Update (July 2026): Building on the launch of the minimum ROAS feature, Auto-bidding now includes two new enhancements for brands. It now optimizes for sales instead of clicks and now supports Retailer Targeting, allowing brands to combine automated bidding with retailer-specific campaigns. The article below has been updated to reflect these latest enhancements.
Drive Stronger Performance with Auto-bidding
Auto-bidding uses machine learning to automatically optimize bids in real time based on signals like auction competitiveness, predicted conversion likelihood, and expected sales value. By continuously adjusting bids on your behalf, Auto-bidding helps advertisers maximize performance while reducing the need for manual bid management.
Auto-bidding with Minimum ROAS
Since launching last year, Auto-bidding has seen strong adoption from advertisers looking to simplify campaign management and improve performance. Building on that foundation, a new minimum ROAS feature gives advertisers greater control over campaign efficiency.
By specifying a minimum ROAS, advertisers can set the lowest acceptable ROAS for a campaign directly in Ads Manager. The system continues optimizing bids automatically while helping campaigns stay at or above the desired ROAS threshold. In testing conducted in February 2026, more than 95% of Auto-bidding campaigns exceeded their configured minimum ROAS target*, giving advertisers more confidence to scale spend while maintaining their performance goals.
Now Optimized for Sales
Auto-bidding now optimizes for sales instead of clicks, helping advertisers capture higher converting opportunities. This update helps advertisers maximize the value of their existing budgets by automatically prioritizing higher-value sales opportunities. The updated algorithm evaluates each auction based on its likelihood to drive a sale — so brands get more out of every dollar spent without changing how they manage campaigns.
Based on initial testing, Auto-bidding campaigns optimized for sales saw on average 6% more sales per click**, giving brands a more efficient path to growth. The upgrade applies automatically to all Auto-bidding campaigns — no action required.
Now Compatible with Retailer Targeting
Advertisers can now combine Auto-bidding with Retailer Targeting, bringing automated bid optimization to retailer-specific campaigns. Brands no longer have to choose between retailer-specific strategies and automated optimization. They can prioritize preferred retailers while Auto-bidding continuously optimizes bids to maximize performance.
Customer Spotlight: Deep Indian Kitchen
Deep Indian Kitchen, a leading frozen Indian food brand available at major grocery and convenience retailers, tested the combination of Retailer Targeting and Auto-bidding across two key retail partners:
At CVS: Auto-bidding scaled reach efficiently, delivering 44% higher sales and 46% more clicks**.
At Sprouts: Targeting a high-intent audience, the campaign delivered 42% higher sales and 41% more clicks**.
Both results show what's possible when automated bid optimization meets retail-loyal shoppers — more sales, more efficiently.
Availability
Auto-bidding now supports the following targeting capabilities for Sponsored Products campaigns (U.S. only):
Retailer Targeting (new). Note: Retailer Targeting is not available for Alcohol advertisers.
Behavioral Targeting
Interest Targeting
Together, these capabilities help advertisers spend less time managing bids and more time driving measurable business results.
Ready to get started? Log in to Ads Manager or reach out to your DoorDash Ads representative to learn more.
*Results from test campaigns run on DoorDash in Feb 2026. Min ROAS targets configured by DoorDash based on historical performance analysis.
**Source: Doordash internal testing 4/13/26- 4/23/26.
