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Resource · How-to Guide · Malaysia

How to Run Shopee Ads in Malaysia: Ad Types, Bidding and Budget

For brand and e-commerce managers running Shopee Ads in-house or briefing an agency: a step-by-step guide to Shopee's on-platform ads in Malaysia, checked against the Shopee Ads Malaysia help pages. To have marketplace ads run for you, see our e-commerce marketing service.

Last updated October 2026
Quick answer

Shopee Ads in Malaysia are prepaid: sellers top up ads credit in Seller Centre, then run product, shop or live ads. Product and shop ads charge per click, with a minimum bid of RM0.14 for Search and Discovery Ads. shakalakaa notes Shopee suggests starting with at least RM20 per advertised product.

What ad types does Shopee Ads offer Malaysian sellers?

Last updated: October 2026. Last checked: 19 October 2026 against Shopee Ads Malaysia. Shopee groups its on-platform ads into product, shop, live and brand ads, and how you are charged depends on the type (Shopee Ads: ads credit usage (opens in a new tab)).

Shopee on-platform ads in Malaysia
Ad type What it promotes How you pay
Product ads: GMV Max Products across search, discovery, video, games and coins feeds; Shopee picks placements Per click, from ads credit
Product ads: Search and Discovery Products in search results or recommendation feeds Per click; minimum bid RM0.14
Shop Ads Your whole shop Per click, from ads credit
Live Ads Your Shopee Live sessions Per impression, from ads credit
Search Brand Ads Your brand on searches Per impression, from ads credit
Homepage Brand Ads Brand placements on the homepage Invoiced separately, not from ads credit

How do you set up Shopee Ads step by step?

  1. Top up ads credit in Seller Centre (My Ads). Ads stop when credit runs out.
  2. Pick products with good conversion potential, such as best sellers, competitively priced items and well-rated listings.
  3. Choose how to bid: GMV Max (Auto Bidding or a Custom ROAS target) or a manual cost-per-click bid.
  4. For manual bids, start at the minimum bid if you are unsure, or use the suggested bid to maximise exposure.
  5. Set a budget: No Limit, a daily budget or a total budget. Spend never exceeds the cap you set.
  6. After a week, check ROAS and ad rank. If ROAS is good but rank is poor, raise your bid.

These steps follow Shopee's own advice (Shopee Ads: managing ad spend (opens in a new tab)). Charges appear under Transaction History in My Ads, and Shopee filters out repeated or automated clicks.

How much do Shopee Ads cost in Malaysia?

Shopee Ads cost what you bid and budget: you pay only for clicks (or impressions for Live and Search Brand Ads), never for simply being shown on click-based ads. The minimum bid is RM0.14 for Search and Discovery Ads, and Shopee suggests a budget of at least RM20 per advertised product when you start.

Ads credit top-ups are non-refundable and non-transferable, and different top-up types can expire on different dates. shakalakaa has no sourced Malaysian Shopee CPC or ROAS benchmarks, so test with a small budget and judge results against your own margin.

How does Shopee GMV Max bidding work?

GMV Max offers two bidding methods, and a product cannot run both at once (Shopee Ads: GMV Max FAQs (opens in a new tab)). Auto Bidding lets Shopee optimise for maximum sales. Custom ROAS lets you set a return-on-ad-spend target.

Shopee recommends using its suggested ROAS values and not setting a target more than 25% above the highest suggestion. A very high target makes GMV Max more selective, which limits spend and sales. For new products, long buying cycles or small budgets, Shopee recommends Auto Bidding.

What changes in Shopee Ads on 1 November 2026?

From 1 November 2026, the Shopee Ads Growth Plan converts part of each completed order's proceeds into ads credit straight away, instead of weekly (Shopee Ads Growth Plan (opens in a new tab)). Shopee also creates one Shop GMV Max campaign for participating sellers.

Shopee Ads Growth Plan from 1 November 2026
Item Rule
Who qualifies Local sellers (not cross-border) averaging at least RM1,000 GMV and 10 orders a day in the previous month
Conversion rate 3% for electronics sellers, 5% for all other categories
Where to check Auto Top-Up (Escrow) section of the Shopee Ads module in Seller Centre

Need it done for you?

If you want a team to manage bids, budgets and listings across Shopee, Lazada and TikTok Shop, see shakalakaa's e-commerce marketing service.

Comparing providers first? See our list of the best e-commerce marketing agencies in Malaysia (2026).

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions.

What is the minimum budget for Shopee Ads in Malaysia?

Shopee does not set a fixed minimum budget, but the minimum bid is RM0.14 for Search and Discovery Ads. Shopee suggests starting with at least RM20 per advertised product.

Can I get a refund on unused Shopee ads credit?

No. Shopee says ads credit top-ups are non-refundable and non-transferable, and some top-up types expire.

Am I charged for fake or repeated clicks on Shopee Ads?

No. Shopee says its system filters out invalid clicks, such as persistent manual clicks by one user or automated clicking tools.

Should I use GMV Max Auto Bidding or Custom ROAS?

Use Auto Bidding to maximise sales without a set target, especially for new products or small budgets. Use Custom ROAS when you need sales to meet a specific return target.

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