Instacart Ads
Instacart Ads is a retail media network (RMN) that enables brands to reach consumers at the point of purchase through a performance-based, pay-per-click advertising model, promoting sponsored product ads directly within the Instacart grocery platform.
Last updated Oct 5, 2026 by the ATDb Editorial Team · Connections updated Oct 9, 2026
AI-drafted from public sources9 sources cited
At a glance
- Employees
- 1001-5000
- Funding
- $2.9B
- Revenue
- $800M–$1B (advertising revenue)
- Stock
- CART
About
Leading grocery-focused retail media network with dual positioning as both a media destination and retail media technology provider for third-party retailers
Instacart Ads is a retail media network (RMN) that enables brands to reach consumers at the point of purchase through a performance-based, pay-per-click advertising model, promoting sponsored product ads directly within the Instacart grocery platform. Its suite of ad products — spanning sponsored products, promotions, brand pages, shoppable display ads, display ads, and shoppable video ads — is designed to serve a range of marketing objectives including driving sales, engaging consumers, and expanding reach. Through its Carrot Ads platform, launched in March 2022, Instacart powers retail media networks across 240-plus e-commerce sites — including Thrive Market, Hy-Vee, and Uber Eats' grocery experience — enabling CPG brands and agencies to buy once and activate across an entire ecosystem with consistent measurement. Beyond its own marketplace, Instacart extends its first-party shopper purchase data to off-platform channels including YouTube, Google Shopping, Roku, and The Trade Desk, allowing advertisers to target high-intent audiences and measure incremental impact across the open web and connected TV. Instacart Ads is also expanding into physical retail through Caper Carts — smart shopping carts deployed in nearly 100 cities — which carry loyalty card data, real-time basket signals, and location data to serve contextually relevant ads and product recommendations in-store. Instacart's advertising unit generated $871 million in revenue in 2023, representing nearly 30% of the company's overall revenue. Source 1: skai.io — Instacart Advertising: Unleashing Your Brand's Potential ... Source 2: retailmediabreakfastclub.com — Instacart Ads' Third Act: Ali Miller on Building ... Source 3: modernretail.co — Instacart bets on YouTube to turbocharge its $871M ad ...
Business model
Retail Media Network / Marketplace Advertising
Target market
Enterprise
What they offer
Sponsored Products
Native product listing ads that appear in search results and category pages on Instacart's marketplace, driving direct product discovery and purchase.
Display Ads
Banner and rich media display placements across the Instacart app and website, supporting brand awareness and product promotion.
Shoppable Video
Video ad units that allow consumers to add featured products directly to their cart while watching, bridging brand storytelling with immediate purchase action.
Carrot Ads
White-label retail media technology platform that powers advertising programs for 1,400+ retail banner partners, enabling them to monetize their digital properties.
Brand Pages
Dedicated storefront-style pages on Instacart where brands can showcase their full product portfolio, content, and promotions.
Instacart Ads Manager
Self-serve campaign management platform allowing brands and agencies to create, manage, and optimize ad campaigns with real-time reporting.
Shoppable TV
Integration enabling brands to run TV ads that allow viewers to add products to their Instacart cart via QR code or connected TV interaction.
Promotions & Coupons
Digital coupon and promotional tools that brands can use to drive trial, loyalty, and incremental purchase behavior among Instacart shoppers.
Key features
Use cases
Customer segments
Tech & specs
Technology stack
Security & compliance
Deployment
API
Yes
- 2012 · Founded