Apple Ads ad variations with custom product pages
In Apple Ads, an ad variation is a search results ad built from a custom product page you set up in App Store Connect, so each ad group can show screenshots and previews that match its keyword theme and send taps to that page, optionally with a deep link into the app on iOS and iPadOS 18 and later.
What is an Apple Ads ad variation?
An ad variation is a search results ad whose screenshots and app previews come from a custom product page rather than your default product page. Apple's glossary also calls it a "custom ad". The custom product page is both the creative and the destination: whoever taps the ad lands on that page.
Without one, Apple Ads runs a default ad, built from the screenshots and previews of your default product page in the order you uploaded them in App Store Connect.
Custom product pages are used across placements: as ad variations in search results, as the tap destination of Search tab ads, and as the required destination of Today tab ads.
Why use custom product pages in ads?
Because a search shows intent, and the ad can answer that intent directly. Someone searching for a budget planner and someone searching for a bill reminder may want the same app for different reasons; one default page can't lead with both.
Apple publishes one figure on this:
"Developers see a 2.5 percentage point increase on average when referring people to a custom product page. This is a 156% increase compared to the 1.6% average conversion rate on default product pages." Source: Apple Developer, custom product pages.
It is an average across developers, not a forecast for your app. Measure your own pages (see below).
How do you map keyword themes to custom product pages?
One ad group per theme, one custom product page per ad group. The example below is invented.
Invented example: a personal finance app. Themes, keywords and pages are illustrations, and "[your app name]" stands for its brand.
| Ad group (theme) | Example keywords | Custom product page | First screenshot leads with | Deep link target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | [budget planner], [monthly budget] | "Budget" page | The monthly budget screen | Budget setup |
| Bills | [bill reminder], [bill tracker] | "Bills" page | Upcoming bills with reminders | Add a bill |
| Savings | [savings goal], [save money] | "Savings" page | A goal with progress | New savings goal |
| Brand | [your app name] | Default page | Overall value | none |
Rules that keep the mapping clean:
- Keep themes in separate ad groups. Each ad group can have only one active custom ad, so a mixed ad group forces one page on several intents.
- Match the page to the keyword's intent, starting with the first screenshot, since search results ads show your creative right in the results.
- Brand searches can usually stay on the default page: the person already knows the app.
- Keep organic keyword assignments distinct. In App Store Connect you can also assign keywords to a custom product page for organic search; Apple asks for a unique keyword set per page. That is separate from the keywords in your Apple Ads ad groups.
How do you create an ad variation?
First, in App Store Connect (Account Holder, Admin, App Manager or Marketing role):
- Open Apps, select the app, click Custom Product Pages in the sidebar, then Create Custom Product Page.
- Enter a reference name, start blank or from an existing page, and add screenshots, app previews and promotional text for each localization.
- Optionally add a deep link, then submit the page for review. Custom product pages must be approved before they are visible, and they can be submitted without a new app version.
Then, in Apple Ads:
- From the Ad Groups dashboard, click the ad group to open its Ads dashboard.
- Click Create Ad and name the custom ad.
- Select the custom product page. It sets the creative and the landing page.
- Preview the ad (if you are testing icons in App Store Connect, the preview icon may differ) and click Save.
If the ad group already runs a custom ad, Apple asks whether to activate the new one and pause the current one. You can also change which page an ad group uses at any time.
How do deep links work with ad variations?
A deep link on a custom product page sends people who tap Open to a specific place in your app instead of the home screen.
- For search results ad variations, deep links work on iOS or iPadOS 18 and later.
- The link can be a universal link or a custom URL; Apple recommends universal links and advises against URL shorteners or extra redirects.
- The deep link must be approved with the custom product page before it works, so submit the page for review after adding it.
- Test it yourself first: Apple suggests pasting the URL into the Notes app and tapping it.
How do you measure custom product page ads?
Use two places:
- Apple Ads: the Ads dashboard of each ad group shows current and historical performance for every ad variation and the default ad, so you can compare them inside the same ad group.
- App Analytics in App Store Connect shows, per custom product page, impressions, downloads, redownloads and conversion rate, and lets you compare against the default page, plus retention and average proceeds per paying user. Metrics appear after a page receives at least five first-time downloads.
Compare like with like: the same ad group, the same period, the same countries. A page that converts better but brings users who leave faster is not a win; check retention before you roll it out wider.
What limits should you know?
| Limit | Value |
|---|---|
| Custom product pages per app | Up to 70 |
| Active custom ads per ad group | 1 |
| Minimum OS for custom product pages | iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 |
| Minimum OS for deep links | iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 |
| Metrics visible in App Analytics | After 5 first-time downloads per page |
| Review | Every page, and every change, needs App Review approval |
Where does Uptika fit?
Uptika does not create custom product pages or ads; that stays in App Store Connect and Apple Ads. On paid plans, after you connect Apple Ads, the Performance page shows spend, impressions, taps, installs, TTR, CR, CPT and CPA against the previous period, Campaigns lists your campaigns, and Ads and search rank shows each keyword's organic rank next to its paid results, which tells you where a theme still needs ad support. Check how your default page reads first with the free Listing X-Ray. Match type choices for each theme are in Apple Ads match types, and setup is in Apple Ads setup. Create an account to start.
Questions
How do I use custom product pages in Apple Search Ads?
Create and get approval for a custom product page in App Store Connect first. Then, in a search results ad group, open the Ads dashboard, click Create Ad, name the ad, select the custom product page and save. The page's screenshots and previews become the ad creative, and people who tap the ad land on that page.
What is an ad variation in Apple Ads?
An ad variation (also called a custom ad) is a search results ad whose creative comes from a custom product page instead of your default product page. Each ad group can have one active custom ad; where you create none, or if the custom ad is put on hold for compatibility issues, the default ad runs.
Do custom product page ads improve conversion?
Apple publishes an average: developers see a 2.5 percentage point increase when referring people to a custom product page, compared with a 1.6% average conversion rate on default product pages. That is an average across developers, not a promise for your app; compare your own pages in App Analytics.
Can I deep link from an Apple Ads custom product page?
Yes. You can select a custom product page that has a deep link, which sends people to a specific place in your app. For search results ad variations, deep links work on devices running iOS or iPadOS 18 and later. The deep link must be approved with the custom product page before it works.