Glossary
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.
Also known as: Search Tab Ads, Search Tab placement
What is Search Tab?
The Search Tab is the second tab of the App Store. When a user taps it but before they type a query, Apple shows a curated screen with app suggestions, trending searches, and discovery cards. Apple Search Ads sells ad slots at the top of this surface.
Search Tab is the third of four Apple Search Ads placements:
- Search Results (intent-based)
- Search Tab (this one — pre-search browse)
- Today Tab (pre-search landing)
- Product Pages (conquest)
Search Tab vs Today Tab
Both are pre-search but they serve different user moments:
| Aspect | Search Tab | Today Tab |
|---|---|---|
| When user sees it | Tapped the Search tab, browsing suggestions | Just opened App Store, landing screen |
| User intent | Open to discovery, app-searching mood | Casual browse, often the first stop |
| Typical CPT | $3-$8 | $5-$15+ |
| Typical CR | 20-35% | 15-30% |
| Reach | High but secondary to Today Tab | Highest |
| Best for | Mid-budget brand discovery | Launch moments, big budgets |
Why Search Tab works (sometimes)
Search Tab catches users who are about to search for an app but have not yet typed a query. The Apple-curated Search Tab landing is itself a discovery surface — users browse it like a feed.
A well-positioned ad here can capture intent before the user types a competitor’s name. For categories with strong “I want a new X app” patterns (productivity, fitness, finance), Search Tab impressions convert better than pure Today Tab.
When Search Tab makes sense
- Brand building with medium budget. Cheaper than Today Tab but still reaches the browsing audience. Sustainable for mid-tier apps.
- Pre-launch category teasing. If your app is launching in 30 days and you want visibility ramp-up, Search Tab is the natural test before scaling to Today Tab.
- Defending category dominance. If you are the #1 app in your category, Search Tab visibility deters competitors from gaining mind-share.
When to skip
- Tight ROI requirements. Search Tab CPI is still meaningfully higher than Search Results. If your unit economics require sub-$5 CPI, Search Results dominates.
- Niche apps. Same logic as Today Tab — pre-search users skew toward popular categories.
- Small total ASA budget. With <$10K/month, all spend should go to Search Results where CPT efficiency is highest.
Campaign structure
Most operators run Search Tab as a separate campaign (not an ad group within Search Results). Reasons:
- Different bid range (higher than Search Results)
- Different creative requirements (Apple may have format-specific ad units)
- Different daily budget cap (smaller than Search Results)
- Different attribution analysis (Search Tab CR baseline differs)
Creative considerations
Search Tab cards display:
- App icon (must work at small size)
- App name
- Subtitle
- Star rating
- 1-3 screenshots in some layouts
Subtitle clarity matters more than on Search Results because the user is browsing, not searching. A subtitle that says “Budgeting & Expense Tracker” outperforms a generic “Take Control of Your Money” by 10-20% in TTR.
How ASAPilot helps
ASAPilot’s account audit treats Search Tab campaigns with separate baselines from Search Results. Findings include:
- Search Tab campaigns with CR substantially below Search Tab category baseline
- Search Tab spend share exceeding 30% of total (rebalance opportunity)
- Search Tab campaigns missing dedicated CPP assignment
See pricing.
Related terms
- Today Tab — the other pre-search placement
- Search Results — the primary intent-based placement
- Apple Search Ads — the platform