Module 1 · Lesson 4
How the Walmart Connect Ecosystem Fits Together
What you’ll learn
- Every ad format mapped to a stage of the shopper’s journey
- Where you’ll manage campaigns: Seller Center vs Ad Center
- The 2026 AI layer — Marty for advertisers, Sparky for shoppers
- Where you should start (and why)
You’ve met the pieces individually. Now let’s put them on one map, so you understand how Walmart Connect works as a full-funnel system — and where your first campaign belongs.
The formats, mapped to the funnel
Think of a shopper moving from “just browsing” to “ready to buy.” Each format meets them at a different point:
Sponsored Products Convert
Keyword-triggered ads in search results, on product pages and in carousels. Bottom-of-funnel — catches shoppers ready to buy. Your starting point.
Sponsored Brands Consider
A banner at the top of search with your logo, headline and products, driving traffic to your Brand Shop. Builds awareness and loyalty.
Sponsored Videos Consider
Short video ads inside the search feed — a premium placement to stand out and demonstrate a product.
Onsite Display Discover
Banner and in-grid placements across homepage, search and category pages — Marquee and in-grid units for reach and browsing shoppers.
Offsite & Walmart DSP Reach
Ads beyond Walmart — other sites, connected TV, audio and apps — using Walmart’s first-party data, via a DSP powered by The Trade Desk.
Store Ads Reinforce
Screens, radio and displays inside physical stores. Omnichannel reinforcement, mainly for larger suppliers.
Brand Shop & Shelf Free
A free, customisable storefront on Walmart.com where shoppers browse your full catalogue. Not an ad — but where your Sponsored Brands traffic can land.
The takeaway
You don’t run all of these at once. Most sellers build a strong Sponsored Products base first, then layer Sponsored Brands and Display as they grow. Full-funnel is the destination, not the starting line.
Where you’ll actually work
Two platforms come up, and the difference confuses people:
- Seller Center — where you manage your Marketplace account and can access self-serve advertising.
- Walmart Connect Ad Center — the dedicated platform to launch, manage and optimise campaigns with the fullest set of tools. This is where you’ll spend your campaign time.
The 2026 AI layer
Walmart Connect has moved to an “AI-first” model, and two assistants matter to you:
Marty — your side
An advertiser assistant you can ask, in plain language, about bidding, keywords and billing. It gives recommendations and “change analysis” reports.
Sparky — the shopper’s side
A consumer assistant that helps shoppers find products. For advertisers it opens a new “conversational search” surface where ads can appear as sponsored prompts.
You don’t need to master these on day one, but knowing they exist explains a lot of what you’ll see inside Ad Center — and it’s why a course built in 2026 has to include them.
Where you’ll start
Here’s the whole point of Module 1 landing in one place: you’ll start with Sponsored Products. It needs only a seller account, it catches shoppers closest to buying, and it’s the format the rest of your strategy builds on. In Module 2 we set up your account and get your listings ad-ready; in Module 3 we build your first Sponsored Products campaign.
Quick recap
- Walmart Connect is a full-funnel system: Sponsored Search converts, Display and DSP reach, Store Ads reinforce.
- Manage serious campaigns in Walmart Connect Ad Center; Seller Center handles your Marketplace account.
- 2026 added an AI layer: Marty helps advertisers, Sparky opens a conversational-search ad surface.
- Start with Sponsored Products — lowest barrier, highest intent, foundation for everything else.
Module 1 complete
You now have the full map. Next up, Module 2: Account & Listing Setup — Seller Center vs Ad Center, brand registration, and getting your listings Buy-Box ready.