Today tab ads troubleshooting

Sign in to App Store Connect to create a custom product page or to check your previously created pages.

By clicking the Issues Found message, you can review the issues before you select a custom product page as your tap destination and background assets. Once you’ve fixed all custom product page issues — or enabled your disabled custom page — in App Store Connect, your ad can run on the Today tab, as long as your app name, icon, subtitle, and custom product page assets are approved.

If you see a message that your ad is in review

Today tab ads must be approved before they can run. Your app icon, name, subtitle, and custom product page assets must adhere to Apple Search Ads Today tab ad guidelines and comply with our Apple Advertising Policies.

When you first create a Today tab campaign, your ad will automatically be submitted for review. During this time, your ad will be placed on hold and will display “Ad in review” on the Ads dashboard. Note that after 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 them in App Store Connect. If you update your app name, icon, subtitle, or custom product page assets in App Store Connect, your ad will be paused automatically and your content will be reviewed again.

If your ad is rejected

If your ad is rejected, you can learn why by clicking View Reasons in the Status column on the Ads dashboard for that ad group. You’ll see reasons for each country or region, except for app icon rejection, which applies to all countries and regions. You can also download rejection reasons data for a single rejected ad or for all rejected ads in an ad group from the Actions menu on the Ads dashboard.

If the issue is with your app icon, name, or subtitle, once you submit a new app version with a revised app icon, name, or subtitle in App Store Connect, your ad will be paused automatically and your content will be reviewed again. During this time, your ad status will change to “Ad in review.” If the issue is with your custom product page assets, you’ll need to revise the screenshots or app previews in your custom page. Once your custom product page is approved by App Store Connect, your ad will automatically go into a pending state to be reviewed by Apple Search Ads. If approved for advertising, your ad will run right away unless you set its status to Pause.

If your Today tab ad doesn’t show up in your duplicated campaign or
ad group

Your ad may be incompatible with the destination campaign because of differences in language for the countries or regions. Consider localizing the tap destination custom product page for the countries or regions your campaign is set to reach.

If you want to change the tap destination or background assets for a Today tab ad

If you want to change the custom product page used for a particular Today tab ad’s tap destination and background assets, you’ll need to create a new ad and set its status to Active from the Ads dashboard. Your previously approved ad will continue to run until you activate the new ad. Remember that the custom page you use must be localized in the default language of the country or region where your campaign will run. And that the custom page must include iPhone assets — as Today tab ads aren’t available on iPad devices.

If a deep link is disabled

Deep links are disabled if you have gender or age settings applied at the ad group level. To enable deep links, just remove your applied gender and age settings.

If you make changes to your app icon, name,
or subtitle

If you need to make changes to your app icon, name, or subtitle, you’ll need to update your app in App Store Connect. Your ad will be paused automatically and your content will be reviewed again. During this time, your ad status will change to “Ad in review.” If approved for advertising, your ad will run right away unless you set its status to Pause. Note that if you change your app icon, all of your Today tab ads will be paused until your icon is approved.

If you can’t create another
Today tab ad

This happens when there aren’t any additional eligible custom product pages available to use for your ad’s tap destination and background assets.