Status: Alpha

About:

Collection Ads is an interactive ad format on NewsBreak designed for e-commerce, retail, and multi-offer campaigns, featuring a primary hero image or video paired with a gallery of clickable product thumbnails directly beneath it.

This format allows advertisers to showcase multiple items, promotions, or categories within a single ad unit so users can seamlessly browse options inside their feed. By linking each individual product tile to its own specific landing page, Collection Ads boost engagement, capture higher-intent clicks, and efficiently drive qualified traffic directly to featured inventory.

Prerequisite:

Shopify Catalog
NewsBreak Shopify App (you can install it here)
- Connected Web Events
Organization-level Admin or Operator permissions for the organization

Step 1: Event Preparation & Setup

Before setting up catalog tracking, ensure you hold Organization-level Admin or Operator permissions for the organization hosting the catalog.

Verify Web Events

Navigate to Tools > Event Management > Web Event in NewsBreak Ad Manager. Verify that the three required conversion events are active with Shopify_app listed as the Tracking Service:

view_content
add_to_cart
complete_payment

Note: Enabling Automatic Advanced Matching is strongly recommended to boost conversion attribution accuracy.

Install NewsBreak Shopify App (If Events Are Missing)

If the required events are not present or do not show Shopify_app as the tracking service, follow these steps:

In Event Management, click Create/test web event.
Select Shopify (Shopify App) from the integration dropdown menu.
Follow the instructions to install the NewsBreak Shopify App on your Shopify store.

Enable Catalog Sync

After app installation, open the NewsBreak Shopify App on your store and verify that product sync is active. Ensure individual item Sync Status displays as Live. Update missing product details (e.g., description) if any sync errors appear.

Step 2: Catalog Management & Event Connection

Verify Catalog Sync

Navigate to Tools > Catalog Manager in Ad Manager. Verify your product catalog synced from Shopify is visible and contains an active product count.

Connect Catalog to Ad Account

Because catalogs are organization-level assets, you must assign access permissions to specific ad accounts.

Select Event connection on the Catalog Manager left menu bar.
Choose your target catalog, organization, and ad account.

Click Edit connection. Confirm that the required events (View Content, Add to Cart, Complete Payment) are listed in the modal drawer.

Click Confirm to complete the connection.

Create a Product Set

Product sets define the specific collection of items promoted within your ad.

Go to Product sets on the left Navigation panel in Catalog Manager.
Click Create product set and follow the setup instructions (e.g., uploading a SKU list).

Step 3: Creating a Sales Campaign with Collection Ads

1. Set Campaign Objective

In NewsBreak Ad Manager, start a new campaign creation flow. Select Sales as your primary campaign objective.

2. Configure Ad Set Settings

Configure targeting, budget, and bidding strategy at the ad set level according to standard campaign setup practices.

3. Enable Catalog & Collection Ads

At the ad creation level, choose your preferred creative format (Image or Video).
Toggle on Enable Catalog Ads.
Select your target Catalog and Product Set from the dropdown menus.

Save your ad settings to complete setup. Products from the chosen product set will now automatically render alongside your ad when displayed to users.

Please note that while the collection ad unit won't appear in the preview, it will still be displayed to users.