Today tab ad format update


Today tab ads are becoming larger and more dynamic

Today tab ads let you promote your app prominently on the front page of the App Store where more than 650 million people start their journey each week. To provide an even better experience for advertisers and customers, in December, Today tab ads will become larger and feature custom product page assets animating in the background. Campaign setup processes will remain the same, but the custom product page assets used in your tap destination and ad background will require approval.

 

The dynamic nature of the new format is designed to bring more attention to your ad. As a result, you may want to adjust your bid and budget to account for potential increases in tap volume.

 

Here’s what you can expect from the change:

New format

  • The new format will feature your app icon in the center of the ad. The app name and subtitle you entered in App Store Connect will also be included in the ad. Assets from the custom product page you set as your tap destination will animate in the background of the ad, and will appear in a color from your app icon.
  • Apple Search Ads will review your app icon, name, subtitle, and custom product page assets to ensure they adhere to our Today tab ad content guidelines and comply with our Apple Advertising Policies.
  • The new format will run on iPhone devices using iOS 17.1 and later. Today tab ads won’t be available on iOS 16.3 or earlier, or on iPad. The previously available Today tab ad format featuring your app icon, name, and subtitle will run on iPhone devices using iOS 16.4 to iOS 17.0.

Updated ad guidelines

  • Your app icon, name, subtitle, and custom product page assets can’t include images that are considered violent, offensive, sexually explicit, or otherwise inappropriate. Images containing guns, weapons, or graphic violence are not allowed.
  • No pricing, offers, ranking, or other incentivized promotions are allowed in your app icon, name, subtitle, or custom product page assets. App rankings and app awards claims are also not allowed.
  • The phrases “Game of the Day” and “App of the Day” can’t be used in your app icon, name, subtitle, or custom product page assets.
  • The custom product page you use must be localized in the default language of the country or region where you’re running your campaign.
  • App name and subtitle must match the language for the associated country or region where your campaign is set to run.

Tap destination based on a custom product page

  • Ads will still require a custom product page to serve as the tap destination. The assets from the page you choose will also animate in the background of your ad. Your custom product page can include as few as one screenshot asset, but keep in mind that if it includes app preview video assets, they won’t animate in the background of your ad.
  • For existing campaigns, the custom product page you selected during campaign creation will continue to serve as the tap destination, and the assets from it will automatically be displayed in the background of your updated ad.
  • If you want to change your tap destination, you can create a new ad and select a different custom page you set up in App Store Connect.

Existing campaigns

  • Existing campaigns will change over to the new format in December. No action is needed to keep your ads running. They’ll switch to the new format automatically, and will run continuously unless you set an end date or change your campaign status to Pause.

Campaigns created after the transition

  • Once your app icon, name, subtitle, and custom product page assets have been reviewed for one Today tab campaign, they won’t require approval again to run in the same country or region where your previous campaign ran, unless you update your app's name, subtitle, icon or custom product page assets in App Store Connect.
  • During ad setup for new campaigns, you’ll select a custom product page to use as your ad’s tap destination and animated background assets. Note that a custom product page can only be used for one ad per ad group.