Amazon Responsive eCommerce Creative 2026: In-Banner Video, Carousels & Alexa Shopping Prompts Explained

Amazon has rebuilt one of its most important automated display-ad formats.

On September 30, 2026, Amazon announced a major redesign of Responsive eCommerce Creative (REC), adding in-banner video, multi-image carousels, conversational prompts powered by Alexa for Shopping, richer layouts, stronger brand controls and expanded device experiences across Amazon and third-party publishers. Amazon Ads

The objective is straightforward:

Instead of requiring advertisers to manually build dozens of display creatives for different screen sizes, websites, devices and audience contexts, Amazon can increasingly assemble and optimize the appropriate creative automatically.

One product campaign can potentially generate different experiences for:

Desktop

Mobile

Publisher sites

Fire Tablet

Fire TV

Alexa+

and other eligible placements.

At Adorbix, we see the bigger shift as:

PRODUCT DATA → AI CREATIVE → CONTEXTUAL FORMAT → CUSTOMER INTERACTION → CONVERSION → PROFIT

Amazon is not simply making display ads prettier.

It is turning display creative into a dynamic, AI-optimized shopping experience.

What Is Responsive eCommerce Creative?

Responsive eCommerce Creative is Amazon's automated display-ad format for brands selling products on Amazon.

The advertiser supplies products and approved creative inputs.

Amazon can then dynamically build ads using information from the product listing, including elements such as:

• product imagery,
• current pricing,
• deals,
• coupons,
• star ratings,
• Prime eligibility,
• custom images,
• video,
• headlines.

Amazon automatically adapts those elements into supported placements and sizes across Amazon properties and third-party publishers. Amazon Ads

The idea is:

ONE CREATIVE INPUT → MANY AD EXPERIENCES

rather than manually designing every banner size.

The 2026 redesign makes that system much richer.

What Changed in the 2026 REC Update?

Amazon's new Responsive eCommerce Creative experience introduces three major areas of improvement.

The first is new ad formats, including:

In-banner video

Multi-image carousels

Alexa for Shopping conversational prompts

and richer Alexa+ and Fire Tablet experiences.

The second is brand identity controls, letting advertisers provide logos, brand colors, imagery and copy guardrails.

The third is a new generation of rich-media layouts designed to adapt more naturally to each placement instead of forcing the same basic product ad everywhere. Amazon Ads

Together, these changes turn REC from a responsive banner generator into something closer to an automated creative system.

In-Banner Video Is One of the Biggest Upgrades

Amazon's new REC allows video to appear directly inside display-banner placements on supported third-party publisher sites.

That means a display impression no longer has to rely entirely on:

static image + product information.

It can show motion and product storytelling directly inside the banner.

Amazon says advertisers can use video in several ways:

• upload existing video,
• reuse video from previous campaigns,
• or generate video using Amazon's creative AI tools. Amazon Ads

For brands selling products that benefit from demonstrations, this can be significantly more powerful than a standard display image.

Think:

Kitchen products

Beauty

Fitness

Tools

Consumer electronics

Home products

A five- or ten-second demonstration can explain something a static photograph cannot.

Why In-Banner Video Matters for Amazon Sellers

Sponsored Products generally reaches shoppers when they are already searching.

Video display can reach consumers earlier.

Imagine someone reading an article on a premium publisher site.

A static ad shows your blender.

They may ignore it.

A video showing:

ingredients → blending → finished smoothie

communicates the value much faster.

The shopper can understand:

what it is,

how it works,

and:

why they might want it

without first visiting the PDP.

That turns display advertising from simple product exposure into product education.

At Adorbix, we'd especially test in-banner video on products where:

DEMONSTRATION = CONVERSION ADVANTAGE

Multi-Image Carousels Bring More Storytelling Into Display Ads

Amazon has also introduced multi-image carousel ads.

These can display between three and six products from a brand in one swipeable unit on supported third-party publisher sites. Amazon Ads

That changes the role of the ad.

A traditional display banner may show:

one product.

A carousel can show:

a collection.

That is useful for brands with:

• variations,
• complementary products,
• product families,
• collections,
• multiple hero ASINs.

Imagine a skincare brand.

Instead of advertising one cleanser, the carousel could show:

Cleanser

Serum

Moisturizer

Sunscreen

Now the ad communicates the broader brand ecosystem.

Carousels Can Support Cross-Selling

This is where the format becomes commercially interesting.

Suppose a customer is interested in one product.

The carousel can expose them to several adjacent products before they even reach Amazon.

That can increase:

product discovery

and potentially:

basket expansion.

For Adorbix clients, we would organize carousel creative strategically rather than selecting random products.

A useful grouping might be:

HERO PRODUCT → COMPLEMENT → UPGRADE → ALTERNATIVE

For example:

Basic coffee maker.

Premium coffee maker.

Milk frother.

Coffee grinder.

The ad then behaves more like a mini storefront.

Alexa Shopping Prompts Make Display Ads Conversational

Perhaps the most futuristic REC update is interactive prompts powered by Alexa for Shopping.

Amazon says these prompts are automatically generated using first-party information from sources such as:

• product detail pages,
• Brand Stores,
• campaign data. Amazon Ads

A shopper may see a question or conversational prompt inside a display ad.

When they engage, they can enter an Alexa for Shopping conversation where they can:

learn more about the product,

ask follow-up questions,

or:

add the product to cart. Amazon Ads

The ad is no longer simply:

View product.

It can become:

Ask about product.

That is a major change in ecommerce advertising.

Why Conversational Ads Could Improve Product Discovery

Many customers hesitate because they still have one unanswered question.

For example:

Does this fit my device?

Is this suitable for sensitive skin?

What's included?

Which size should I buy?

Does this work outdoors?

Normally, the customer must click the ad, open the listing and search for the answer.

Conversational ads can shorten that process.

The future funnel becomes:

AD

↓

QUESTION

↓

ANSWER

↓

PRODUCT

↓

PURCHASE

That potentially reduces friction.

But it also means product information quality becomes even more important.

Better Product Data Becomes Better Advertising

Alexa for Shopping cannot create accurate product answers from poor source data.

If your listing contains weak or incomplete information, conversational advertising can magnify those weaknesses.

This makes:

titles,

attributes,

bullet points,

A+ Content,

Brand Store content

and:

product specifications

part of the advertising infrastructure.

At Adorbix, we would approach Alexa prompts through:

LISTING SEO + CRO + AI READINESS

The listing shouldn't only make sense to humans.

It should contain structured, accurate information that Amazon's AI can interpret confidently.

Alexa Prompts Are Currently More Limited Than REC Overall

This is an important availability distinction.

Responsive eCommerce Creative itself is available across many markets.

However, Amazon says Alexa for Shopping prompts inside REC are currently available only in the United States. Amazon Ads

Brand identity controls are also currently U.S.-only.

Meanwhile, richer REC layouts and previews are available much more broadly, and video/carousel availability spans many—but not all—REC markets. Amazon Ads

So international advertisers should not assume every new capability is available in every locale.

Check the specific marketplace before building your creative strategy around a feature.

REC Now Appears Across More Types of Screens

Amazon is also expanding responsive creative onto devices including:

Alexa+ smart displays

and:

Fire Tablet.

Amazon says ads can adapt natively to these environments with more immersive, full-bleed creative treatments. Amazon Ads

This matters because advertising design requirements change dramatically across screens.

A banner viewed on a laptop is different from an ad occupying most of an Echo Show display.

Responsive creative aims to remove some of that manual adaptation.

Instead of designing each environment separately, Amazon dynamically chooses how to present the available brand assets.

Rich-Media Layouts Replace the “One Banner Everywhere” Approach

Traditional responsive display advertising often looks responsive only in size.

Same product.

Same image.

Same general layout.

Just resized.

Amazon's redesigned REC goes further.

Amazon says rich-media layouts can combine:

Lifestyle imagery

Video

Brand logos

Dynamic copy

Commerce information

and adapt those elements to the placement itself. Amazon Ads

A creative shown on Fire TV can therefore feel different from one shown on a news site.

That's important because:

NATIVE-LOOKING CREATIVE USUALLY FITS THE CUSTOMER CONTEXT BETTER

The objective isn't simply resizing an advertisement.

It's producing the most appropriate version of the ad for the environment.

New Brand Controls Address a Major AI-Creative Problem

AI creative creates a real brand-governance problem.

The more automatically generated variations a system creates, the harder it becomes to ensure every ad stays on-brand.

Amazon's new Brand Identity Controls address this.

Advertisers can upload:

• logo,
• color palette,
• approved imagery,
• copy guardrails

so Responsive eCommerce Creative can generate and optimize variations within those boundaries. Amazon Ads

This is an important development.

AI should not mean:

Random creative at scale.

It should mean:

Brand-controlled creative at scale.

At Adorbix, we'd still manually audit important campaigns, but these controls can significantly reduce repetitive review work.

Preview Tools Give Advertisers More Transparency

Automation only works when advertisers can see what is being generated.

Amazon has added Preview and Advanced Preview filters that let advertisers inspect creative variations by factors including:

• ASIN,
• placement,
• on/off-Amazon environment,
• size,
• language,
• asset. Amazon Ads

This is particularly useful for larger catalogs.

Imagine 20 products generating dozens of possible display combinations.

Without filtering, QA becomes nearly impossible.

The new preview tools give brands a more practical way to inspect the outputs before or during campaign operation.

REC Can Promote Up to 20 ASINs Per Creative

Amazon's current creative specifications say REC can contain up to 20 ASINs in a single creative setup.

Amazon can rotate products and automatically skip items that are out of stock. Amazon Ads

That's useful for:

category campaigns,

product collections,

and:

large catalogs.

But Adorbix would not necessarily recommend adding 20 unrelated ASINs just because Amazon allows it.

Better practice is usually to group products with a shared customer need.

For example:

Running accessories

rather than:

Running shoes + blender + office lamp + phone case.

Automation works better when product strategy remains coherent.

Amazon Can Pull Commerce Signals Into the Ad Automatically

One of REC's strongest advantages is that it pulls live ecommerce information from the Amazon product listing.

That can include:

Price

Deal badges

Coupons

Ratings

and:

Prime eligibility. Amazon Ads

That reduces the risk of manually designed ads becoming outdated.

If a deal changes, the creative can reflect current commerce information rather than relying on static text built weeks earlier.

During events such as Prime Day or Black Friday, that can be particularly useful.

AI Optimization Determines Which Creative Combination Appears

REC doesn't simply create multiple variations.

Amazon uses machine learning to continuously test combinations of:

• images,
• headlines,
• titles,
• layouts,
• AI-created elements

and select different combinations based on factors including:

audience

campaign objective

product

and:

placement. Amazon Ads

That creates a form of automated creative testing at scale.

Instead of the marketing team manually running:

Creative A vs. Creative B,

Amazon may test dozens of combinations dynamically.

Amazon Reports Better Performance With AI Optimization

Amazon says Responsive eCommerce Creative ads using AI optimization saw, on average:

14% higher click-through rates

and:

7.2% higher return on ad spend. Amazon Ads

These numbers come from Amazon internal data and should be interpreted accordingly.

They do not mean every advertiser enabling AI optimization will automatically receive:

14% more clicks

or:

7.2% higher ROAS.

They indicate that Amazon has observed aggregate performance benefits from the system.

For Adorbix, that's enough reason to test it.

Not enough reason to blindly enable it everywhere.

CTR Improvement Is Not the Final Objective

A visually engaging carousel may increase clicks.

A video may attract attention.

Alexa prompts may create more interactions.

None of those automatically mean the campaign is profitable.

Imagine:

CTR rises 20%.

But:

Conversion falls.

Perhaps the creative is attracting curious users rather than qualified buyers.

The correct analysis should follow:

Impression

↓

Engagement

↓

Detail-page visit

↓

Conversion

↓

Contribution

At Adorbix, we'd never optimize REC solely around CTR.

The creative must ultimately improve business economics.

In-Banner Video Should Be Used Strategically

Video isn't automatically superior to static imagery.

A simple product may communicate perfectly through one high-quality lifestyle image.

Video becomes most valuable when movement explains the product.

Strong examples include:

Before/after demonstration

Assembly

Feature demonstration

Product use

Texture/application

Transformation

Scale or size

If movement adds no useful information, video may simply create distraction.

The question isn't:

Can we use video?

It's:

Does motion improve customer understanding?

Carousels Need a Merchandising Strategy

The same principle applies to multi-image carousels.

Do not fill a carousel simply because six product slots are available.

Use deliberate sequencing.

For example:

Slide 1: Hero product.

Slide 2: Different use case.

Slide 3: Complementary product.

Slide 4: Premium version.

Slide 5: Alternative size.

Now the carousel helps the customer explore.

At Adorbix, we'd treat carousel design more like:

mini-merchandising

than:

banner creation.

Conversational Prompts Need Strong FAQs Behind Them

If Alexa prompts become a major ad interaction, brands should review the questions shoppers already ask.

Look at:

Amazon Q&A

Reviews

Customer-service tickets

Returns

and:

Search terms.

Those sources reveal common customer uncertainty.

If shoppers repeatedly ask:

Does this fit Model X?

then compatibility information should be crystal clear.

If they ask:

Is this machine washable?

that information should be available in the listing.

Better source data creates better conversational advertising.

REC Changes the Relationship Between Creative and PPC

Amazon advertising teams have historically treated:

creative

and:

PPC

as related but separate functions.

Responsive eCommerce Creative brings them much closer together.

The campaign engine can automatically:

generate creative,

adapt creative,

test creative,

and optimize creative

based on performance signals.

That means account strategy increasingly becomes:

MEDIA + CREATIVE + RETAIL DATA

inside one optimization loop.

At Adorbix, our PPC team should therefore care about creative performance just as much as bids and targeting.

This Is Especially Important for Off-Amazon Traffic

Responsive eCommerce Creative can run across Amazon and third-party publisher sites. Amazon Ads

Off-Amazon audiences may have lower purchase intent than shoppers actively searching Amazon.

Creative therefore needs to do more educational work.

A shopper browsing a news site may not know:

• your product,
• your brand,
• or why they need it.

Rich-media REC can help bridge that gap with:

video

lifestyle imagery

ratings

commerce signals

and:

conversational assistance.

That makes REC especially relevant as Amazon Ads continues expanding deeper into the open web.

The Adorbix Responsive Creative Framework

At Adorbix, we'd manage REC through five stages.

1. PRODUCT READINESS

Ensure:

• Listing quality,
• accurate product data,
• strong ratings,
• healthy inventory.

2. ASSET STRATEGY

Provide:

• Logo,
• lifestyle imagery,
• high-quality product images,
• useful video.

3. AI GOVERNANCE

Set:

• Brand colors,
• approved imagery,
• copy guardrails.

4. TESTING

Compare:

• Static,
• video,
• carousel,
• conversational formats.

5. PROFITABILITY

Track:

CTR → CVR → SALES → CONTRIBUTION

not creative engagement in isolation.

This keeps Amazon's automation connected to actual business results.

How Adorbix Can Help Brands Use REC Properly

Responsive eCommerce Creative reduces production complexity.

It does not eliminate the need for creative strategy.

Adorbix can support:

Amazon Listing Optimization: Make sure REC's source product data is accurate and persuasive.

A+ Content: Strengthen product education that can also improve AI understanding.

Creative Production: Build better lifestyle assets and video for Amazon to work with.

Brand Governance: Establish visual and messaging rules before enabling AI variation.

Amazon DSP / DVA+: Deploy REC within broader display and video strategies.

PPC & CRO: Measure whether stronger creative actually improves conversion.

Profitability: Tie creative performance to contribution rather than clicks alone.

Our goal would not be:

Generate the maximum number of ad variations.

It would be:

Give Amazon enough high-quality inputs to generate the right variation for the right customer.

A Practical REC Testing Plan

Start with one proven ASIN or a tightly related product group.

Document your baseline:

CTR

CPC/CPM

conversion

ROAS

contribution margin.

Then add one new creative dimension.

For example:

In-banner video.

Run long enough to collect useful data.

Then test:

Carousel.

Then consider:

AI enhancements and prompts

where available.

Avoid changing every creative variable simultaneously.

Otherwise, you'll struggle to understand what actually improved performance.

Responsive eCommerce Creative Readiness Checklist

Before scaling REC, confirm:

• Product listing is accurate
• Main images are strong
• Product attributes are complete
• A+ Content is current
• Inventory is healthy
• Brand logo uploaded
• Brand colors defined where controls are available
• Lifestyle imagery available
• Video available or generatable
• Carousel product grouping defined
• AI-generated creative will be reviewed
• Alexa prompt availability confirmed
• Baseline CTR and ROAS recorded
• Contribution reporting ready

Automation performs best when the input quality is already strong.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Amazon Responsive eCommerce Creative?

Responsive eCommerce Creative is Amazon's automated display-ad format that dynamically builds ads using product information, imagery, video and commerce signals, then adapts those ads across Amazon, third-party publishers and supported Amazon devices. Amazon Ads

What changed in September 2026?

Amazon added richer formats including in-banner video, multi-image carousels, Alexa for Shopping prompts, new brand identity controls and richer device-specific layouts. Amazon Ads

How many products can one REC contain?

Amazon's current specifications allow up to 20 ASINs per creative, with automatic rotation and removal of out-of-stock products. Amazon Ads

Can Amazon create the video?

Yes. Amazon says REC videos can be uploaded, reused from existing campaigns or created using generative tools. Amazon Ads

What is the carousel format?

Multi-image carousel ads can show three to six products from the brand in a swipeable advertising unit on supported third-party sites. Amazon Ads

What do Alexa Shopping prompts do?

Amazon automatically generates relevant prompts using first-party signals. When a shopper interacts with one, they can enter an Alexa for Shopping conversation to learn more, ask follow-up questions or potentially add the product to cart. Amazon Ads

Are Alexa prompts available globally?

No. Amazon currently lists REC prompts as U.S.-only. Amazon Ads

Are brand identity controls available everywhere?

No. Amazon currently lists the new Brand Identity Controls as U.S.-only, while other REC features have wider availability. Amazon Ads

Who can use Responsive eCommerce Creative?

Amazon lists managed-service and self-service advertisers, sellers, vendors and agencies among eligible users. REC is currently for endemic advertisers—brands whose products are sold on Amazon. Amazon Ads

Where can REC be accessed?

Amazon says advertisers can access Responsive eCommerce Creative through the Ads Console and API. Amazon Ads

Does AI optimization improve performance?

Amazon reports that REC ads using AI optimization produced 14% higher CTR and 7.2% higher ROAS on average in its internal data. Individual results will vary. Amazon Ads

Can Adorbix help optimize REC campaigns?

Yes. Adorbix can connect Responsive eCommerce Creative with Amazon DSP/DVA+, listing optimization, A+ Content, video creative, PPC, CRO and profitability measurement so brands use Amazon's AI creative engine without sacrificing brand or financial control.

Key Takeaways

Amazon's redesigned Responsive eCommerce Creative is much more than a responsive banner format.

It can now combine:

STATIC IMAGERY

IN-BANNER VIDEO

MULTI-IMAGE CAROUSELS

ALEXA SHOPPING PROMPTS

LIVE COMMERCE INFORMATION

into context-aware ads across Amazon and supported third-party environments. Amazon Ads

New brand controls give advertisers more ability to govern how AI uses logos, colors, approved imagery and messaging.

Rich-media layouts adapt creative to different screens instead of simply resizing one standard banner.

Amazon's internal performance data suggests AI optimization can improve CTR and ROAS on average, although results are not guaranteed. Amazon Ads

For advertisers, the real opportunity is not merely creating more ads.

It is creating:

MORE RELEVANT ADS WITH LESS MANUAL PRODUCTION

while keeping enough human oversight to protect the brand.

Final Takeaway: Amazon Is Turning Display Ads Into Adaptive Shopping Experiences

A traditional display ad does one thing:

Show the message.

Amazon's new Responsive eCommerce Creative can increasingly:

show the product,

play the video,

display multiple products,

surface current pricing,

show ratings,

adapt to the device,

and:

start a shopping conversation.

That is a major change.

The banner itself is becoming a miniature shopping environment.

At Adorbix, we believe the brands that benefit most will not simply enable every AI feature and hope Amazon finds the answer.

They will create strong foundations first:

Accurate listings.

Strong product imagery.

Useful video.

Clear brand rules.

Good inventory.

Profitable unit economics.

Then Amazon's AI can do what it does best:

ASSEMBLE → TEST → ADAPT → OPTIMIZE

while Adorbix focuses on what the brand must still decide:

POSITIONING → CUSTOMER VALUE → CREATIVE STRATEGY → PROFIT

Because Amazon is making it much easier to generate thousands of creative combinations.

The competitive advantage will belong to brands that give the system better ingredients.

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