Apple Search Ads
Connect Apple Search Ads to track ad spend, impressions, taps, and cost-per-install across your campaigns — all alongside your organic App Store metrics.
What it pulls
| Metric | Description |
|---|---|
| Ad Spend | Total campaign spend |
| Impressions | How many times your ad was shown |
| Taps | Ad clicks (Apple calls them "taps") |
| Installs | App installs attributed to ads |
| Tap-through installs | Installs where user tapped the ad before installing |
| Cost per tap (CPT) | Spend ÷ taps |
| Cost per acquisition (CPA) | Spend ÷ installs |
| Cost per mille (CPM) | Spend per 1,000 impressions |
| Tap-through rate (TTR) | Taps ÷ impressions (%) |
| Ad conversion rate | Installs ÷ taps (%) |
All metrics can be broken down by campaign.
How authentication works
Apple Search Ads uses a public/private key authentication model. Fload provides you with its public key; you upload it to Apple's dashboard and get back a Key ID. This avoids sharing sensitive credentials.
Steps
- In Fload, go to Connectors → Add connector → Apple Search Ads.
- Fload displays:
- Your Client ID (starts with
SEARCHADS.) - Your Team ID (starts with
SEARCHADS.) - Fload's public key to upload
- Go to Apple Search Ads → Settings → API.
- Click Create API Certificate.
- Upload Fload's public key.
- Apple assigns a Key ID — copy it.
- Back in Fload, enter your Client ID, Team ID, and the Key ID Apple gave you.
- Click Connect.
What you need from Apple
| Field | Where to find it |
|---|---|
| Client ID | Apple Search Ads → Settings → API (format: SEARCHADS.xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx) |
| Team ID | Same page as Client ID |
| Key ID | Assigned by Apple after you upload the public key |
What features this enables
- Ad metrics on your asset dashboard alongside organic metrics
- AI chat — "how much did I spend on ads last month?" "what's my CPA by campaign?"
- Anomaly detection on ad metrics
- Side-by-side comparison of ad spend vs. organic downloads
Troubleshooting
"Invalid credentials" error Double-check that the Key ID you entered matches what Apple assigned. Also verify that the public key was uploaded to the correct Apple Search Ads organization (if you manage multiple).
No campaign data If you have active campaigns but no data appears, ensure the API certificate is associated with an account that has reporting access across all campaigns. Some organizations use multiple accounts.
Data stops refreshing Apple Search Ads access tokens are time-limited. Fload handles refresh automatically, but if the connector health status shows "degraded," try disconnecting and reconnecting the account.