Step 1: Create an Onsite Display Line Item

Create an Onsite Display Line Item

To create a line item, remember that you need to create a campaign first.

At the end of your campaign creation, you will be automatically redirected to the line item creation workflow.

If you have already created a campaign and want to create additional line items, follow the steps below:

Click Campaigns in the header of the Criteo Retail Media Platform to access the Campaigns page.
Click on the name of the campaign to which you want to add a line item.
You are now on the Line Item Dashboard. Here you can see all line items that exist under this campaign, and you can add new ones.
Click the +Line Item button.

Name & Retailer

Name

The first step in line item creation is to name your line item.

The line item name you choose will only be shown in the platform on the Line Item and Analytics pages. It won't appear in your ads and will never be visible to shoppers.

Enter a name that will help you identify it within your campaign or reporting. A good example is something like “Date_Brand_Category_Retailer.” A line item name is unique and each line item under a campaign must have a different name.

Retailer

After naming the line item, choose the Retailer you want your ads to run on.

Click the dropdown to select from the available retailers. You can select one retailer only per line item.

Your retailer selection determines the products, the page types, and the ad formats available.

European Markets Only: Targeting Based on Tracking Preference

Under European privacy laws, retailers must ask shoppers on their site if they accept or refuse tracking (i.e. storing browsing information linked to their user ID). If you select a retailer who has enabled this feature, you will find an additional section for Targeting Based on Tracking Preference settings. These controls allow you to choose whether you want your line item to serve to both opted-in and opted-out shoppers. By default and unless these settings are edited, your line item will serve to opted-in shoppers only. If you see no settings available to edit and are a non-Read Only user, you can assume that you are only targeting opted-in shoppers.

Important: No sales attribution is collected for opted-out users, as attribution relies on the user ID. Therefore, ROAS and conversions-based KPIs will likely be lower on line items targeting opted-in and opted-out shoppers. However, targeting both opted-in and opted-out shoppers increases total impressions and clicks.

Start & End Dates

After naming the line item and selecting the retailer, enter the start and end dates. Both are mandatory.

Start by selecting the start date on the calendar. Today's date is selected by default, but you can select any date in the future.

Then continue by selecting an end date directly on the calendar. Your line item will stop serving ads and change to Ended status on this precise date at the end of the day.

Budget & Pacing

Budget

Enter the maximum amount for your line item to spend for the duration of your campaign. Setting a budget does not guarantee that your line item will spend the entire amount. The amount is used as an objective and your line item will stop delivering when it is reached.

Pacing

After selecting your campaign budget, you can choose how that budget is spent over time. Pacing helps you control whether your budget is used all at once or spread out across days.

You have four pacing options:

ASAP - Spend as Fast as Possible
- Starts spending immediately from the campaign start date.
- Continues until the budget is used up or the campaign ends.
- Best for urgent exposure or quick impact.
- No pacing control – may exhaust the budget early.
Note: The ability to scale is determined by the selected page type, inventory availability, and selected advanced targeting. These all factor into pacing and whether you will be able to reach your full budget.
Daily Cap - Set a Daily Spending Limit
- You choose a max amount to spend per day.
- The cap resets every midnight.
- Helps prevent overspending on any one day.
- Manual adjustments may be needed if pacing needs change mid-campaign.
Note: The ability to scale is determined by the selected page type, inventory availability, and selected advanced targeting. Due to this, you might not spend your full budget.
Important: Delivery is random. There is no rule prioritizing one pacing method over another unless priority is set by the retailer. If there are two line items with the same priority and both are eligible for a placement, the platform will choose which line item delivers randomly.
Even - Spread Spend Evenly Over Time
- Distributes the total budget equally across all campaign days.
- Uses smart hourly traffic data to match spend with shopper activity.
- Each hour can spend up to 120% of its normal share to avoid under-delivery.
- It is recommended for campaigns running 3+ days.
How it works:
- Daily Budget = Total Budget ÷ Number of Days
- Hourly Weights: Higher spend allowed during peak hours.
- 120% Flex Rule: Each hour can exceed its expected spend by up to 20%, but your total daily and campaign budget won’t go over.
Note: The ability to scale is determined by the selected page type, inventory availability, and selected advanced targeting. Due to this, you might not spend your full budget.
Ahead - Spend More Early
- Uses the same hourly weights and 120% flex rule as Even.
- Spends more budget early in the campaign and less later.
- Helpful for product launches or when early visibility is key.
- Great for short flights or launch moments.
How it works:
- Front-Loaded Curve: Starts with a higher daily budget (e.g., 10% on Day 1, 9% on Day 2...).
- Allows for recovery later if early days don’t fully spend.

Frequency Cap (Optional)

At the end of step 1 of your line item creation, you can set up a Frequency Cap to limit the number of impressions shown to a unique shopper.

The Frequency Cap can be set at either the line item OR at the campaign level, but it cannot be set on both the line item and campaign level.

To set a Frequency Cap: enter the maximum number of impressions (valid entries: 1-20) and choose between two event types: Day, Session.