Introduction

If you’re running ads on Amazon, chances are your Sponsored Products campaigns focus on carefully selected keywords and ASIN targets. That’s smart, but what about the thousands of searches you’re not actively bidding on?

This is where Auto – Catch All campaigns come in. These campaigns are a hidden lever in Amazon PPC that many sellers overlook. Instead of chasing the same competitive keywords as everyone else, catch all campaigns use Amazon’s automatic targeting system to quietly capture low-cost clicks, discover new search terms, and even defend your brand from competitor traffic.

In this guide, we’ll explain:

• What Auto – Catch All campaigns are and how they work
  
• Why they matter for sales growth, keyword discovery, and brand protection
  
• How to set them up correctly without wasting budget
  
• Best practices and common mistakes to avoid

By the end, you’ll have a step-by-step strategy to add this campaign type into your PPC structure and make your entire account more efficient.

What Is an Auto Catch All Campaign?

An Auto – Catch All campaign is a type of Amazon Sponsored Products auto-targeting campaign built with low bids and broad product coverage.

Instead of targeting specific keywords or ASINs, you let Amazon decide where your ads appear. The “catch all” part comes from the way these campaigns are designed:

• You include many (or all) of your products in one campaign.
  
• You set low default bids, typically between $0.10–$0.25.
  
• You let Amazon’s algorithm match your ads to a wide range of customer searches and product pages.

The result? You capture incremental sales and keyword data that your manual campaigns don’t cover. Think of it as a safety net for your advertising account, catching traffic that would otherwise slip through the cracks.

Why Auto Catch All Campaigns Matter

Catch all campaigns aren’t just a nice add-on. They play a strategic role in making your Amazon advertising portfolio more profitable and better informed.

1. Keyword Discovery

Even the most detailed keyword research misses something. Auto targeting surfaces real customer search terms you may never have considered.

For example: a product could start converting on long-tail searches like “absorbent pads for basement flooding”, a phrase you’d likely never add manually. These insights can later be moved into manual campaigns for higher-volume targeting.

2. Market Insights

Catch all campaigns show how shoppers actually phrase their searches. This helps you understand customer intent and adjust not just ads, but also your listing optimization strategy. Real search term data can inspire better titles, bullets, and backend keywords.

3. Brand Protection

With low bids, your ads can appear on competitor product pages or generic searches that overlap with your category. This helps intercept traffic that might otherwise convert with your competitors. It’s a subtle but effective brand defense strategy.

4. Data for Manual Campaigns

Strong-performing search terms discovered here can be harvested into exact or phrase match manual campaigns. Over time, this process sharpens your targeting and reduces wasted spend. Your manual campaigns become stronger because they’re informed by real shopper behavior, not just keyword tools.

5. Incremental Sales at Low Cost

Because bids are so low, clicks are cheap. This leads to sales with favorable ACOS and often lower average CPC than your main campaigns. While catch all campaigns may not drive massive volume, the sales they do generate are highly profitable.

How to Set Up Catch All Campaigns on Amazon

If you’re ready to test this strategy, here’s how to build it step by step:

1. Create a Sponsored Products Campaign
   
   • Select Automatic Targeting as the targeting type.
     
   • Give it a clear name like Catch All Auto – [Product Line].

2. Choose Products
   
   • Add all products, or group by product family.
     
   • Avoid mixing unrelated categories in the same campaign, as this can dilute relevance.
     
3. Set Low Bids
   
   • Start with $0.10–$0.20 CPC bids across all targeting groups (Close Match, Loose Match, Substitutes, Complements).
     
   • Keep it low, raising bids too high can cannibalize traffic from manual campaigns.
     
4. Budget
   
   • Allocate a small but steady daily budget (e.g., $15–$20 to start).
     
   • Increase only if you see consistent, profitable traction.
     
5. Bidding Strategy
   
   • Use Dynamic Bids – Down Only so Amazon lowers your bid when conversion likelihood is low.
     
6. Run Continuously
   
   • Let the campaign run “always on.” Catch all campaigns tend to perform best when left to operate in the background.

Best Practices for Amazon Auto Targeting Ads

To make the most of catch all campaigns, follow these best practices:

1. Harvest Keywords Weekly

Download your search term report regularly. Any term with strong conversions and good ACOS should be moved into manual campaigns with exact or phrase match. This ensures you can bid more competitively where it counts.

2. Refine Negatives

The other side of harvesting is trimming. Add negative keywords to block irrelevant searches that spend without converting. This protects your budget and keeps ACOS in check.

3. Seasonal Check-Ins

During peak sales seasons, consider raising bids slightly to catch more valuable traffic. For example, in Q4 or Prime Day, catch all campaigns can scoop up extra long-tail searches that competitors overlook.

4. Segment by Product Type

Grouping products by category ensures that Amazon’s algorithm stays relevant.

For example: For the brand FlashDry, their absorbent pads can run in their own campaign, while pet mats and workshop products can have separate catch-alls.

5. Monitor Placements and Bids

Check placements like “Top of Search” or “Product Pages” to ensure your low bids are still driving visibility. Adjust only if you see strong CTR and conversion data.

Running auto catch all campaigns effectively takes time, from keyword harvesting to constant bid checks. At Bits&Atoms, our Advertising Management Services ensure every campaign, from catch alls to ranking pushes, works together for profitable growth.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even experienced sellers make errors with catch all campaigns.

Avoid these pitfalls:

• Running with high bids: This risks cannibalizing traffic from your manual campaigns and drives up ACOS unnecessarily.
  
• Neglecting negatives: Without refining, irrelevant clicks eat away at your budget.
  
• Treating it as a main campaign: Catch all campaigns are meant to be supplemental, not your primary sales driver.
  
• Ignoring reports: The real value is in the search term data. Failing to review it means missing the whole point of the campaign.

Amazon PPC Catch All vs Manual Campaigns

It’s important to understand the difference between these campaign types:

• Catch All Auto Campaigns are for exploration. They run at low bids, test wide audiences, and uncover new opportunities.
  
• Manual Campaigns are for optimization. They focus budget on proven keywords, product targets, and strategies.

The best accounts don’t choose one or the other, they use both at the same time. Catch all campaigns feed insights into manual campaigns, making the entire structure more efficient and profitable.

Example: Incremental Sales with Catch All Campaigns

In one Bits & Atoms client account, a catch all campaign uncovered search terms like “absorbent pads flood cleanup” that converted at a strong ACOS.

We pulled those terms into an exact match campaign, scaled bids, and generated additional sales for that product line. Over time, this reduced wasted budget, improved average CPC, and boosted the client’s visibility against unexpected competitors.

This is a clear example of how even small, low-bid campaigns can create incremental sales with Amazon catch all ads.

FAQs About Auto Catch All Campaigns

1. Do catch all campaigns work for small catalogs?
Yes. Even if you only sell a few ASINs, auto campaigns can uncover long-tail keywords you may not find through research alone.

2. How often should I check the search terms?
Weekly is best. This ensures you’re harvesting valuable keywords quickly while blocking irrelevant ones before they waste budget.

3. Should I ever raise bids in a catch all campaign?
Only in peak seasons or after spotting strong converting terms. Otherwise, keep bids low to preserve profitability.

4. Can I run multiple catch all campaigns?
Absolutely. Many sellers segment by product family or category to keep targeting relevant.

5. Are catch all campaigns profitable long-term?
Yes, when managed correctly. They won’t be your biggest driver of sales volume, but they deliver consistent, efficient results and strengthen your manual campaigns.

Conclusion

Auto – Catch All campaigns may not get the same spotlight as ranking campaigns or manual keyword targeting, but they’re one of the smartest ways to improve your Amazon advertising. They capture incremental sales, uncover valuable data, and make your entire PPC structure more efficient.

Want expert help applying these strategies to your brand? 

Book a call with our team and let’s build a profitable PPC strategy for your Amazon account.