DoorDash is home to all kinds of brands from cereal classics to late-night snack essentials. And while they all show up in the same app, their customers don’t always shop the same way.
Some products fly off the virtual shelf at lunchtime. Others spike after 10 p.m. That’s why we built Dayparting – a new targeting feature in Ads Manager that lets you schedule Sponsored Product and Sponsored Brand campaigns by hour, day, and local time zone.
It’s a simple way to make your ad budget work harder by aligning with when your customers are shopping.
Why We Built It: Advertiser Needs, Real-World Behavior
Advertisers were already trying to do this manually, using third-party tools or spreadsheets to control spend by time of day. But it was time-consuming and clunky. We wanted to make it easier.
With Dayparting, you can now:
Schedule campaigns by hour and day, directly in Ads Manager
Reach customers in their local time zone, no matter where they are
Use built-in insights, like hourly heatmaps and daily capout data, to plan more effectively
It’s about helping you stay visible when it matters most – whether that’s during the dinner rush, the Sunday morning coffee run, or a Friday night craving.
Additionally, most ad platforms run dayparted campaigns in the advertiser’s time zone. But DoorDash Dayparting adjusts dynamically to the shopper’s local time—whether they’re browsing in New York, Chicago, or San Diego.
So when you schedule your campaign from 6–9 PM, your ads actually show up from 6–9 PM local time, no matter where your customers are.
That means greater relevance, fewer wasted impressions, and better results.
Where Dayparting Makes a Difference
Advertisers are using Dayparting both to solve long-standing challenges and to unlock new ways to optimize campaign performance. Here are some of the most common ways we’ve seen it deliver impact:
Avoid Early Budget Cap-Outs: Shifting spend away from low-performing hours helps advertisers preserve budget for the times when customers are most likely to shop. This not only prevents missed opportunities but also improves bidding efficiency during high-intent windows.
Maximize Peak Windows: Some advertisers run two separate campaigns: a steady, always-on campaign alongside a second, higher-bid campaign that runs only during peak hours. This approach helps them stay present throughout the day while putting extra weight behind the moments that matter most. It works for both Sponsored Products and Sponsored Brands – especially when paired with tailored creatives.
Align with Real-World Moments: From “late night cravings” to “lunchtime staples,” Dayparting makes it easy to run time-specific messaging that feels relevant. Advertisers can also plan around cultural moments like sports finals, award shows, or back-to-school season. With Sponsored Brands, it's simple to customize creative and copy for the occasion and then schedule it to run only during these key moments.
Why Advertisers Are Turning to Dayparting
By combining category-level performance insights, local-time delivery, and granular budget control, Dayparting helps advertisers connect with high-intent customers at the exact moment they’re most likely to convert.
On average, advertisers using Dayparting have seen:
+6% increase in click-through rate (CTR)
+23.1% lift in conversion rate (CVR)
4.2% more efficient return on ad spend (ROAS)
Dayparting also works seamlessly alongside other targeting tools—like interest, location, and category share insights—for a well-rounded campaign strategy.
Start Dayparting Today
Whether you’re launching a product, promoting a tentpole event, or just want to spend smarter, Dayparting can help you hit your goals with greater precision.
It’s available now for all Sponsored Product and Sponsored Brand campaigns. Get started with Dayparting in Ads Manager today.
