Zepto ads management for D2C brands
Sponsored listings, search ads, banners and video, judged after commission.
Who it is for: Brands listed on Zepto that want quick commerce sales to show in profit.
Zepto ads: the formats we run
Each one used where it earns.
Sponsored Products
Cost-per-click ads in search and category listings.
Search ads
Your product at the top of search results for the words shoppers type.
Homepage and category banners
Banners on the home screen and category pages, for launches and sales.
In-app video and brand takeovers
Video and takeover placements for launches, bought with Zepto's ad team.
How we set up Zepto ads
Step by step, in the order we do it.
- 1Stock by city first
We check which cities and dark stores stock your products, because ads in stores without stock waste money.
- 2Search and category ads
Search and category placements run on your hero products, with bids set by the margin on each one.
- 3Price checked against Swap and Save
Zepto's Swap and Save suggests cheaper alternatives at checkout. We check your price and pack size against similar products, so you do not lose the sale at the last step.
- 4Availability checked daily
Stock-outs stop delivery in that store, so we flag them to your team every day.
- 5Margin after platform fees
We report margin after Zepto's commission and fees by product, not only the ROAS in the panel.
What you get each month
- Bids adjusted by product, city and placement
- A stock-out and availability report
- A margin report after platform fees
- Launch and sale plans with budgets by city
What we need from you
- Access to the Zepto seller and ads panels
- Cost and platform fees by product
- Stock and replenishment plans by city
- Upcoming launches and offers
Facts we plan Zepto ads around
Checked in October 2026, with the source for each.
Zepto's own ad platform
Zepto runs ads through its in-house platform, and its ad business passed ₹1,000 crore in annualised revenue.
Source: Storyboard18; exchange4media
Swap and Save
Since May 2025, Zepto suggests cheaper alternatives to items in the cart at checkout, so price and pack size matter at the last step.
Source: The Ken, 2025
What we do every week
Run by a senior marketer with five accounts at most.
- Sponsored Products bids set by margin after commission
- Price and pack size checked against competitors before we push
- Packages bought only where they pay back
- Zepto analytics read alongside your own data
- One profit report across quick commerce
Where brands lose money with Zepto ads
Buying packages blind
Entry packages bundle placements. Some pay back, some don't. Test before committing.
Losing at checkout
Zepto's Swap and Save suggests cheaper alternatives in the cart, so a product priced above its rivals can lose the sale at the last step.
Reading ROAS before commission
Quick commerce ROAS needs commission and product cost removed before it means anything.
What you will see in every weekly report
You see ROAS and contribution margin side by side, every week.
In every weekly report
- ROAS
- ROAS after commission and product cost
- Cost per order
- Share of search
- City performance
- What changed, what is next, and what didn't work
Custom reports, built for how you make money
- Margin by product and size
- ROAS by city and dark store
- Repeat orders by cohort
- RTO by pin code and payment method
- Marketplace vs website profit
Weekly
Report and call
ROAS and margin by channel, what changed, what is next.
Monthly
Report and call
It compares results against your targets and sets next month's roadmap.
Quarterly
Projections and plan
Realistic numbers from your own data, checked against what actually happened.
The first 90 days
How Zepto ads usually starts, from the free audit to the first quarterly plan.
Week 1
SKU margins mapped, wasted spend found
Weeks 2 to 4
Bids reset by margin, stock-aware pausing
Month 2
Scale winning SKUs and cities
Month 3
One profit report with the website, next-quarter plan
How we run your account
The same operating rhythm on every account, from the first week.
A senior marketer
Owns your account and your targets, with five ad accounts at most.
Weekly report and call
ROAS next to contribution margin, what changed and what happens next.
Live dashboard
Every channel in one view, so you never wait for the weekly call.
Monthly review
Results against the targets agreed in writing, and next month's plan.
Quarterly plan
Projections built from your own numbers, checked against what happened.
Slack or WhatsApp
Day-to-day questions answered by the person who runs your account.
Agency vs in-house vs Mobile First, for Zepto ads
| Typical agency | In-house team | Your growth teamMobile First | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bids based on | The ROAS shown in the Zepto panel | Gut feel | Each product's margin after commission and fees |
| Bid changes | Weekly, or at review | When there is time | Daily on Zepto |
| Out-of-stock products | Ads keep spending | Noticed when sales drop | Budgets moved by city as stock runs out |
| Reporting | One Zepto report | A spreadsheet stitched together monthly | One profit report across quick commerce and your website |
Industries where we run Zepto ads
Each industry page covers the season, channels and checks for that category.
Also under marketplace and quick commerce ads
Amazon adsSponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, Sponsored Display and DSP, bid by ASIN margin.Flipkart adsProduct Listing Ads, Product Contextual Ads and display, run on margin after commission.Myntra adsWe run Product Listing Ads, contextual ads, banners and event packages for EORS and the Big Fashion Festival.Blinkit adsProduct Booster, banners and category takeovers, planned by city and judged after commission.Marketplace and quick commerce ads overviewAmazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Blinkit and Zepto ads, bid by each product's margin.
Zepto ads: questions brands ask
How do Zepto ads work?
Brands buy sponsored listings in search and categories, homepage and category banners, in-app video and brand takeovers through Zepto's ad platform. We start with sponsored listings, because they reach shoppers who are already searching.
What is Swap and Save on Zepto?
Swap and Save is a Zepto shopping feature, launched in May 2025, that suggests cheaper alternatives to items in a shopper's cart at checkout. It is not an ad you buy. If your product is priced above similar products, it can lose the sale at that step, so we check price and pack size against competitors.
Is Zepto cheaper than Blinkit?
Costs change by category, city and season on both, and neither publishes a rate card. What matters is profit after commission and product cost, so we compare the platforms on that, not on cost per click.
Which reports do you use on Zepto?
We use the reports in Zepto's ad platform and your own sales data, and join them with commission and product cost to see profit by product and city.
Which Zepto ad formats do you run?
We run sponsored listings in search and categories, homepage and category banners, and in-app video for launches.
Do you check stock before advertising?
Yes. We run ads only in the cities and dark stores where your product is in stock.
How do you plan Zepto budgets by city?
We set budgets by city from your sales and stock in each city, and move them when stock runs out or a city stops paying back after commission.
Can you run Blinkit and Instamart too?
Yes. We run all three and compare them on margin in one report.
How is Zepto reported?
On margin after commission and product cost, alongside your other channels.
Are Zepto ad packages worth it?
Some pay back and some do not. We test before committing to any package.
60 seconds
Are we a great fit?
Five questions, no email needed. You get an honest answer on screen.
Great fit
Your answers match the brands we help most.
Book 30 minutes and we will read your accounts before the call.
Book a callGood fit
A 30-minute call will show where your profit is leaking.
You keep the findings either way.
Book a callNot yet
A full team may be more than you need right now.
Our free tools will show you where your money goes today. When you cross ₹5 lakh a month, come back and we will read your accounts. If you would like advice before then, we are happy to talk.
Talk to us about Zepto ads
Tell us about your brand. We read your accounts before the call, so it is about your numbers.
- Free growth audit, yours to keep
- ROAS and profit read for every channel
- WhatsApp reply within one working day