Choose a bid strategy for your App campaign

App campaign bid strategies help you get the most value by setting just the right price for your ads.

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Before you begin

There's a set of instructions that you need to follow when you’re ready to create your App campaign for installs, pre-registration, or engagement.

Bid strategies for app campaigns

Bid strategy type Bid name Campaign subtype
Target CPA Target cost per install (tCPI) ACi (App campaign for installs)
Target CPA Target cost per action (tCPA) ACi, ACe (App campaign for engagement)
Target CPA Target cost per pre-registration (tCPpre) ACPre (App campaign for pre-registration) (Android)
Maximize conversions (installs)   ACi
Maximize conversions (in-app actions)   ACi
Maximize conversion value   ACi
Target ROAS Target return on ad spend (tROAS) ACi, ACe

The types of bid strategies you can use for your App campaign are:

  • Target CPA: Aims to increase conversions while targeting a specific cost per action.
    • Target cost per install (tCPI) aims to deliver install conversions at the set target.
    • Target cost per action (tCPA) aims to deliver in-app action conversions at the set target for either new ACi or returning ACe users.
    • Target cost per pre-registration (tCPpre) aims to deliver pre-registration conversions at the set target.
  • Maximize conversions (installs): Automatically sets bids for each auction to help get the most installs for your campaign while spending your daily budget.
  • Maximize conversions (in-app actions): Automatically sets bids for each auction to help get the most in-app actions for your campaign while spending your daily budget.
  • Maximize conversion value: Automatically sets bids for tROAS campaigns to help get the most value (return on ad spend) for your campaign while spending your daily budget.
  • Target ROAS (return on ad spend): Aims to deliver a particular return on ad spend (a target that you set) based on the set conversion values for the targeted actions.

Note: Maximize conversions (in-app actions) and Maximize conversion value are currently in beta and are only accessible to a limited number of advertisers.

Instructions

Set up tCPI for ACi

  1. Go to Campaigns within the Campaigns menu Campaigns Icon.
  2. Select the plus button , then select New campaign.
  3. For your campaign objective, select App promotion.
  4. In the “Select a campaign subtype” card, select App installs.
  5. Select your mobile app's platform and enter your app’s name in the "Look up your app" section.
  6. Enter a name for your campaign, then select Continue.
  7. In the “Campaign settings” section, select the location and language you wish to target in the “Location” and “Languages” cards, then select Next.
  8. In the “Budget and bidding” section, set the average daily budget for your campaign in the “Budget” card.
  9. In the “Bidding” card, select Install volume from the drop down menu under the “What do you want to focus on?” section.
  10. In the “Bidding” card, select your preferred download conversion action from the drop down menu under the “How do you want to track install volume?” section.
    • A download conversion action lets you track app install events after people have interacted with your ad. For Android apps, download conversion actions are automatically created and tracked through Google Play.
  11. For the users you want to target, select:
    • All users to maintain the highest potential install volume.
    • Users likely to perform an in-app action to focus on users who may complete the selected event after installing. The main metric is still target cost per install, rather than target cost per action.
  12. If you selected “All users”:
    1. Select the “Set a target cost per install (optional)” checkbox.
    2. In the “Target cost per install” section enter an amount.
      • Your bid should reflect the value of the completion of the install event by the targeted users. For iOS, a bid 1.5 times higher than Android is recommended.
  13. If you selected “Users likely to perform an in-app action”:
    1. In the “Which action is most important to you?” section, select predefined actions from your conversion tracking settings.
      • Note that optimizing for frequent actions, like session start, may result in a higher number of conversions than usual, especially for video assets.
    2. In the “Target cost per install” section, enter an amount.
      • Bids should be 20% higher than baseline tCPI bids as you’re optimizing towards more lucrative installs. For iOS, a bid 1.5 times higher than Android is recommended.
  14. Select Next.
Note: Bid guidance is available only for ACi tCPI campaigns in which “All Users” is selected. Bid guidance helps you set a competitive bid during campaign construction.

Set up tCPA for ACi

  1. Go to Campaigns within the Campaigns menu Campaigns Icon.
  2. Select the plus button , then select New campaign.
  3. For your campaign objective, select App promotion.
  4. In the “Select a campaign subtype” card, select App installs.
  5. Select your mobile app's platform and enter your app’s name in the "Look up your app" section.
  6. Enter a name for your campaign, then select Continue.
  7. In the “Campaign settings” section, select the location and language you wish to target in the “Location” and “Languages” cards, then select Next.
  8. In the “Budget and bidding” section, set the average daily budget for your campaign in the “Budget” card.
  9. In the “Bidding” card, select In-app actions from the drop down menu under the “What do you want to focus on?” section.
    • This option focuses on users who are most likely to view your ad, install the app, then complete an in-app action.
  10. In the “Bidding” card, select your preferred download conversion action from the drop down menu under the “How do you want to track install volume?” section.
    • A download conversion action lets you track app install events after people have interacted with your ad. For Android apps, download conversion actions are automatically created and tracked through Google Play.
  11. In the “Bidding” card, select predefined actions from your conversion tracking settings in the table under the “Which actions are most important to you?” section.
    • Note: It isn't recommended to select more than one action as doing so effectively makes your set tCPA a “blended target” for 2 or more actions with potentially different values.
    • Keep in mind that optimizing for frequent actions, like session start, results in a higher number of conversions than usual, especially for video assets.
  12. In the “Target cost per action” section, enter an amount.
    • Your bid should reflect the value of the completion of the selected events by the targeted users. After more data has been collected when the campaign has begun serving, review the actual CPA achieved for the in-app event being targeted and set your tCPA bid 20% higher than what’s been observed. For iOS, bids that are 1.5 times higher than Android are recommended.
  13. Select Next.

Set up tCPA for ACe

  1. Go to Campaigns within the Campaigns menu Campaigns Icon.
  2. Select the plus button , then select New campaign.
  3. For your campaign objective, select App promotion.
  4. In the “Select a campaign subtype” card, select App engagement.
  5. Select your mobile app's platform and enter your app’s name in the "Look up your app" section.
  6. Select your marketing objective for your app engagement campaign:
    • Re-engage lapsed users
    • Re-engage lapsed purchasers
    • Re-engage non-purchasers
    • Re-engage unnotified users (Firebase SDK and FCM setup recommended)
    • Re-engage all users
    • Re-engage users who uninstalled your app
    • Create a campaign with a different marketing objective without using automated selections
      • Note: Attaching relevant audience segments (such as Customer Match or Firebase lists) is a technical requirement for ACe campaigns to serve. Ensure you’re using supported list types and that your account is allowlisted for these features.
  7. Enter a name for your campaign, then select Continue.
  8. In the “Campaign settings” section, select the location and language you wish to target in the “Location” and “Languages” cards, then select Next.
  9. In the “Budget and bidding” section, set the average daily budget for your campaign in the “Budget” card.
  10. In the “Bidding” card, select In-app actions from the drop down menu under the “What do you want to focus on?” section.
  11. In the “Bidding” card, select predefined actions from your conversion tracking settings in the table under the “Which actions are most important to you?” section.
    • Note: It isn't recommended to select more than one action as doing so effectively makes your set tCPA a “blended target” for 2 or more actions with potentially different values.
    • Keep in mind that optimizing for frequent actions, like session start, results in a higher number of conversions than usual, especially for video assets.
  12. In the “Target cost per action” section, enter an amount.
    • Your bid should reflect the value of the completion of the selected events by the targeted users. After more data has been collected when the campaign has begun serving, review the actual CPA achieved for the in-app event being targeted and set your tCPA bid 20% higher than what’s been observed. For iOS, bids that are 1.5 times higher than Android are recommended.
    • Set the tCPA high to drive more than 100 conversions.
  13. Select Next.

Set up tCPpre for ACPre (Android)

  1. Go to Campaigns within the Campaigns menu Campaigns Icon.
  2. Select the plus button , then select New campaign.
  3. For your campaign objective, select App promotion.
  4. In the “Select a campaign subtype” card, select App pre-registration (Android only).
  5. Select your mobile app's platform and enter your app’s name in the "Look up your app" section.
  6. Enter a name for your campaign, then select Continue.
  7. In the “Campaign settings” section, select the location and language you wish to target in the “Location” and “Languages” cards, then select Next.
  8. In the “Budget and bidding” section, set the average daily budget for your campaign in the “Budget” card.
  9. In the “Bidding” card, enter an amount in the “Target cost per pre-registration” section.
    • Your bid should reflect the value of the completion of the pre-registration event by the targeted users.
  10. Select Next.

Set up Maximize conversions (installs) for ACi

  1. Go to Campaigns within the Campaigns menu Campaigns Icon.
  2. Select the plus button , then select New campaign.
  3. For your campaign objective, select App promotion.
  4. In the “Select a campaign subtype” card, select App installs.
  5. Select your mobile app's platform and enter your app’s name in the "Look up your app" section.
  6. Enter a name for your campaign, then select Continue.
  7. In the “Campaign settings” section, select the location and language you wish to target in the “Location” and “Languages” cards, then select Next.
  8. In the “Budget and bidding” section, set the average daily budget for your campaign in the “Budget” card.
  9. In the “Bidding” card, select Install volume from the drop down menu under the “What do you want to focus on?” section.
  10. In the “Bidding” card, select your preferred download conversion action from the drop down menu under the “How do you want to track install volume?” section.
    • A download conversion action lets you track app install events after people have interacted with your ad. For Android apps, download conversion actions are automatically created and tracked through Google Play.
  11. In the “Bidding” card, select All users under the “What kind of users do you want to target?” section.
  12. Ensure that the “Set a target cost per install (optional)” checkbox isn’t selected.
  13. Select Next.

Set up Maximize conversions (in-app actions) for ACi

  1. Go to Campaigns within the Campaigns menu Campaigns Icon.
  2. Select the plus button , then select New campaign.
  3. For your campaign objective, select App promotion.
  4. In the “Select a campaign subtype” card, select App installs.
  5. Select your mobile app's platform and enter your app’s name in the "Look up your app" section.
  6. Enter a name for your campaign, then select Continue.
  7. In the “Campaign settings” section, select the location and language you wish to target in the “Location” and “Languages” cards, then select Next.
  8. In the “Budget and bidding” section, set the average daily budget for your campaign in the “Budget” card.
  9. In the “Bidding” card, select In-app actions from the drop down menu under the “What do you want to focus on?” section.
    • This option focuses on users who are most likely to view your ad, install the app, then complete an in-app action.
  10. In the “Bidding” card, select your preferred download conversion action from the drop down menu under the “How do you want to track install volume?” section.
    • A download conversion action lets you track app install events after people have interacted with your ad. For Android apps, download conversion actions are automatically created and tracked through Google Play.
  11. In the “Bidding” card, select predefined actions from your conversion tracking settings in the table under the “Which actions are most important to you?” section.
    • Keep in mind that optimizing for frequent actions, like session start, results in a higher number of conversions than usual, especially for video assets.
  12. Ensure that the “Set a target cost per action (optional)” checkbox isn’t selected.
  13. Select Next.

Set up Maximize conversion value for ACi

  1. Go to Campaigns within the Campaigns menu Campaigns Icon.
  2. Select the plus button , then select New campaign.
  3. For your campaign objective, select App promotion.
  4. In the “Select a campaign subtype” card, select App installs.
  5. Select your mobile app's platform and enter your app’s name in the "Look up your app" section.
  6. Enter a name for your campaign, then select Continue.
  7. In the “Campaign settings” section, select the location and language you wish to target in the “Location” and “Languages” cards, then select Next.
  8. In the “Budget and bidding” section, set the average daily budget for your campaign in the “Budget” card.
  9. In the “Bidding” card, select In-app action value from the drop down menu under the “What do you want to focus on?” section.
  10. In the “Bidding” card, select your preferred download conversion action from the drop down menu under the “How do you want to track install volume?” section.
    • A download conversion action lets you track app install events after people have interacted with your ad. For Android apps, download conversion actions are automatically created and tracked through Google Play.
  11. In the “Bidding” card, select predefined actions from your conversion tracking settings in the table under the “Which actions are most important to you?” section.
    • Keep in mind that optimizing for frequent actions, like session start, results in a higher number of conversions than usual, especially for video assets.
  12. Ensure that the “Set a target return on ad spend (optional)” checkbox isn’t selected.
  13. Select Next.
Set up tROAS for ACi
  1. Go to Campaigns within the Campaigns menu Campaigns Icon.
  2. Select the plus button , then select New campaign.
  3. For your campaign objective, select App promotion.
  4. In the “Select a campaign subtype” card, select App installs.
  5. Select your mobile app's platform and enter your app’s name in the "Look up your app" section.
  6. Enter a name for your campaign, then select Continue.
  7. In the “Campaign settings” section, select the location and language you wish to target in the “Location” and “Languages” cards, then select Next.
  8. In the “Budget and bidding” section, set the average daily budget for your campaign in the “Budget” card.
  9. In the “Bidding” card, select In-app action value from the drop down menu under the “What do you want to focus on?” section.
  10. In the “Bidding” card, select your preferred download conversion action from the drop down menu under the “How do you want to track install volume?” section.
    • A download conversion action lets you track app install events after people have interacted with your ad. For Android apps, download conversion actions are automatically created and tracked through Google Play.
  11. In the “Bidding” card, select predefined actions from your conversion tracking settings in the table under the “Which actions are most important to you?” section.
    • Keep in mind that optimizing for frequent actions, like session start, results in a higher number of conversions than usual, especially for video assets.
  12. In the “Target return on ad spend” section, enter a value as a percentage using this formula: Conversion value ÷ ad spend x 100% = target ROAS percentage. Here's a guide on how to properly set a tROAS bid:
    1. Identify your biddable event’s conversion window.
    2. Activate the “conv. value/cost” column to identify your comparable* campaign’s performance over the duration of that window. Your achieved ROAS for the comparable campaign should be your starting tROAS bid.
      • *Promoting the same App ID, using the same biddable event and lookback window, with the same location and language targeting settings
  13. Select Next.
Note: Bid guidance for ACi tROAS is currently available for Android

Set up tROAS for ACe

  1. Go to Campaigns within the Campaigns menu Campaigns Icon.
  2. Select the plus button , then select New campaign.
  3. For your campaign objective, select App promotion.
  4. In the “Select a campaign subtype” card, select App engagement.
  5. Select your mobile app's platform and enter your app’s name in the "Look up your app" section.
  6. Select your marketing objective for your app engagement campaign:
    • Re-engage lapsed users
    • Re-engage lapsed purchasers
    • Re-engage non-purchasers
    • Re-engage unnotified users (Firebase SDK and FCM setup recommended)
    • Re-engage all users
    • Re-engage users who uninstalled your app
    • Create a campaign with a different marketing objective without using automated selections
  7. Enter a name for your campaign, then select Continue.
  8. In the “Campaign settings” section, select the location and language you wish to target in the “Location” and “Languages” cards, then select Next.
  9. In the “Budget and bidding” section, set the average daily budget for your campaign in the “Budget” card.
  10. In the “Bidding” card, select In-app action value from the drop down menu under the “What do you want to focus on?” section.
  11. In the “Bidding” card, select predefined actions from your conversion tracking settings in the table under the “Which actions are most important to you?” section.
  12. In the “Target return on ad spend” section, enter a value as a percentage using this formula: Conversion value ÷ ad spend x 100% = target ROAS percentage. Here's a guide on how to properly set a tROAS bid:
    1. Identify your biddable event’s conversion window.
    2. Activate the “conv. value/cost” column to identify your comparable* campaign’s performance over the duration of that window. Your achieved ROAS for the comparable campaign should be your starting tROAS bid.
      • *Promoting the same App ID, using the same biddable event and lookback window, with the same location and language targeting settings.
  13. Select Next.

Tip

If you want to lessen the need to make manual bid changes in your App campaigns, you can use automated rules to make changes automatically. Learn more about how to set up automated rules for App campaigns.

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