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Apple Ads resource guide

Apple Ads guide to placements, keywords and budgets

Apple Ads, formerly Apple Search Ads, promotes apps on the App Store. This guide covers the four placements, where each ad's creative comes from, keywords, daily budgets and how Apple counts installs.

Checked 3 October 2026 against Apple's ad placement options

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1320 × 2868 px6.9-inch screenshot · up to 3 shown

Your App NameApp name · 30 characters max

Sum up your app in one lineSubtitle · 30 characters max

App name / subtitle characters
30 / 30
Custom product pages per app
70
Monthly spend cap, in days of daily budget
30.4
Basic budget per app, per month
$10,000

Placements and creative

Apple Ads placements, pricing and creative sources

Apple Ads Advanced runs in four App Store placements, and Apple Ads Basic runs in search results. Ads are built from the metadata and assets you already have in App Store Connect, so your product pages are the creative.

01Today tab

The front page of the App Store, where Apple says more than half a billion people start their visit each week.

Where it shows
The Today tab, fully visible when people first open the App Store
Pricing
Cost per tap (CPT)
Keywords
None. Set a bid and optional audience settings
Ad content
App name, icon and subtitle, over animated assets from your custom product page in a colour from your icon
Creative source
A custom product page is required, with iPhone 6.5-inch or 6.9-inch assets in the market's default language
Devices
iPhone only. Latest format on iOS 17.1 and later, earlier format on iOS 16.4 to 17.0
Not allowed
Prices, offers, rankings, awards claims, Game of the Day or App of the Day
Review
Apple Ads approves the icon, name, subtitle and page assets before the ad runs

02Search tab

An ad at the top of the suggested apps list on the Search tab, seen before people type a search.

Where it shows
Top of the suggested apps list on the Search tab
Pricing
Cost per tap (CPT). Search tab used CPM pricing in the past
Keywords
None. One bid and optional audience settings
Ad content
App name, icon and subtitle, from your product page
Tap destination
Your default product page or a custom product page
Deep links
Optional, through a custom product page
Markets
91 countries and regions

03Search results

The keyword placement. Apple matches the ad to the search query and only shows apps that are relevant to it.

Where it shows
Top of search results or further down the page. You cannot choose the position
Pricing
Cost per tap (CPT), capped by your max CPT bid or steered by a target CPA
Keywords
Yes, the only placement with keywords: broad or exact match, plus Search Match
Bid strategies
Maximize Conversions (auto-bidder with Search Match) or Manage Bids (your own keywords and bids)
Default ad
Screenshots and app previews from your default product page, in upload order
Ad variations
Built from custom product pages, with one active custom ad per ad group
Relevance
Apps that do not match the search are not shown, whatever the bid
Keyword limit
Up to 5,000 keywords per ad group

04Product pages (while browsing)

An ad for people researching apps, shown when they scroll to the bottom of a product page.

Where it shows
Top of the You Might Also Like list at the bottom of product pages
Pricing
Cost per tap (CPT)
Keywords
None. Run across all app categories, or only in categories like or unlike yours
Ad content
App name, icon and subtitle, from your product page
Custom product pages
Not listed for this placement. Apple lists them for the other three
Markets
90 countries and regions. Not on the App Store in mainland China

05Ad variations (custom product pages)

Search results ads built from a custom product page, so the creative fits a keyword theme or audience and the tap lands on that page.

Placement
Search results only
Pages per app
Up to 70 custom product pages
Custom ads per ad group
Up to 70, with one active at a time
What can change
Screenshots, app previews, promotional text, keywords and a deep link
Approval
Each page needs App Review approval, but no new app version
Fallback
The default ad runs on iOS below 15.2, or if the custom ad is paused or on hold
Deep links
iOS or iPadOS 18 and later. Off when the ad group uses age or gender settings
Creative Sets
Unsupported. Old Creative Sets ads cannot run

06Apple Ads Basic

Apple's automated option for developers. You set a monthly budget and a max cost per install, and Apple handles the matching.

Placement
Search results only
Pricing
Cost per install (CPI), up to the max CPI you set
Targeting
No keywords or audience settings. Apple's automation matches the ad
Budget
Monthly, up to $10,000 (US) per app
Apps
Up to 50
Creative source
App name, subtitle, description, app previews and up to the first 3 approved screenshots
Reporting
A dashboard, with no keyword data or Apple Ads Platform API. The AdServices Attribution API is available
Budget changes
Increases take effect at once. Decreases start the next calendar month

Placement comparison

Apple Ads placements side by side

Every Advanced placement is priced per tap. Only search results use keywords, and only Today tab ads must use a custom product page.

Apple Ads placements side by side
FormatPricingKeywordsCreative source
Today tabCPTNoCustom product page, required
Search tabCPTNoProduct page assets; lands on the default or a custom page
Search resultsCPTYes, plus Search MatchDefault ad, or a custom product page variation
Product pagesCPTNo, app category refinement onlyDefault product page assets
Apple Ads BasicCPINoDefault product page assets

Testing ideas

What to test in Apple Ads

Treat these as test ideas, not rules. Results depend on your app, market and keyword mix, so judge each test on cost per install and what people do after the download, not on taps alone.

Keyword tests

  1. Exact against broad

    Run a keyword in exact match in one ad group and in broad match in a discovery ad group. Compare cost per install, not tap volume.

  2. Search Match as a feeder

    Keep a Search Match ad group with no keywords. Move search terms that convert into exact match groups, then review overlap with negatives.

  3. Auto-bidder against your bids

    Try Maximize Conversions in one market while another stays on Manage Bids. Apple suggests at least two weeks and a daily budget for five or more conversions.

  4. Bid tiers

    Apple suggests the strongest bids on key exact match terms, strong bids on broad match and moderate bids on Search Match finds. Test the gaps between tiers.

  5. Brand campaign value

    Pause and restart brand exact match in a test market to see how many installs it adds beyond organic search.

Ad variation tests

  1. Match the keyword theme

    Build a custom product page for one keyword theme and compare it with the default ad in that ad group.

  2. Creative over audience settings

    Apple says 78% of iOS 17 and later search volume comes from devices with Personalized Ads off, which age and gender settings exclude. Test a themed page instead.

  3. Lead screenshots

    Search results show only the first one to three screenshots when there is no app preview. Test which images lead the page.

  4. Preview against screenshots

    App previews autoplay muted and run 15 to 30 seconds. Test a page that leads with a preview against one with screenshots only.

  5. Deep link destination

    Test a page with a deep link to the feature in the search against the same page without one. Deep links need iOS or iPadOS 18.

Before you change a campaign

Eight checks before you change an Apple Ads campaign

  1. Campaign structure

    Split markets where language, value or budget differ. Apple suggests brand, category, competitor and discovery campaigns so each theme reports on its own.

  2. Keyword discovery

    Review the Search Terms tab before you add keywords. Move proven terms into exact match and add irrelevant searches as negatives.

  3. Daily budgets

    A daily budget is an average. Spend can run higher on busy days, but monthly spend stays at or below 30.4 × the daily budget. Recheck the total after a mid-month change.

  4. Ad variations

    Get custom product pages approved in App Store Connect first. Check each one suits the campaign's countries, languages and devices, or the ad goes on hold.

  5. Measurement

    Connect the AdServices Attribution API directly or through your MMP. In AdAttributionKit, Apple Ads is com.apple.ads, with campaign IDs 10, 20, 30 and 40 for search results, Search tab, Today tab and product pages.

  6. Reporting definitions

    Compare downloads, redownloads and first opens separately. Apple counts installs within 30 days of a tap or 1 day of a view; your MMP may use other windows.

  7. Audience settings

    Age and gender settings exclude devices with Personalized Ads off and turn off deep links. Refined audiences also need more than 5,000 people before ads run.

  8. CPA caps

    Apple says CPA caps will soon be unavailable. If an ad group relies on one, plan a move to a target CPA. Adjust bids first, wait at least a day, then remove the cap.

FAQ

Apple Ads setup, answered

Short answers on pricing, budgets, creative and measurement, checked against Apple's own documentation.

Is Apple Ads the same as Apple Search Ads?

Yes. Apple renamed Apple Search Ads to Apple Ads on 14 April 2025, saying its ad offerings had grown beyond search. The old searchads.apple.com address now redirects to ads.apple.com.

What is the difference between Apple Ads Basic and Advanced?

Basic charges per install and caps spend at $10,000 per app each month, while Advanced charges per tap with no budget maximum. Basic runs only in search results, with no keyword or audience settings, for up to 50 apps. Advanced adds all four placements, keywords, bids, custom product pages, detailed reports and the Apple Ads Platform API.

How are Apple Ads priced?

Per tap. All four Apple Ads Advanced placements use cost per tap (CPT), and with Manage Bids you never pay more than your max CPT bid. Apple Ads Basic charges per install (CPI) instead. Search tab ads used CPM pricing in the past.

Do Apple Ads campaigns still use lifetime budgets?

No. In June 2026 Apple paused every campaign that used only a lifetime budget, and switched campaigns that used both budget types to daily budget only. A daily budget is an average: spend can run higher on some days, but monthly spend stays at or below 30.4 × the daily budget.

How many custom product pages can I use in Apple Ads?

Up to 70 per app. Each can have its own screenshots, app previews, promotional text, keywords and deep link. Search results ads can use them as ad variations, Today tab ads must use one, and Search tab ads can use one as the tap destination.

Can I still use Creative Sets?

No. Creative Sets ad variations are unsupported and cannot run. You can view their past data or remove them. Use approved custom product pages for search results ad variations instead.

Why do Apple Ads and my MMP report different install totals?

Apple counts App Store verified downloads within 30 days of a tap or 1 day of a view, while an MMP usually counts an install at first open, within 0 to 30 days. Apple also includes redownloads in its install count, and MMP redownload settings vary. Check these definitions before comparing totals.

Does AdServices measure all my advertising channels?

No. The AdServices Attribution API uses only Apple's first-party data and has no information about ads seen or tapped outside the App Store. Ad groups with age or gender settings return a payload of false. Read it alongside your cross-channel measurement.

Can I upload my own Apple Ads creative?

Not yet. Apple says creative assets arrive in autumn 2026 for Today tab and search results ads: 3:2 images and videos, with 5 to 30 second videos for search results only and no audio playback. Until then, ads use your App Store Connect metadata and assets.

Sources. Checked on 3 October 2026 against Apple's ad placement options, Today tab ads, Create Today tab ads, Search tab ads, Search results ads, Product pages ads, Create ad variations, Compare Apple Ads solutions, Promote an app with Basic, Manage budgets, Add and manage keywords, Measuring ad performance on the App Store, Apple Ads news, Custom product pages on the App Store, App information reference, Screenshot specifications, App preview specifications. Apple changes Apple Ads and App Store Connect often, so confirm details in your account before you change a campaign.

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