Create a campaign in Ads Manager

This article explains how to create an Apple Ads campaign from the MobileAction campaign management platform. The campaign creation flow covers the campaign settings, ad group settings, and ad creative in a single page, with each section unlocking as you complete the one above it.

If you want to create a structured set of campaigns for Brand, Generic, and Competitor traffic in a few steps instead, see Create campaigns with Campaign Wizard.

Before you start

You need to have at least one campaign group and one connected app in your account before creating a campaign. If you haven't connected your Apple Ads account yet, see Apple Ads Integration Overview.

Campaign Type is always optional and does not affect where your ad runs. It is a label you can use to organize campaigns by strategy.

Create the campaign

Open Ads Manager from the left navigation and select the Campaigns tab. Click the + button above the table to open the Create Campaign page.

The page is organized into three sections: Campaign, Ad Group, and Ad. Each section becomes available once the required fields above it are filled in.

Campaign settings

The first thing you select is which campaign group and app this campaign belongs to. The Apply to field at the top of the page shows the campaign group and app already in context. If you need to change either, click the field to update your selection.

Under Ad Placement & Settings, select where your ad will run. You can choose one or more of the following placements: Search Results, Search Tab, Today Tab, and Product Pages. Each placement you select will generate a separate campaign, so selecting three placements creates three campaigns with the same base settings.

After selecting your placements, fill in the following fields:

Campaign Name is required. By default the platform sets the same campaign name per ad placement, appending the placement type automatically. You can change this to a custom name.

Storefront(s) is required. Select one or more countries or regions where your ad will run.

Campaign Type is optional. Use it to categorize your campaign by strategy, such as Brand, Generic, or Competitor. This label appears in the platform but has no effect on delivery.

Daily Budget is required. By default the same daily budget applies across all selected placements. Enter the amount you want to spend per day per placement.

Campaign Start/End Date is expanded by default and shows a start time set to the current date and time in UTC. End time is optional. If you leave it blank, the campaign runs until you pause or stop it.

You can also optionally add Campaign Negative Keywords at this stage by clicking the link below the date fields. This step is not required to continue.

Ad Group settings

Once the campaign section is complete, the Ad Group section becomes available.

Fill in the following:

Ad Group Name is required.

Default Max CPT Bid is required. This is the maximum amount you are willing to pay for a tap. If you are running multiple placements, you can set the same bid across all or set a different bid per placement.

CPA Cap is optional. Enter a target cost per acquisition if you want Apple Ads to limit bids to stay within a cost-per-install threshold.

Ad Group Start and End Date is optional. If left blank, the ad group inherits the campaign dates.

You can optionally add Ad Group Negative Keywords inline or by uploading a CSV file before moving to the next section.

Under Audience, choose between Reach All Eligible Users, which lets Apple Ads optimize broadly, or Choose Specific Audiences to narrow targeting by device, location, demographic, or customer type. Keep in mind that narrowing your audience reduces your potential impressions.

Search Match is off by default. When turned on, Apple Ads automatically matches your ad to relevant searches without requiring you to add keywords manually. This is useful when starting out, but most campaigns benefit from a defined keyword list.

Under Keyword, you can either upload a CSV file or click Add Keywords to open the keyword selection panel and choose from organic, paid, and ASO-tracked suggestions. You can also enter keywords manually.

See Add keywords to an ad group for a full walkthrough of the keyword panel.

Ad settings

Once the ad group section is complete, the Ad section becomes available. You first select the placement type, then configure the creative source for that placement.

The Ad section shows four placement tabs at the top: search result, Search tab, Today tab, and product pages. Each tab corresponds to one of the ad placements you selected earlier in the campaign section. You need to set up the ad creative for each placement separately.

Select a placement tab to configure the ad for that placement. A live preview on the left updates as you make your selections, showing you exactly how the ad will appear to users in that placement context.

For search result ads, select your creative source:

Default uses assets from your default product page. This is the standard option for most campaigns.

Custom uses assets from a custom product page created and takes users to that page when they tap the ad.

For Search tab ads, select a product page to use as the tap destination for your ad. Click Create Ad to confirm the selection for this placement.

For Today tab and product pages ads, the creative is drawn from your product page assets. Select the product page you want to use as the tap destination and confirm.

Across all placements, you can adjust the Device, Display Type, and Language settings in the preview panel to see how the ad renders across different configurations before saving.

Note: Ratings and prices shown in the preview do not reflect actual numbers. Pre-order labels are not included in the preview. If your app uses different icons across storefronts, the preview may differ from what users see.

When you are ready, select Continue to review your campaign before it goes live.

After you finish

Once your campaign is created, you are directed to Ads Manager where you can monitor its status and performance. Your campaign will appear in the Campaigns table with its status, daily budget, and key metrics.

If you want to add keywords after creation, go to Add keywords to an ad group.

To edit campaign settings after creation, go to Edit your campaigns in Ads Manager.

Need more help?

If you have further questions, contact your dedicated Customer Success Manager or reach out via live chat.