Solve account setup and
access issues

If you can’t access Apple Search Ads from
your browser

This could be caused by the operating system or browser you’re using. Make sure you’re using one of the options below:

Supported operating systems

macOS High Sierra 10.13.2 or later
Windows 10 or later

Supported browsers

Safari 11.0.2 or later
Chrome 62 or later

If you don’t see your app as an option
to promote

To set up an Apple Search Ads account, you must have an app for iPhone or iPad currently on the App Store in the available countries and regions.

You must also have a valid email address and an Apple ID. Apple IDs that use phone numbers only aren’t accepted. Certain exceptions apply, and all advertisers must comply with Apple Advertising Policies at all times.

If you’re trying to create an app promotion or campaign but your app doesn’t appear as an option when you type or search, it may be because:

Your Apple ID isn’t associated with an App Store Connect account.

You must be assigned the Admin, Legal, App Manager, or Marketing role in your App Store Connect account to link accounts to Apple Search Ads.

If you’re an agency, please contact us. Agencies that plan to promote third-party apps are required to have Apple Search Ads accounts set as Agency accounts. Please note that the Agency setup process can take time and isn’t guaranteed.

Your app is new to the App Store.

It can take up to 24 hours for your app to appear when you create a campaign.

Your app can’t be promoted with Apple Search Ads.

Your app might be in violation of one or more of the Apple Advertising Policies. It’s also possible that your app isn’t compliant with App Store Guidelines, or that the ad placement you’re trying to use for your campaign doesn’t currently support your app. Please review the policies; if you have any further questions, contact us.

Your app name contains a special character.

If your app name contains an accented letter or another unique character, make sure to include it consistently to ensure your app name appears in the Campaign Creation flow. To type an alternate version of a character, press and hold the key until its alternate characters are displayed. Then either click the one you want to use or type the number that appears underneath.

Learn more about special characters

If you’re trying to advertise a 32-bit app or an
app bundle

  • Update your app to support 64 bits. Ads for 32-bit apps do not appear on the App Store to users on iOS 11.

    Learn more about submitting apps

  • Apple Search Ads doesn’t currently support app bundles.

If your ad details
are incorrect

If Apple Search Ads is showing the wrong price for your app

If you change the price of your app on the App Store, it could take up to two hours for that change to appear in Apple Search Ads.

If your App Store metadata changes aren’t reflected in your ad

If you change your App Store metadata, it can take up to 24 hours to be reflected in the ad preview within your account, and up to two hours to be reflected in your ad on the App Store.

If you’re having issues promoting in certain countries and regions

If you can’t see all countries and regions as options for your app promotion
or campaign

To be eligible to run ads, your app must be available for purchase or download on the App Store, and Apple Search Ads must be available in that country or region. During campaign creation in Apple Search Ads Advanced, countries or regions will only appear if they’re available for the ad placement you’ve selected. Apple Search Ads Basic will show only the countries and regions where your app is eligible.

If you’re trying to run an app promotion or campaign in
mainland China

Your business and app must be approved for advertising on the App Store in mainland China. Additional requirements also apply, and may vary depending on the ad placement.

Learn more about advertising in mainland China

If you see a warning when trying to edit countries and regions

If your app becomes ineligible in a country or region, your app promotion or campaign will no longer run there. When you click the Edit link, any countries or regions that were previously added and have become ineligible will show a yellow triangle with an exclamation mark next to them. Learn more about eligibility by reading the Apple Advertising Policies. Another possibility may be that your app isn’t compliant with App Store Review Guidelines.

If you can’t run your campaigns on the App Store in France

In compliance with the French law known as the “Sapin Law,” which intends to make the business of media buying more transparent, only the advertiser who owns both the app and the Apple Search Ads account can promote an app on the App Store in France. That means if you’re an agency, an agent, or a representative who manages Apple Search Ads for a client whose company is either registered, established, or otherwise located in France, you’re not eligible to run ads on behalf of that client on the App Store in France.

If your campaigns on the App Store in France say
they’re "Incomplete"

If you’re using Apple Search Ads Advanced and you (or an account admin) previously self-identified as an Agent on the Account Information page of your account, you also need to answer the following question: Are you promoting the app on behalf of or for the benefit of a French company? Click the Edit Campaign Settings link on your Campaigns dashboard to answer this question.

If you (or an account admin) never previously self-identified as an Agent/Not an agent in your Account Information, you’ll need to answer the question of whether or not you’re promoting the app on behalf of a French company. If you already answered Yes to this question, then another account admin needs to answer this question. Once all users in your account with the admin role answer this question, the campaign status will update.

If your account is
on hold

An Apple Search Ads Advanced campaign or account will reflect the status “On Hold” if any of the following criteria are met:

Apple Search Ads Basic accounts will be placed on hold for any of the following reasons:

To find out why your Apple Search Ads Basic app promotion is on hold:

  1. Sign in to your account.
  2. Choose the app you wish to review from your dashboard.
  3. In the bottom left of your app promotion, review the status section.