Turns out this might be a hot take in the advertising world: Dynamic Product Ads (DPAs) are overrated as a primary strategy.
Do DPAs have value? Absolutely. Should you use them? In the right context, yes. But should they be the backbone of your entire Meta strategy? Hard no.
Why the DPA Obsession Needs to Stop
Here’s my biggest issue with the DPA-heavy approach is that you’re essentially letting Meta decide your brand story. Instead of strategically crafting messages that move people through your funnel, you’re just throwing products at anyone who shows a hint of interest and hoping something sticks.
We see it constantly — brands discover DPAs, see solid short-term performance, and then dedicate 60-80% of their Meta budget to them.
DPAs Work Best at Bottom Funnel
This is where most people get it wrong. DPAs work best when someone is already in buying mode — they’ve engaged with your brand, they understand your value proposition, and now they need to see the right product to push them over the finish line.
Using DPAs for top-of-funnel prospecting? That’s where things get messy. You’re essentially introducing your brand through a product catalog instead of through intentional messaging. You’re just showing the ‘what’ before the ‘who’ or the ‘why’ in the customer journey — skipping the part that actually builds trust.
Your top-of-funnel efforts should focus on the message you want to tell the world. What makes your brand different? What problem do you solve? What’s your unique angle? DPAs can’t communicate any of that — they just show products.
Attracting Browsers, Not Buyers
Here’s what happens when you lean too heavily on DPAs for prospecting: you attract a lot of window shoppers. People who might browse your products out of curiosity but aren’t ready to buy or aren’t emotionally connected to your brand.
These interactions might boost your engagement metrics, but they rarely translate into meaningful business growth. You end up with a bunch of catalog browsers instead of qualified prospects who understand and want what you’re offering.
Meta Wants You Dependent on DPAs
Let’s be honest about what’s happening here. Meta loves when you go all-in on DPAs because it makes you completely dependent on their platform and their algorithm. Your whole advertising strategy becomes tethered to their catalog system, their product matching, their automated bidding.
When DPAs become your primary strategy, you lose control over your brand narrative. Meta decides which products to show, when to show them, and to whom. You become a passive participant in your own marketing.
A Better Approach
Here’s how we recommend using DPAs: as a powerful remarketing and conversion tool, not as your primary prospecting method.
Use strategic campaigns to introduce your brand, communicate your value proposition, and build genuine interest. Tell your story. Show differentiation. Create an emotional connection. Then, once someone understands who you are and what you offer, hit them with DPAs to show the specific products that match their interests.
This approach gives you the best of both worlds: intentional brand building at the top of the funnel and automated product matching at the bottom. You control the narrative while still leveraging Meta’s catalog capabilities, where they actually shine.
DPAs Are a Tool, Not a Strategy
DPAs aren’t bad, and should be leveraged. They’re just not the complete solution that many advertisers treat them as. They’re a tool, not a strategy. A powerful finishing move, not your opening play.
Stop letting Meta’s algorithm tell your brand story. Use DPAs where they excel — converting warm traffic into purchases, and don’t mistake catalog browsing for meaningful brand engagement.
Your brand deserves better than being reduced to a product feed. Build the relationship first, then let DPAs close the deal.
