What are loose-match targets on Amazon?
Loose-match targets on Amazon are an automatic Sponsored Products targeting group that matches your ad to shopper searches broadly related to your product. They can discover relevant queries beyond close match, but broader relevance does not guarantee a suitable shopper or a profitable sale. Loose match gives Amazon more scope to connect a product with broadly related searches. A seller of a large washable dog bed might discover queries such as pet sleeping mat or dog resting cushion. Whether any particular query is eligible depends on Amazon's matching system; these examples are not guaranteed search matches. The broader reach is useful for discovery because shoppers do not all describe a product in the same way. However, a related phrase may imply a different size, material or use. Review what the shopper wanted as well as whether the words seem generally connected to your category. Loose match belongs to automatic targeting, where Amazon uses the advertised product to decide which searches are relevant. Broad match belongs to manual keyword targeting, where you enter a keyword and Amazon applies broad-match rules to that keyword. They can both generate varied searches, but they start from different inputs and are controlled differently. Loose match has an automatic group bid. Manual broad match gives you a bid for each selected keyword. Close match is the more closely related search group within automatic targeting, not a replacement name for exact match. Start with a bid and campaign budget that fit your testing tolerance. Review group-level performance and reported search terms, then separate useful discoveries from queries that clearly ask for a different product. Negative keywords can restrict unwanted searches; choose the negative match type carefully so you do not accidentally block useful variations. Consider adding repeatable, relevant converting queries as manual keyword targets so you can manage them individually. There is no universal rule that loose match must always have the lowest bid or be paused. Reduce its bid or disable the group when its results do not justify the spend, and keep testing when evidence supports discovery.
Loose-match targets match Amazon Sponsored Products ads to broadly related searches. Learn how they differ from close match and how to control spend.