Automation Guide
Tool comparisons, rules, and DIY automation scripts.
Tool Comparison
Amazon Adtomic
Official Amazon bidding tool
$99-499/mo
Helium 10 Adtomic
AI-powered bid optimization
$49-299/mo
Perpetua
AI campaign management
$500+/mo
Teikametrics
AI for SMB sellers
$500+/mo
Sellics
Full-suite tool
$300+/mo
Google Sheets
DIY automation
FreeBid Rules You Can Build
Rule 1: ACoS-Based Bidding
Adjust bids based on campaign ACoS relative to target:
IF ACoS > Target + 15% THEN Reduce bid 15%
IF ACoS < Target - 10% THEN Increase bid 10%
IF ACoS within ±10% of Target THEN Keep bid same
Rule 2: Volume-Based Scaling
Scale bids when campaign is performing well:
IF Orders >= 10 AND ACoS < Target THEN Increase budget 20%
IF Spend >= 80% of budget AND ACoS < Target THEN Increase budget 10%
Rule 3: Placement Optimization
Adjust placement bids based on performance:
IF Top of Search ACoS < Target THEN Increase placement bid +25%
IF Product Page ACoS > Target + 20% THEN Decrease placement bid -15%
DIY Automation with Google Sheets
Setting Up Automated Reporting
- Create a new Google Sheet
- Use Amazon Advertising API or manual CSV exports
- Create calculated columns for ACoS, ROAS, CVR
- Use conditional formatting to highlight issues
- Share with client for live updates
Google Sheets Formulas
// Calculate ACoS
=(Spend / Revenue) * 100
// Calculate ROAS
=Revenue / Spend
// Calculate CVR
=(Orders / Clicks) * 100
// Conditional formatting for ACoS
=ACoS > Target // Highlight red
=ACoS < Target // Highlight green
When to Use Automation vs Manual
| Task | Automation | Manual |
|---|---|---|
| Bid adjustments | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Budget changes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Search term analysis | ✗ No | ✓ Required |
| Campaign structure | ✗ No | ✓ Required |
| Negative keywords | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Strategy decisions | ✗ No | ✓ Required |
Common Automation Mistakes
- Setting rules too aggressive: Don't change bids more than 20% at once
- Not monitoring automation: Review automated changes weekly
- Ignoring data: Let 2-3 weeks of data accumulate before automating
- No guardrails: Always set min/max bid limits
- Automating wrong tasks: Search term analysis should always be manual
Recommended Automation Stack
For Beginners (Low Budget)
- Google Sheets for reporting — Free
- Manual bid adjustments — No cost
- Weekly search term review — Your time
For Growth (Mid Budget)
- Helium 10 Adtomic — $49/mo
- Google Sheets for custom reports
- Weekly search term review — Your time
For Scale (High Budget)
- Amazon Adtomic + Perpetua
- Custom dashboard development
- Dedicated PPC manager for strategy