How to set up and run your first Wolt Ads campaign

Wolt Ads use Sponsored Listings to help your restaurant appear in prominent places across the Wolt app, including Discovery and search. That extra visibility can help customers find you when they are deciding what to order, and you only pay when an ad leads to a completed order.

If this is your first in-app campaign, you do not need to have every answer on day one. The setup is designed to be simple, and your first campaign can be a focused test. In Wolt's 2025 global local commerce report, 81% of consumers who had ordered restaurant food said they discovered new venues on Wolt. The study covered 23 markets across Europe and Asia, so treat the figure as global context rather than a Greece-specific result.

Let's walk through how to prepare, launch and learn from your first campaign.

What exactly are Wolt Ads and how do they work?

Sponsored Listings can place your venue in top positions across the Wolt app, including the Discovery tab, search results, Restaurant and Store pages, and cart recommendations. The Wolt Ads page explains where these promoted placements can appear.

Sponsored Listings use a pay-per-order model. You set your campaign budget and pay only when a customer places a completed order through your ad. You are not charged for clicks or views that do not lead to a sale, so your budget stays focused on measurable results.

Wolt Ads increase your visibility without changing your menu, prices or ratings. Your venue page then helps customers decide what to order, so clear photos, accurate information and a well-organized menu all play an important role.

What should you prepare before launching?

A few thoughtful updates before launch can help your ad make a stronger first impression. Check that your venue page is clear, current and ready for the customers your campaign may bring.

Show your dishes at their best: Clear, appetizing photos can help customers choose with confidence. Focus first on your bestselling items, and use the menu photo guide for practical image guidance.

Make your menu easy to explore: Use clear categories, accurate descriptions and up-to-date item availability so a new customer can quickly understand what you offer. The menu management guide explains how to make changes in the Merchant Portal.

Keep your details current: Make sure your listed hours and item availability reflect when you are ready to receive orders. If the kitchen becomes especially busy, you remain free to go temporarily offline and return when you are ready. The venue availability guide shows you how.

Choose whether to add a promotion: Ads increase visibility, while a Promo can give customers an extra reason to order. Combining the two can support both discovery and purchase, but it is optional. The marketing offers guide can help you choose what best fits your goal and budget.

How do you actually set up the campaign?

Once your venue page is ready, the campaign setup is straightforward and keeps the budget and schedule in your hands.

Open the Merchant Portal: Use the Merchant Portal login guide if you need help signing in. Then select Campaigns in the left navigation and choose New campaign.

Choose Ads: Select Ads, then Get started. Sponsored Listings help place your venue in prominent positions across the app. The Wolt Ads for merchants page provides a current product overview.

Set your budget and schedule: Choose a campaign budget and dates that feel right for your business. Review the campaign details in the Merchant Portal before moving on.

Review your campaign details: Check the budget and schedule, read and agree to the terms and conditions, then select Create campaign. You can follow its performance from the Campaigns section.

Choose a useful test period: There is no universal ideal duration. Pick a defined period that fits your budget and should generate enough completed orders to give you something meaningful to review.

How much should you spend on your first campaign?

The best first budget is one that supports your goal without putting pressure on your margins. Your average order value, food costs and normal order volume can all help you choose a comfortable starting point.

Work backwards from your budget: Decide what you can comfortably invest, then compare campaign sales and orders with that spend. Because Wolt Ads are pay per order, you pay only for completed orders attributed to the ad.

Start with a budget you can learn from: Treat your first campaign as a test. Review the results before increasing spend or changing the schedule. The marketing campaigns guide walks through setup and performance monitoring.

How do you know if your first campaign worked?

Reviewing your results turns a first campaign into a useful learning exercise. The data can help you decide whether to continue, adjust your budget or schedule, or try a different combination of marketing tools.

Review the campaign report: In the Merchant Portal, open Campaigns and look at total sales, total spend, orders from Ads, return on ad spend, average cost per order and average order value. The campaign results guide explains each metric.

Compare return with cost: Revenue per euro spent shows the return generated by your ad budget, while average cost per order shows how much ad spend supported each order. Review both alongside your margins before deciding what success looks like for your venue.

Put the results in context: The campaign report measures orders and revenue from Ads. Your Analytics and Insights dashboard also shows new and returning customers across a selected period. Use both views together, without assuming every later order was caused by the campaign.

Use the results to plan your next step: Keep what worked, adjust one variable at a time and compare the next campaign with the first. The campaign results guide can help you interpret the figures consistently.