Google Ads App campaigns: setup, assets and bidding
Google Ads App campaigns promote an Android or iOS app across Google Search, Google Play, YouTube, Discover and the Display Network from a few headlines, descriptions, images, videos, a bid and a budget, with Google combining and testing the assets for you, and you choose a goal: installs, in-app engagement or, for Android, pre-registration.
What is a Google Ads App campaign?
An App campaign is a Google Ads campaign type built only for apps: you don't design individual ads for each network. You supply text, images and videos, a starting bid and budget, and the languages and locations to target; Google tests combinations of your assets (and assets from your store listing) and serves the ones that perform best.
Ads can appear on:
- Google Search and search partners
- Google Play: search results, "You might also like", "Related to this app", and "Suggested for you" on the homepage
- YouTube
- Discover on Google Search
- Google Display Network: Gmail, other apps, and mobile websites
Before you start, Google asks for an app published on Google Play or the Apple App Store, a payment method on the account, basic app information, and your ad assets.
Which App campaign type should you choose?
Pick by goal: new users, returning users, or sign-ups before launch.
| Type | Goal | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| App campaigns for installs (ACi) | New users | Bid for installs (tCPI) or for a valuable in-app action (tCPA, tROAS) |
| App campaigns for engagement (ACe) | Bring existing users back | Needs audience segments attached, such as Customer Match or Firebase lists |
| App campaigns for pre-registration (ACpre) | Sign-ups before launch | Android only; target countries must have pre-registration open in Play Console |
How do you set up an install campaign?
Google's path for an install campaign:
- In Google Ads, open Campaigns, click the plus button and choose New campaign.
- Choose App promotion as the objective, then App installs as the subtype.
- Select the platform and find your app under "Look up your app".
- Name the campaign and continue.
- In Campaign settings, choose locations and languages.
- In Budget and bidding, set the average daily budget.
- In Bidding, choose what to focus on (install volume or in-app actions) and the conversion action. For Android apps, download conversions are created and tracked automatically through Google Play.
- Add the assets, then publish.
Before launch, turn on auto-tagging (Admin > Account settings > Auto-tagging). Google calls it a critical requirement for app conversion measurement.
Which assets and sizes do App campaigns use?
Google's spec page lists these sizes (check it again before a big production run, specs change):
Text
| Asset | Max length | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Headlines | 30 characters | 1–5 (5 recommended), required |
| Descriptions | 90 characters | 1–5 (5 recommended), required |
Images (JPG or PNG, up to 5 MB, optional)
| Ratio | Recommended size | Minimum | Quantity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Horizontal 1.91:1 | 1200 × 628 | 600 × 314 | up to 20 |
| Vertical 4:5 | 1200 × 1500 | 320 × 400 | up to 20 |
| Square 1:1 | 1200 × 1200 | 200 × 200 | up to 20 |
Videos (must be uploaded to YouTube first, optional)
| Ratio | Recommended length | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Horizontal 16:9 | 10–60 seconds | up to 20 |
| Vertical 9:16 | 10–60 seconds | up to 20 |
| Square 1:1 | 10–60 seconds | up to 20 |
Three details that save rework:
- Text is not translated. Your language targeting must match the language of your text. Languages are set in the campaign settings, so give each campaign text in the language it targets.
- Google may drop, crop or modify assets when it renders ads, and if you upload no video it may build one from your store assets.
- Ad Strength of at least "Good" and at least one approved text, image and video asset per ad group are on Google's best-practice list.
Which bid strategy should you use?
Use target cost per install while you learn whether installs turn into users; move to in-app actions or value when you track them reliably.
| Strategy | What it optimizes | Campaign types |
|---|---|---|
| Target cost per install (tCPI) | Installs at a target cost | ACi |
| Target cost per action (tCPA) | One in-app action at a target cost | ACi, ACe |
| Target cost per pre-registration (tCPpre) | Pre-registrations | ACpre (Android) |
| Maximize conversions (installs) | Most installs for the daily budget | ACi |
| Target ROAS (tROAS) | A return on ad spend you set | ACi, ACe |
Google also lists "Maximize conversions (in-app actions)" and "Maximize conversion value" as beta options for a limited number of advertisers.
Google's bid guidance, in short:
- iOS: a bid about 1.5 times the Android bid is recommended.
- Installs from users likely to act: bids about 20% higher than your baseline tCPI.
- tCPA: once the campaign has data, set the target about 20% above the CPA you actually achieved.
- One action per tCPA campaign: several actions turn your target into a "blended target" across actions with different values.
How big should the budget be compared with the bid?
Google publishes minimum budget-to-bid ratios:
| Campaign and bidding | Daily budget at least |
|---|---|
| ACi with tCPI, and ACpre | 50 × the bid |
| ACi with tCPA | 10 × the bid |
| ACe with tCPA | 15 × the bid |
Example with an invented bid, only to show the arithmetic: a 0.80 tCPI calls for a daily budget of at least 40.00 (0.80 × 50).
If a campaign shows "Limited by budget", it is budget-constrained. If the achieved CPI or CPA keeps hitting or crossing your target, it is bid-constrained, and Google suggests raising the bid (or lowering the tROAS target).
What should you avoid during learning?
Google says changes "before the first 100 conversions have registered may disrupt learning and result in poorer performance". Until then, avoid:
- changing conversion settings (windows, counting options);
- changing high-performing assets;
- cycling bids up and down (make one change if you must);
- changing the optimization goal or the targeted install or in-app event;
- drastic geo-targeting changes.
Add new assets rather than replacing the ones that work, and judge the campaign once it has passed that threshold.
Why must the ads match your store listing?
Because Google builds part of the ad from your listing, and every tap lands on it. App campaigns can pull text, images and video from your Google Play or App Store page, and people who tap an ad decide on that page. A headline promising one feature, next to screenshots showing another, costs you installs you already paid for. Keep the main benefit, wording and visuals consistent across ads, title, short description and first screenshots.
Deep links help with relevance after the install: for install campaigns Google supports ad group deferred deep links, which open the part of the app tied to the ad group's theme.
On the measurement side, Play Console counts every visit from Google Ads under the Ads and referrals traffic source, and it does not report Google Ads impressions or conversions; those stay in your Google Ads account.
Where does Uptika fit?
Uptika does not run or report Google Ads campaigns. What it adds is the organic side over time: Kelime radarı (keyword radar) reads your rank for tracked searches every day on Google Play and the App Store, Rakip günlüğü (rival log) shows when rivals changed their title, short text, icon or screenshots, and Uygulama dosyası (app file) keeps your own listing versions and changes. Looking at those next to your campaign dates helps you see whether organic search moved while ads ran. Install and traffic source figures in Uptika's analytics need a connected Play Console account and a paid plan. Before you spend, check your listing with the free Listing X-Ray. Running on iOS too? See Apple Ads setup and Apple Ads cost and bids. Create an account to start tracking.
Questions
How do Google App campaigns work?
You give Google Ads some text, images and videos, a bid, a budget, and the languages and locations to target. Google tests combinations of your assets and assets from your store listing, then serves the best-performing ads across Google Search, Google Play, YouTube, Discover and the Display Network. You choose the goal (installs, in-app actions, value or pre-registration) and Google sets bids per auction toward it.
What image sizes do Google App campaigns need?
Google's specs list three image ratios: 1.91:1 at 1200 × 628 (minimum 600 × 314), 4:5 at 1200 × 1500 (minimum 320 × 400) and 1:1 at 1200 × 1200 (minimum 200 × 200). You can upload up to 20 images per ratio as JPG or PNG, up to 5 MB each. Images are optional but help ad strength.
How do I create an App campaign in Google Ads?
In Google Ads go to Campaigns, click the plus button, choose New campaign, pick App promotion as the objective and App installs (or App engagement, or pre-registration) as the subtype. Select the platform, look up your app, name the campaign, choose locations and languages, set the daily budget and bidding, then add your text, image and video assets.
Can I run App campaigns for an iOS app?
Yes. Google lets you promote an app published on Google Play or the Apple App Store. For iOS install campaigns, Google's bidding guidance recommends a bid about 1.5 times higher than for Android. Pre-registration campaigns are Android only.
How long is the learning period for App campaigns?
Google advises avoiding certain changes before the first 100 conversions are registered: conversion settings, high-performing assets, the optimization goal or targeted event, bid cycling and drastic geo changes. Changing these earlier may disrupt learning.