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Changing your Amazon PPC agency can be an important decision for your business. Perhaps your current agency is not delivering the expected results, advertising costs are increasing, communication has become inconsistent, or you feel your account has stopped growing. You may also have outgrown your existing agency and need a team with more experience managing larger advertising budgets and complex product catalogues.
Whatever the reason, switching agencies should not mean putting your Amazon sales at risk.
Your advertising account contains valuable historical data, campaign structures, keyword information, bidding strategies, negative targeting, performance trends, and optimization insights. If these details are not transferred properly, your new agency may spend weeks rebuilding information that already exists. Poor coordination can also lead to duplicated campaigns, incorrect budgets, unnecessary bid changes, missed opportunities, and temporary disruptions to advertising performance.
For established Amazon sellers, even a short period of inefficient advertising can have a meaningful impact on revenue and profitability.
A successful Amazon PPC agency migration requires more than removing one agency and giving another access to Seller Central. It involves a structured handover, account documentation, historical data review, access management, campaign continuity planning, and a clear optimization roadmap.
In this guide, we explain how to switch Amazon PPC agencies safely, what information you should collect before migration, how to manage the transition, and what your new agency should do during the first 30 days.
1. Why Amazon Sellers Decide to Switch PPC Agencies
Businesses rarely change advertising agencies without a reason. Usually, the decision comes after several months of unsatisfactory performance, communication problems, or a growing gap between business expectations and the agency's approach.
Before starting the migration, identify exactly why you want to make the change. Understanding the underlying problems helps you avoid repeating the same experience with another agency.
Poor advertising performance
One of the most common reasons for switching agencies is declining advertising performance.
You may notice:
- Advertising spend increasing without proportional revenue growth.
- ACoS rising consistently without a clear explanation.
- TACoS remaining high despite ongoing optimization.
- Campaigns spending budget without generating conversions.
- Important keywords losing visibility.
- Poor performance across recently launched products.
- Limited progress in organic keyword rankings.
However, a temporary decline does not automatically mean your agency is underperforming. Seasonal changes, competitor activity, pricing, inventory availability, and product conversion rates can also influence results.
Before switching, review performance over a meaningful period and identify whether the agency has a clear explanation and improvement plan.
Lack of communication and transparency
Advertising performance is only one part of an agency relationship. Communication and accountability are equally important.
If you regularly have to ask for campaign updates, cannot understand where your budget is going, or receive reports without actionable insights, it becomes difficult to trust the management process.
Your agency should explain what has changed, why it changed, and what actions are planned next.
No clear growth strategy
Some agencies focus almost entirely on reducing ACoS. While campaign efficiency matters, established brands also need strategies for product launches, keyword expansion, brand protection, competitor targeting, and customer acquisition.
If your agency is only adjusting bids without presenting a wider growth strategy, it may be time to evaluate other options.
Limited expertise and resources
As an Amazon business grows, its advertising requirements become more complex.
Managing five products is different from managing 50 or 100 ASINs across several marketplaces. Larger accounts require better campaign segmentation, budget planning, reporting, and coordination with inventory and listing teams.
Your current agency may simply lack the resources or specialist knowledge required for the next stage of growth.
Unclear pricing and service scope
Agency fees should be transparent. You should understand what is included in your monthly management fee, what counts as additional work, and whether the agency charges a percentage of advertising spend.
If the service scope is unclear or the fees no longer reflect the value delivered, reviewing alternative providers may make sense.
2. Evaluate Your Current Agency Before Starting the Migration
Switching agencies should be a planned business decision rather than an emotional reaction to one disappointing month.
Before ending your existing agreement, review the current account and document its condition. This provides a baseline for evaluating your new agency later.
Review advertising performance
Collect at least three to six months of advertising performance data where available. For seasonal businesses, a longer period may provide a more useful comparison.
Review the following metrics:
- Total advertising spend.
- Attributed advertising sales.
- ACoS and ROAS.
- TACoS and total Amazon revenue.
- Impressions, clicks, and CPC.
- Conversion rates.
- Search term performance.
- Keyword rankings and visibility.
- New-to-brand metrics where available.
- Product-level advertising performance.
The objective is to understand the current position of the account before making changes.
Identify what is working
Do not assume that everything managed by your current agency is ineffective.
Some campaigns may be performing well, even if the overall account needs improvement. Identify profitable keywords, strong product targets, successful placements, and campaigns that consistently contribute to revenue.
These campaigns may need to be preserved during the transition.
Identify what needs improvement
Create a separate list of problems that the new agency should investigate.
For example, your current account may have duplicate campaigns, poor negative keyword management, excessive broad-match spending, inconsistent budgets, or limited use of Sponsored Brands and Sponsored Display.
Documenting these issues gives the new agency a clear starting point.
Prepare an agency performance comparison
This evaluation helps you understand whether you need a different agency, a different service scope, or a more clearly defined management process.
3. Choose Your New Amazon PPC Agency Before Ending the Existing Agreement
One of the biggest migration mistakes is terminating the current agency before selecting and onboarding its replacement.
This can leave your advertising account without active management, especially if the existing agency is responsible for daily campaign monitoring and budget adjustments.
A safer approach is to evaluate potential agencies while your current campaigns continue operating.
Look for relevant Amazon advertising experience
Ask prospective agencies about their experience managing accounts similar to yours.
Consider:
- Product category experience.
- Number of ASINs managed.
- Monthly advertising budget experience.
- Marketplace coverage.
- Experience with Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, and Sponsored Display.
- Knowledge of Amazon DSP where relevant.
- Experience with product launches and seasonal campaigns.
- Reporting and optimization processes.
An agency managing a small number of products may not necessarily have the processes required for a large, multi-marketplace brand.
Evaluate the agency's migration process
Ask how the agency handles an existing advertising account.
A professional agency should be able to explain how it reviews historical campaigns, collects account information, identifies risks, and plans the transition.
It should not recommend deleting existing campaigns or rebuilding the entire account without first understanding what is already working.
Review reporting and communication
Request a sample report and understand how often you will receive updates.
Look for reporting that includes advertising spend, attributed sales, ACoS, TACoS, campaign performance, search term insights, and planned actions.
You should also know who will manage your account and how frequently you can discuss strategy.
Understand pricing and contract terms
Before signing, confirm the management fee, service scope, billing cycle, cancellation requirements, and any additional charges.
Compare the pricing model with the work involved rather than choosing an agency based on the lowest fee.
You can review Amazon PPC management pricing and packages to understand one example of a structured service pricing model.
Check agency credibility
Look for relevant marketplace experience, client feedback, documented processes, and recognized partner status where applicable.
For example, Sellers Umbrella's company profile provides information about its Amazon experience, services, and partner credentials.
4. Secure Your Amazon Account Before the Agency Handover
Account access is one of the most important parts of an agency migration.
Your business should remain in control of its Seller Central account and advertising assets. An agency should receive the permissions required to perform its responsibilities, not ownership of your business account.
Keep primary account ownership with your business
The brand owner should retain control of the primary Seller Central account and its security settings.
Avoid sharing the main account password with an agency. Instead, use Amazon's supported user permissions and partner access processes.
The exact access process can differ depending on whether you use Seller Central, Vendor Central, or Amazon Advertising Console.
Review existing agency permissions
Before removing the current agency, document which users and partner accounts have access.
Identify:
- Existing agency users.
- Advertising console access.
- Seller Central permissions.
- Brand Registry permissions, where applicable.
- Reporting and analytics integrations.
- Third-party software connections.
- Billing and payment permissions.
Do not revoke access before confirming that the replacement agency has the permissions it needs.
Grant the new agency appropriate access
Provide the new agency with the access required for its agreed responsibilities.
Use the principle of least privilege: grant only the permissions needed to manage the work.
The new agency should confirm that it can access the relevant advertising accounts, campaigns, reports, and other agreed assets before the previous agency's access is removed.
Review connected tools and integrations
Many established Amazon brands use external platforms for keyword research, analytics, reporting, inventory management, and campaign automation.
Review which tools are connected to the account and whether any integrations depend on the existing agency.
Confirm who owns each subscription and who will maintain access after migration.
5. Collect All Important Campaign Data Before Switching
Campaign history is one of the most valuable assets in an established Amazon advertising account.
Your new agency should not have to guess which keywords previously converted, which bids were tested, or which negative targets were added.
A structured handover helps preserve this information.
Export campaign data
Collect relevant campaign data from Amazon Ads before the transition.
Depending on the account and reporting availability, useful information includes:
- Campaign names and campaign IDs.
- Ad group names and ad group IDs.
- Advertised product ASINs.
- Targeting keywords.
- Product targets.
- Match types.
- Current bids.
- Daily budgets.
- Campaign status.
- Placement adjustments.
- Negative keywords.
- Negative product targets.
- Search term reports.
- Advertising performance reports.
- Portfolio structures.
- Available historical bulk operations files.
The new agency should use this information to understand the account rather than immediately changing its structure.
Collect historical search term reports
Search term reports help identify what customers actually searched before clicking an advertisement.
These reports can reveal:
- High-converting search terms.
- Irrelevant traffic.
- Search terms with high spending and no sales.
- New keyword opportunities.
- Product-related search patterns.
- Terms that should be added as negative keywords.
This information can prevent the new agency from repeating old tests unnecessarily.
Document existing bidding strategies
Record the bidding strategy used by each important campaign, including dynamic bidding settings and placement adjustments where applicable.
These settings influence how Amazon manages bids and where advertisements may appear.
Changing several bidding variables at the same time can make it difficult to understand why performance has changed.
Preserve campaign and bulk operation records
If the account uses bulk operations, collect relevant historical files and available exports.
These records can help the new agency understand previous campaign changes and identify the settings that need to be retained.
Not every account will have complete historical records, so the agency should document any missing information.
Amazon PPC migration data checklist
The brand should retain copies of important data and documents in its own storage rather than relying entirely on an agency's internal systems.
6. Create a Campaign Continuity Plan to Protect Sales
The biggest risk during an agency migration is unnecessary disruption to campaigns that are already generating sales.
Your new agency should not make large-scale changes simply to demonstrate that it is taking action.
The first priority should be to maintain continuity while understanding the account.
Do not pause all existing campaigns
If campaigns are performing well, there is usually no reason to pause them immediately.
Pausing and rebuilding everything can interrupt traffic and remove useful operating history from the active campaign structure.
Instead, preserve existing campaigns until the new agency has completed its initial review and understands their performance.
Avoid unnecessary duplicate campaigns
Creating new campaigns without reviewing the existing structure can result in overlapping targeting and confusing performance reports.
Before launching replacements, identify whether the existing campaigns can be optimized or reorganized.
If a new structure is genuinely required, create a controlled migration plan that defines which campaigns will remain active and when any replacements will be introduced.
Maintain important keyword coverage
Identify the keywords responsible for a significant share of sales and ensure that their targeting is not unintentionally interrupted.
Pay particular attention to branded terms, high-intent exact match keywords, and proven product targets.
Monitor budgets during the transition
Review daily budgets for campaigns that consistently generate sales.
The new agency should confirm that important campaigns have sufficient budget and that low-priority campaigns do not consume funds needed by stronger performers.
Protect seasonal and promotional campaigns
If the transition happens shortly before a major sales event, product launch, or seasonal period, avoid unnecessary structural changes.
The agency should understand existing promotional plans and ensure that advertising campaigns are aligned with inventory and pricing decisions.
7. Run the Migration in Phases Instead of Changing Everything at Once
A phased migration provides better control over the transition.
Rather than changing access, campaigns, bids, budgets, and targeting simultaneously, divide the work into manageable stages.
Phase 1: Account discovery and documentation
The new agency reviews the account and collects available campaign information.
It should understand the product catalogue, advertising structure, historical performance, business objectives, and current challenges.
Phase 2: Access and operational handover
Confirm that the new agency has the required access and can view the relevant accounts and advertising assets.
Review reporting integrations, connected tools, and account permissions.
Phase 3: Campaign audit and risk assessment
The agency evaluates campaign performance and identifies issues that require immediate attention.
It should separate urgent problems from longer-term optimization opportunities.
Phase 4: Controlled optimization
The agency begins making prioritized changes to bids, budgets, targeting, and campaign structures.
Changes should be documented so that performance can be compared before and after implementation.
Phase 5: Performance review
The team monitors campaign performance and checks whether the transition has introduced unexpected changes.
The brand and agency should review the results together and agree on the next optimization priorities.
Example migration timeline
The following is an illustrative timeline. Actual duration depends on account complexity, agency cooperation, available data, and access requirements.
A 30-day plan is a useful framework, not a promise that advertising performance will fully stabilize within that period. Larger accounts and accounts with incomplete handover information may need more time.
8. What Your New Agency Should Audit First
Once the new agency has access, it should conduct a structured account audit before making major changes.
The audit should identify what is working, what is underperforming, and where the biggest risks and opportunities exist.
Campaign structure
Review whether campaigns are organized logically by product, targeting type, match type, and business objective.
Look for duplicate campaigns, unnecessary complexity, and products grouped together despite having different commercial requirements.
Keyword performance
Identify high-performing keywords, expensive search terms, irrelevant queries, and important terms that are not receiving sufficient visibility.
Review search term history before making negative keyword decisions.
Bid and placement strategy
Review current bids, dynamic bidding settings, placement adjustments, and budget limitations.
The objective is to understand whether current settings align with the campaign's purpose and profitability requirements.
Product-level performance
Evaluate advertising performance at the ASIN level.
Some products may generate strong sales but weak margins, while others may have room to scale. Budget decisions should account for these differences.
Sponsored Brands and Sponsored Display
Review whether the brand is using these formats effectively and whether the campaigns have clear objectives.
The agency should assess available creative assets, targeting strategies, and performance before recommending changes.
Reporting and measurement
Confirm that reporting is consistent and that the brand can access historical data.
The agency should establish a baseline for measuring performance after migration.
For a wider understanding of the services involved, review Amazon PPC management services.
9. How to Measure Performance After Switching Agencies
One of the most common mistakes brands make after switching agencies is expecting immediate improvements in every metric.
A new agency needs time to understand the account, collect missing information, review historical decisions, and implement its strategy.
Performance should be evaluated against a documented baseline rather than a single day's results.
Establish a pre-migration baseline
Record performance for a consistent period before the transition.
Useful metrics include:
- Advertising spend.
- Attributed advertising sales.
- ACoS.
- ROAS.
- TACoS.
- Total Amazon revenue.
- CPC.
- Conversion rate.
- Impressions and clicks.
- Product-level sales.
- Organic keyword visibility.
Where possible, compare equivalent periods and account for seasonality, promotions, pricing changes, and stock availability.
Measure both campaign efficiency and total business performance
A lower ACoS may indicate improved advertising efficiency, but it does not automatically mean total business performance has improved.
For example, reducing bids may lower advertising spend while also reducing visibility and revenue.
TACoS provides a wider view of advertising spend relative to total revenue. It should be considered alongside contribution margin and organic sales trends.
Track the changes made by the new agency
Ask for a change log that records major campaign adjustments.
This should include changes to budgets, bids, match types, negative keywords, targeting, campaign status, and placement settings.
A clear change log helps explain performance movements and makes it easier to identify the effect of major decisions.
Use a structured performance review
A useful performance review explains what changed, why it changed, and what the agency plans to do next.
10. Common Mistakes to Avoid During an Amazon PPC Agency Migration
Even when the decision to switch agencies is correct, poor migration management can create unnecessary problems.
Avoid these common mistakes.
Removing the old agency before the new one is ready
If you remove existing access too early, important campaign information or operational support may become unavailable.
Confirm that the new agency has the required access and that all essential data has been collected before removing the previous agency.
Rebuilding every campaign immediately
A complete rebuild may sound like a fresh start, but it can introduce unnecessary disruption.
Existing campaigns may contain valuable history and profitable targeting. The new agency should identify which elements need improvement before deciding what to replace.
Changing too many variables simultaneously
If bids, budgets, targeting, placements, and campaign structures are all changed at once, it becomes difficult to understand which changes influenced performance.
Prioritize changes based on risk and expected impact.
Ignoring negative keyword history
Negative keywords are an important part of account management.
Failing to transfer them can allow previously excluded search terms to consume budget again.
Not documenting account ownership
Your business should retain access to its advertising data, creative assets, and reporting records.
Avoid depending on agency-owned email accounts, spreadsheets, or dashboards as the only source of important business information.
Expecting instant results
A new agency may identify improvements quickly, but sustainable performance changes require implementation and measurement.
Set realistic expectations and evaluate the transition using consistent reporting periods.
Failing to coordinate with inventory and listing teams
Advertising performance depends on more than campaign settings.
A product running out of stock, losing its Buy Box, experiencing a listing issue, or changing price can affect results regardless of how well campaigns are managed.
The new agency should understand these operational factors.
11. A Practical 30-Day Amazon PPC Agency Migration Checklist
A checklist makes the transition easier to coordinate between your brand, current agency, and new agency.
The following framework can be used as a starting point.
Before the migration
- Confirm the reason for switching agencies.
- Review the existing agency agreement and cancellation requirements.
- Select and approve the new agency.
- Establish the pre-migration performance baseline.
- Collect campaign and advertising reports.
- Export search term and keyword data.
- Document budgets, bids, and bidding strategies.
- Collect negative keyword and product target information.
- Identify the campaigns that must remain active.
- Record current account permissions and connected tools.
During the handover
- Confirm the new agency has the required account access.
- Verify that important campaigns are visible.
- Share historical campaign information.
- Transfer reporting and creative assets where applicable.
- Review current campaign status and budgets.
- Identify urgent account issues.
- Agree on the first optimization priorities.
- Document any missing information.
- Confirm the communication and reporting schedule.
After the migration
- Monitor campaign delivery and budgets.
- Review changes made to important campaigns.
- Check for duplicated or unintentionally paused campaigns.
- Monitor ACoS, TACoS, spend, and sales.
- Review search term performance.
- Confirm negative keyword coverage.
- Check product availability and listing status.
- Schedule a performance review.
- Revoke the previous agency's access when the handover is complete.
- Retain all relevant business records.
The most important principle is to keep your business in control of the transition. Agency access should be reviewed and removed only after the new arrangement is operating correctly.
12. Why Choose an Agency That Understands Amazon PPC Migration?
A new agency should not simply take over the advertising account and begin changing campaigns.
It should understand the business behind the campaigns, including product economics, advertising history, marketplace requirements, inventory availability, and long-term growth objectives.
An experienced Amazon PPC management partner should be able to:
- Review existing advertising performance.
- Identify profitable and underperforming campaigns.
- Preserve valuable historical data.
- Build a structured migration roadmap.
- Maintain continuity for important campaigns.
- Improve keyword and search term management.
- Establish clear reporting benchmarks.
- Coordinate advertising with listing and account operations.
This is particularly important for established brands managing substantial advertising budgets across several marketplaces.
How Sellers Umbrella approaches Amazon PPC management
Sellers Umbrella provides Amazon advertising management focused on campaign performance, strategic optimization, and wider business growth.
Its approach considers advertising as part of a connected Amazon operation rather than treating campaign metrics in isolation.
The team works across campaign strategy, keyword research, bid optimization, budget management, and performance reporting.
For brands moving from another agency, the initial review should focus on understanding the current account, identifying opportunities, and establishing a practical plan for the transition.
You can explore Sellers Umbrella's Amazon PPC management services to understand its advertising approach.
Brands that require support beyond advertising can also review Amazon account and marketplace management, which covers broader operational requirements.
For businesses looking for a wider growth roadmap, Amazon strategic consulting services can help connect advertising decisions with longer-term business priorities.
13. Questions to Ask Your New Amazon PPC Agency Before Migration
Before signing an agreement, ask the prospective agency how it will manage the transition.
The answers can reveal whether the agency has a structured process or simply expects to take over and start making changes.
How will you review our existing campaigns?
The agency should explain how it evaluates historical performance, campaign structure, keyword targeting, and budget allocation.
It should also explain how it identifies campaigns that should be preserved.
Will you pause or rebuild existing campaigns?
Ask whether the agency plans to retain the current structure or introduce new campaigns.
There may be valid reasons for rebuilding certain campaigns, but the decision should be based on account analysis rather than preference.
How will you protect our existing sales?
The agency should explain how it plans to maintain campaign continuity, preserve high-performing targets, and monitor important campaigns during the handover.
What data do you need from our previous agency?
A professional team should provide a clear list of required reports, campaign records, settings, and other relevant information.
How will you measure performance after migration?
Ask for a clear set of baseline metrics and reporting periods.
The agency should explain how it will account for seasonality, promotions, inventory changes, and other factors that may influence results.
Who will manage our account?
Understand who will be responsible for campaign management, reporting, communication, and strategic decisions.
How frequently will we receive updates?
Confirm the reporting schedule and how urgent issues will be communicated.
You should know what to expect during the first month and how progress will be reviewed.
Conclusion
Switching Amazon PPC agencies does not have to mean losing sales, disrupting profitable campaigns, or starting your advertising strategy from scratch.
The key is to treat the transition as a structured business process. Before making changes, evaluate your existing agency, document account performance, collect campaign data, secure the required access, and choose a replacement agency with a clear migration process.
Once the handover begins, focus on campaign continuity. Preserve profitable campaigns, maintain important keyword coverage, avoid unnecessary duplicate structures, and introduce optimizations gradually.
Your new agency should start with a detailed account audit and a clear performance baseline. It should understand what has worked, what has failed, and what needs to change before making major decisions.
For established Amazon brands, the goal of agency migration is not simply to replace one service provider with another. It is to build a stronger advertising management system that supports predictable growth, better decision-making, and long-term profitability.
Sellers Umbrella helps Amazon brands manage advertising through structured campaign management, optimization, and performance reporting. Explore its Amazon PPC management solutions to learn more.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do I switch Amazon PPC agencies without losing sales?
Start by selecting your new agency before terminating the existing relationship. Collect historical campaign data, document current budgets and targeting, and ensure the new agency has the necessary access. Keep profitable campaigns running while the new team reviews the account and introduces controlled changes.
2. How long does it take to migrate an Amazon PPC account?
A straightforward account migration may take one to two weeks, while complex accounts with multiple marketplaces, numerous ASINs, and extensive campaign structures may require longer. A 30-day transition framework can help organize the handover, audit, optimization, and performance review.
3. Will switching Amazon PPC agencies affect my sales?
It can affect sales if the transition is poorly managed. Pausing profitable campaigns, losing important keyword targets, changing bids too aggressively, or creating unnecessary duplicate campaigns can disrupt advertising performance. A structured migration plan helps reduce these risks.
4. Should I pause my existing Amazon PPC campaigns before switching agencies?
Not necessarily. Campaigns that are generating profitable sales should generally remain active until the new agency has reviewed their performance and prepared a transition plan. Any campaign changes should be based on data and business priorities.
5. What information should I request from my current Amazon PPC agency?
Request campaign and ad group information, keyword targets, product targets, negative keywords, budgets, bids, placement settings, search term reports, historical performance reports, creative assets, and relevant reporting records. Keep copies of important information in storage controlled by your business.
6. Can my new Amazon PPC agency access historical campaign data?
The new agency can review historical information that is available through the relevant Amazon advertising accounts and reports. You should also transfer relevant exports and documents from the previous agency. Access to historical reporting and settings may vary depending on account configuration and available records.
7. Should I rebuild my Amazon PPC campaigns when changing agencies?
A complete rebuild is not always necessary. Existing campaigns may contain valuable historical data and proven targeting. The new agency should first conduct an account audit and decide which campaigns can be optimized, restructured, or replaced.
8. When should I remove my old agency's Seller Central access?
Remove the previous agency's access after the handover is complete, the new agency has confirmed its required permissions, and all relevant data has been collected. Review Seller Central and connected advertising tools to ensure that old users and integrations no longer have unnecessary access.
9. What should I expect from a new Amazon PPC agency in the first 30 days?
During the first month, expect account discovery, campaign audits, historical performance analysis, access verification, identification of immediate risks, and prioritized optimization. The agency should also establish reporting benchmarks and present a roadmap for future improvements.
10. How do I know if my new Amazon PPC agency is performing better?
Compare the new agency's performance against a documented pre-migration baseline. Review advertising spend, attributed sales, ACoS, TACoS, conversion rate, CPC, organic visibility, and product-level performance. Also evaluate communication, reporting quality, strategic planning, and the financial impact of advertising decisions.
11. Can I change Amazon PPC agencies during a peak sales season?
You can, but the timing requires careful planning. Avoid unnecessary campaign restructuring immediately before major promotional periods. If a change is necessary, prioritize account access, campaign continuity, budget monitoring, and clear communication between the old and new teams.
12. Does changing an Amazon PPC agency require creating a new advertising account?
In most standard agency transitions, the brand continues using its existing Amazon advertising account. The new agency receives the appropriate access to manage the existing account. Creating a separate advertising account is generally not required simply because the service provider changes.
