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As of September 1, 2023, Waze is no longer selling Ads. Read more about the Waze ads wind down.

About ad formats in Waze

Waze Ads drives customers to your business destinations with 4 distinct ad formats:

  • Arrows
  • Search
  • Takeovers
  • Pins

Each reaches customers at different stages of their journey and helps them learn about your business. The best Waze Ads campaigns use all four formats together to encourage customers to drive to your front door.

Learn more in the video below.

How each Waze Ads format can supercharge your business

Search

With your business name and logo at the top of the search results, drivers can quickly find and identify your business location.

How Search works

When drivers begin typing a search query, Waze presents auto-complete results for nearby locations matching the characters typed thus far.

Once users tap Search, Waze retrieves a results list of organic locations and advertised locations. When possible, Waze displays one promoted search result at the top of the results list. If your business name is a match, it will appear at the top of the list.

Search promotion is available at no charge when you have other ad formats running on Waze.

Pins 

Pins act like digital billboards, reminding nearby drivers of your business and marking it on the Waze map.

How Pins work

Your pin will appear on the map when users map view include you location. Your pin won’t show up all the time—the frequency with which your pin is displayed depends on your budget, CPM bid, and your competition.

Drivers can expand your branded pin with a simple tap to reveal useful information about your business.

Once the pin is expanded, it shows your customized images and text, along with an info button that reveals more about your business: opening hours, website, phone number, services, and more.

Drivers can navigate to your business directly from your pin and mark it as favorite.

Takeovers

Takeovers offer an immersive experience while still keeping the user in the context of their drive. 

How Takeovers work

While drivers are on their route, a Takeover banner will display when they are at full stop for several seconds, and disappears once they resume driving.

Takeovers offer drivers to navigate to your business, learn more about it, save your location or save an offer to their inbox.

Arrows

Nearby Arrows are well positioned signposts displayed right after opening the app, letting people know your business is nearby.

How Arrows work

Your branded Arrow will appear on the map when Waze users open the app and your business is within proximity.

Drivers can expand your Arrow with a simple tap to reveal useful information about your business, including customized images and text, along with an info button that reveals more about your business: opening hours, website, phone number, services, and more.

FAQs

Why don't I see my Pin on the map?

There can be several reasons for why your pin is not displayed when you look for it:  

Reason 1: Your new account may still be under review

After an account is created, it's reviewed by the Waze Ads team.

You will not see your business in the search results or on the map until the ad is approved. This usually takes up to 48 hours.

Reason 2: Your budget may be too low

Your pin's display frequency is influenced by the monthly budget you set. As a result, your Branded Pin may not be displayed at all times.

If your budget is low compared to the volume the traffic surrounding your location, your ads won't reach each and every driver passing by.

To reach more potential clients, consider increasing your budget. Learn more about budgets in Waze Ads.

Reason 3: You may have applied targeting on your Pin campaign

If you applied time targeting on your campaigns, make sure you are looking for your ads within the defined time frame. Learn more about targeting.

Reason 4: Your locations or account may be inactive

  1. ​Go to Manage, then click the Location tab and verify that the "Status" in all locations you want to promote is Active.
    • If the status is "Inactive", click the location and then Change the "Location status" to Disabled and then Click Save
  2. Go to Account Settings and then Details. If your account is currently active, you should see the Pause Advertising button.
    • Seeing Resume Advertising instead? Click the button to resume advertising. Note: The dashboard starts showing activity 30 minutes from reactivation.

Why can't I find my business in Search?

Note: If you just created an account, your ads won’t show up on the Waze map and search results until the account is approved. Read more in Account approval process.

Your business is eligible to appear in the search results when drivers type in your business name. This comes from what you inputted in the “Business Name” field during sign up.

Your Promoted Search result may also appear when drivers search parts of the business name, depending on how unique your business name is and how close they are to the business.

For example, "Mike's Cafe" will show up in Promoted Search when nearby drivers search "Mike's Cafe". When people only search “Cafe", "Mike's Cafe" won't necessarily show, especially if there are other nearby businesses with "Cafe" in their name.

To increase the chances of people finding your business, the names of your advertised locations should be  your business's most known and recognized ones. Exclude any city/state/street information unless it's an integral part of your business's name.

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