Apple Search Ads for Indie Developers

Plan, launch, and optimize Apple Search Ads campaigns that deliver profitable user acquisition for indie apps.

When This Skill Activates

Use this skill when the user:

• Asks about paid user acquisition or running ads for their app
• Mentions "Apple Search Ads", "Search Ads", or "ASA"
• Wants to set up ad campaigns in the App Store
• Asks about keyword bidding, CPT, or CPA optimization
• Needs help with campaign structure or budget allocation
• Wants to understand if paid acquisition makes sense for their app
• Asks how to complement ASO with paid promotion

Pre-Requisite Check: Are You Ready for Ads?

Before recommending any campaign setup, verify these minimum thresholds. Running ads on an unoptimized listing burns money.

Minimum Thresholds

Requirement	Threshold	Why
Organic downloads	100+/month	Proves baseline demand exists
App Store page CVR	> 20%	Ads amplify your listing, a bad listing wastes spend
Screenshots	5+ optimized	Paid traffic sees your product page first
Ratings	3.5+ stars (or none)	Low ratings kill conversion from ads
Crash-free rate	> 99%	Crashes destroy ROAS through refunds and bad reviews
Monetization	Active	No point acquiring users you can't monetize

If thresholds are not met:

• Focus on organic ASO first (use keyword-optimizer skill)
• Fix product page conversion (use screenshot-planner and app-description-writer skills)
• Improve app quality and ratings before spending on acquisition

Readiness Decision

Have 100+ organic downloads/month?
├── NO → Stop. Fix organic first.
└── YES → Is your product page CVR > 20%?
    ├── NO → Optimize listing first, then run ads.
    └── YES → Ready for Apple Search Ads.

Campaign Types