Set and adjust bids

How to determine your max CPT bids for Apple Search Ads
Advanced campaigns

When you create a new campaign or ad group in Apple Search Ads Advanced, one of the steps is to add your maximum cost-per-tap (max CPT) bid. This is the maximum amount you’re willing to pay for a tap on your ad.

Your default max CPT bid applies across all keywords in your search results ad group unless you specify a max CPT bid at the keyword level.

When calculating the amount of your max CPT bid:

  1. Decide what amount you can afford to spend on a new customer or action. Let’s say it’s $2.50 (U.S.).
  2. Estimate the percentage of customers who tap your ad and who you think will download your app or take your desired action. In this case, you estimate 40 percent.
  3. Calculate what you can afford to pay up to 40 percent of $2.50 (U.S.) — or $1.00 (U.S.) — for each tap. Therefore, set your starting default maximum CPT bid to $1.00 (U.S.).

To help inform your bid decisions for search results ads, we’ll present a max CPT bid suggestion to you when you create a new campaign or ad group. The suggested amount will help increase the likelihood that your ads are shown on the App Store. It’s based on what we know about your app and what advertisers with similar apps are willing to pay. It’s simply a reference point. Bid insights are also provided on the All Keywords dashboard and Ad Group Keywords dashboard within search results ad groups to help you optimize max CPT bids on an ongoing basis.

Remember, your max CPT bid is the maximum amount you’ll ever pay for a tap on your ad. The actual amount you’ll pay is based on what your next closest bidder is willing to pay.

How to change an ad group-level bid

  1. From your Campaigns dashboard, click the campaign with the ad group default max CPT bid you want to change.
  2. On the Ad Groups dashboard, click the amount in the Default Max CPT column.
  3. Enter your new amount in the highlighted field.
  4. Click the check mark to confirm.

Note that when you make an update to your max CPT bid at the ad group or keyword level, it may take some time for it to take effect.

How to change a keyword-level bid

  1. From your Campaigns dashboard, click the search results campaign with the ad group containing the keyword and max CPT bid you want to change.
  2. Click the ad group within the Ad Groups dashboard.
  3. Find the keyword within the Ad Group Keywords dashboard.
  4. Click the amount in the Max CPT Bid column.
  5. Enter your new amount in the highlighted field.
  6. Click the check mark to confirm.

How to edit keyword bids in bulk at the
campaign level

  1. Go to the All Keywords dashboard within your desired search results campaign.
  2. Select the keywords whose max CPT bids you want to update — up to 50 per page. You can select individual keywords or click the Keyword checkbox above your list of keywords to select all the keywords on your current page.
  3. Choose Edit Max CPT Bid from the Actions menu.
  4. Enter your new bid amount or choose to increase or decrease your bid by a particular amount or percentage.
  5. Click Apply.
  6. If you want to update additional keyword bids, click to the next page to repeat the process.
The All Keywords dashboard in Apple Search Ads Advanced is open at the campaign level. All of the keywords are selected and a modal is open that says Edit Max CPT Bid for 24 keywords. "Increase bids" is selected and "By amount" is highlighted from a menu. There is an Enter Amount field and buttons to Cancel or Apply changes.

How to edit keyword bids in bulk at the ad
group level

  1. From the Ad Groups dashboard, click the search results ad group containing the keyword max CPT bids you’d like to edit.
  2. From the Ad Group Keywords dashboard, you can either update specific keywords’ max CPT bids or all keywords’ bids within the ad group. For specific edits, either select individual keywords or click the Keyword checkbox above your list of keywords to select all of the keywords on your current page.
  3. Choose Edit Max CPT Bid from the Actions menu, then choose Selected Keywords.
  4. To update bids for all keywords in your ad group, simply choose Edit Max CPT Bid from the Actions menu, then choose All Keywords.
  5. Enter your new bid amount or choose to increase or decrease your bid by a particular amount or percentage.
  6. Click Apply.

If you edit bids and need to review previously set amounts, click the Change History icon on your Campaigns or Ad Groups dashboards to see your previous bids.

Note that your new bid amount must be less than your daily budget.

Get help setting and managing your budget