Amazon may raise the bid, which can improve ad position and visibility. This wider bid range can capture more sales, but it also means daily spend may vary more.
- May decrease bids on weak conversion signals
- May increase bids on stronger conversion signals
- Works best when you are comfortable with less fixed spend control
When this matters for budget and bid management
The difference becomes visible when you compare search term and placement performance. If spend is rising without additional orders, Down Only can be a safer temporary setting. If you see strong conversion potential in certain placements and want to stay competitive, Up and Down may be more appropriate. Amazon Ads Dashboard by Todoza can help you track spend, sales, and ACoS changes by campaign so you can spot how bid adjustments affect performance.
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Choosing between Down Only and Up and Down is less about which setting is universally better and more about matching bid behavior to your current advertising goal. Reviewing the performance data after changing the setting will tell you whether the wider or narrower bid range is helping.