Apple Expands Ads in App Store Search Results

Apple announced that starting in March 2026, Apple Search Ads will appear not only at the top but also lower in the App Store search results.

New Ad Placement Opportunities

Additional Ad Positions

From March 2026, Apple will introduce new positions for search ads to increase opportunities for promoting apps. Advertisers will not be able to choose a specific placement — their ads will appear either at the top of the results or lower down.

These additional ads will be rolled out in phases and will be available in all regions by the end of March. If you already have an active search campaign, your ad will automatically be eligible for all positions.

Ad Format and Billing

The ad format will remain the same in any position, using either the default product page or a custom product page with an optional deep link. Billing will follow the standard model: cost per tap or cost per install.

Creating and Configuring Ads

Variations and Custom Product Pages

By default, ads are created based on the app’s product page, but you can also create variations on custom product pages in App Store Connect. Variations allow you to tailor the creative to specific audiences and keyword themes. Deep links are available on devices running iOS and iPadOS 18 or later.

Matching Ads to Search Queries

Search campaigns use keywords to display ads for relevant queries. You can choose your own keywords or use Apple’s suggestions. The system achieves an average conversion rate of over 60% for ads at the top of search results.

Factors Affecting Ad Placement

Whether an ad appears above competitors depends on a combination of the app’s relevance to the search query and the keyword bid amount. If the app is not relevant to the user’s search, it will not be shown, regardless of the bid.