Apple Search Ads is Apple’s paid search channel on the App Store. It is separate from App Store Connect: App Store Connect handles publishing, reviews, analytics, and sales reports; Apple Search Ads handles paid keyword campaigns and ad performance.
Appeeky wraps Apple’s Campaign Management API v5 for your connected Search Ads organization. After connecting credentials once, you can read and manage campaigns, ad groups, targeting keywords, negative keywords, and performance reports through REST or MCP tools.
Apple Search Ads support requires Indie plan or higher. You also need an active Apple Search Ads account. Apple Search Ads uses a different API key than App Store Connect. If you already connected App Store Connect, you still need to connect Search Ads separately.
What You Can Do
| Area | What it covers | Docs |
|---|
| Credentials | Search Ads API key setup, org access, secure connection options, per-request headers | Credentials & Setup |
| Campaigns | List campaigns, pause/resume, change names and daily budgets | Campaigns & Ad Groups |
| Ad groups | List ad groups, pause/resume, change names and default CPT bids | Campaigns & Ad Groups |
| Targeting keywords | List, find, create, update, delete, recommendations, bid recommendations | Targeting Keywords |
| Negative keywords | Campaign-level and ad-group-level negative keyword management | Negative Keywords |
| Reports | Keyword performance and real search-term reports | Reports |
| Profitability | Join Apple Ads spend with RevenueCat revenue, profit, and ROAS | Profitability |
| MCP | Assistant tools for Search Ads workflows | MCP Tools |
Customer Setup Flow
- Create or choose an Apple Search Ads account.
- Generate Search Ads API credentials in the Search Ads UI.
- Save credentials in Appeeky, or pass them per request.
- Verify accessible organizations with
/me and /acls.
- List campaigns and ad groups.
- Pull search term and keyword performance reports.
- Optionally manage bids, statuses, targeting keywords, and negative keywords.
Start with Credentials & Setup. If credentials are already connected, continue with Reports for search terms and performance data, or Profitability to join spend with RevenueCat revenue.
What Search Ads Data Is Good For
| Signal | Why it matters |
|---|
| Search terms report | Shows real user queries that triggered your ads |
| Keyword report | Shows impressions, taps, installs, spend, and efficiency per paid keyword |
| Bid recommendations | Helps estimate competitive pressure for a keyword |
| Negative keywords | Blocks irrelevant paid traffic and protects spend |
| Campaign and ad group status | Explains why ads may not be serving |
Apple does not expose the Search Popularity score from the Search Ads UI through a public API. Use search terms, suggested bids, keyword reports, and Appeeky’s organic keyword metrics instead.
Typical Workflow
1. Check connection
GET /v1/connect/apple-ads/credentials/status
2. List campaigns
GET /v1/connect/apple-ads/campaigns
3. Pull search terms
POST /v1/connect/apple-ads/campaigns/:campaignId/reports/searchterms
POST /v1/connect/apple-ads/campaigns/:campaignId/reports/keywords
5. Manage keywords or negatives
POST /v1/connect/apple-ads/campaigns/:campaignId/adgroups/:adGroupId/targetingkeywords/bulk
POST /v1/connect/apple-ads/campaigns/:campaignId/negativekeywords/bulk
6. Join spend with RevenueCat revenue
GET /v1/connect/apple-ads/profitability?level=keyword&days=14
Endpoint Families
Base path:
| Family | Endpoints |
|---|
| Credentials | POST /credentials, GET /credentials/status, DELETE /credentials |
| Account | GET /me, GET /acls |
| Campaigns | GET /campaigns, PUT /campaigns/:campaignId |
| Ad groups | GET /campaigns/:campaignId/adgroups, PUT /campaigns/:campaignId/adgroups/:adGroupId |
| Targeting keywords | List, get, find, create, update, delete, recommendations |
| Negative keywords | Campaign and ad group negative keyword CRUD |
| Reports | Keyword performance and search terms |
| Profitability | Apple Ads spend joined with RevenueCat revenue |
Apple Search Ads vs App Store Connect
| App Store Connect | Apple Search Ads |
|---|
| Product | App publishing, private app analytics, reviews, sales reports | Paid search campaigns on the App Store |
| Console | appstoreconnect.apple.com | searchads.apple.com |
| Appeeky connect path | /v1/connect/credentials | /v1/connect/apple-ads/credentials |
| MCP prefix | asc_* | asa_* |
| Best for | Metadata, reviews, downloads/revenue sync | Paid keyword performance and real search queries |
