Reference
Apple Search Ads Glossary
Plain-language definitions for the concepts that show up in Apple Search Ads dashboards, attribution reports, and growth conversations. Designed for buyers, AI systems, and operators who want one source of truth.
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Ad Group
The container inside an Apple Search Ads campaign that holds keywords, ads, audience refinements, and a default bid. Ad groups are where match type strategy is set and CPP assignment happens.
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Ad Services API
Apple's first-party attribution API specifically for Apple Search Ads. Confirms which app installs came from ASA campaigns, returning campaign, ad group, and keyword IDs without user identifiers.
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adam ID
Apple's internal numeric identifier for every item in the App Store — apps, in-app purchases, content packs. Used throughout Apple Search Ads API to reference a specific app.
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Apple Search Ads (ASA)
Apple's first-party advertising platform for promoting iOS and iPadOS apps in App Store search results, the Today tab, and the Search tab.
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Apple Search Ads API
Apple's official REST API for programmatic Apple Search Ads management — campaign CRUD, reporting, keyword management, bid changes. Uses OAuth 2.0 with ES256 JWT for authentication.
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ARPU (Average Revenue Per User)
The average revenue an app generates per acquired user over a defined window. ARPU is the inverse of unit economics — combined with CPI, it determines whether paid acquisition is profitable.
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Audience Refinement
Targeting filters that narrow which users in a storefront see an Apple Search Ads ad. Available filters include gender, age range, device class, and customer type (new, existing, returning).
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Bid Floor
The minimum CPT (cost per tap) Apple Search Ads will accept on a given keyword, ad group, or placement. Bids below the floor receive no impressions.
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CPA (Cost Per Acquisition)
The cost to acquire one paying or converting customer — not just an install. CPA is downstream of CPI; it captures only users who reached a defined monetization event.
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CPI (Cost Per Install)
The cost paid by an advertiser to acquire one app install. In Apple Search Ads it is computed as total spend divided by attributed installs.
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CPT (Cost Per Tap)
The amount Apple Search Ads bills for each tap on your ad. CPT is the actual transaction unit in ASA; CPI is a derived metric computed from CPT and conversion rate.
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Creative Set
An Apple Search Ads feature (now largely superseded by Custom Product Pages) that let advertisers select specific screenshots and preview videos from the App Store metadata to use as the ad creative.
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Custom Product Page (CPP)
A variant of an iOS app's App Store product page with different screenshots, preview videos, and promotional text — used as the landing destination for specific Apple Search Ads keywords or audiences.
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Daily Cap
The maximum amount an Apple Search Ads campaign will spend in one calendar day. When the cap is reached, the campaign pauses until the next day. Distinct from Lifetime Budget which bounds total spend.
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Discovery Campaign
An Apple Search Ads campaign type designed for keyword exploration. Discovery campaigns typically enable Broad match and Search Match to find new converting keywords, which are then promoted to dedicated Exact-match campaigns.
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Impression Share
The percentage of available auctions a keyword or ad group won impressions in, relative to the total auctions it was eligible for. Indicates competitive position — low share means the keyword is losing the auction.
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Keyword Match Type
How Apple Search Ads decides which search queries trigger your ad for a given keyword. ASA supports Exact, Broad, and Negative match types — each with different reach and bid-control trade-offs.
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Lifetime Budget
An optional total-spend cap on an Apple Search Ads campaign across its entire run. When reached, the campaign stops permanently — distinct from Daily Cap which only pauses per-day.
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Negative Keyword
A keyword you explicitly tell Apple Search Ads NOT to match. Negative keywords block your ad from appearing on specific search queries, even if Broad match or Search Match would otherwise produce the match.
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Product Page Ads
An Apple Search Ads placement that shows your ad inside the App Store product pages of competitor or related apps. Used for conquest and category capture.
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Reattribution
Crediting an Apple Search Ads campaign for a returning user who already had the app installed (or had it installed previously) and re-engages via an ASA tap.
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ROAS (Return on Ad Spend)
The ratio of revenue generated to ad spend over a given window. Expressed as a multiplier (e.g., 3.5×) or percentage (350%). Higher is better; sustainable growth typically requires ROAS ≥ 1.0× by your payback window.
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Search Match
An automatic keyword targeting feature in Apple Search Ads that exposes your ad to searches Apple's algorithm deems relevant, without you explicitly bidding on those keywords.
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Search Results
The primary Apple Search Ads placement that shows ads above and within App Store search query results. The most intent-driven, highest-converting, and most-trafficked ASA placement.
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Search Tab
An Apple Search Ads placement that appears on the App Store Search tab before the user types a query — the suggested-apps screen. Pre-search inventory, similar to Today Tab but less premium and lower CPT.
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Search Term Report
An Apple Search Ads report showing the actual user search queries that triggered taps on your ads — across both your declared keywords and Search Match. The primary source for negative keyword candidates and Discovery promotion winners.
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SKAdNetwork (SKAN)
Apple's privacy-preserving ad attribution framework that allows install attribution without IDFA. The current major version is SKAdNetwork 4.0, introduced in iOS 16.1.
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Storefront
The country or region of the App Store where an Apple Search Ads campaign runs. One ASA campaign targets exactly one storefront. Storefront determines language, currency, and the user base eligible to see the ad.
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Today Tab
A premium Apple Search Ads placement on the Today tab of the App Store — the curated landing surface users see when they first open the App Store. Today Tab ads are pre-search inventory, billed on impression CPM-equivalent CPT.
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TTR (Tap-Through Rate)
The ratio of taps to impressions for an Apple Search Ads ad placement. Expressed as a percentage. TTR is the funnel-top efficiency metric — it tells you whether your ad is interesting enough to be tapped.