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Yandex Direct

Yandex Direct Mobile App Ads: Installs and In-App Actions

Yandex mobile app ads run on Yandex Search and the Yandex Advertising Network to drive installs and in-app actions for your app on Google Play and the App Store. These campaigns don't work without a tracking system, so most of our work happens before the first ad goes live: adding the app to Yandex Direct, setting up tracking links and mapping in-app events correctly to Yandex goals.

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Your app★★★★★InstallYour app adGoalInstallsIn-app actionRe-engagement
Illustrative view: illustrative view of an app install ad.
Purpose and appearance

What do we use this format for?

We use Yandex app ads for apps such as rentals, transport and delivery that have a Russian-language interface or serve Russian-speaking users in Türkiye. The first goal is installs; the real goal is revenue-generating events such as registrations and purchases, and we move optimization to these events as data accumulates. We also bring back people who stopped using the app without deleting it through re-engagement campaigns.

Funnel stages it serves

  1. Awareness
  2. Consideration
  3. Conversion
  4. Loyalty

Connecting AppMetrica, AppsFlyer or Adjust to Yandex Direct

Yandex Direct works with the AppMetrica, AppsFlyer, Adjust, Branch, Kochava, MyTracker, Singular, Tenjin and AirBridge tracking systems. Because AppMetrica is Yandex's own product, it has the shortest setup: you select the project in Direct or grant the Direct user access in AppMetrica. If your app already uses AppsFlyer or Adjust, no new SDK is needed; we enable Yandex as a partner and set up the tracking link.

  • We add the app to the app list in Direct using its store link.
  • We create click and impression links for Yandex in the tracking system.
  • We turn on postbacks to Yandex; without them the strategy can't see conversions.
  • We map in-app event names to the goal names in Yandex Direct.
  • We verify with a test install that the install and the event reach Direct.

Optimizing for app installs or in-app events

The maximum conversions strategy tries to increase in-app conversions within the average cost per conversion we set. With the pay-per-install option, you can also pay only for completed installs. Yandex recognizes around 18 predefined events, such as add to cart, purchase and registration complete, and allows custom events.

For new apps we start with an install objective, because purchase events don't yet occur often enough. Once an event such as registration or first purchase starts accumulating regularly each week, we move optimization to that event. Channeling budget toward an audience with a low cost per install but no in-app actions is the fastest way to burn money in app campaigns, so we don't delay the switch to event optimization.

Who should advertise apps on Yandex?

In Türkiye, the main channels for app installs are still Google App campaigns and Meta app promotion. We recommend Yandex not as a replacement but for specific audiences: tourism, transport, rental and real estate apps with a Russian-language interface, or food, taxi and delivery apps serving Russian-speaking users in Türkiye. If the app isn't in Russian and the target audience speaks only Turkish, we generally don't recommend opening an app budget on Yandex.

It is also possible to reach people who have installed the app but don't use it. For this, we build re-engagement audiences from user segments in the tracking system and use in-app deep links to take users straight to the relevant screen. We compare channels in the tracking system's report and in a Data Studio dashboard using the same event definitions.

Mobile App Ads: when do we recommend it?

We recommend it

  • Tourism, transport, rental and real estate apps with a Russian-language interface
  • Delivery and service apps serving Russian-speaking users in Türkiye
  • Apps already using AppMetrica or a supported MMP
  • Apps facing rising install costs on Google and Meta and looking for an additional channel

We don't recommend it

  • Apps without a tracking system, or unable to send events back
  • Apps targeting only a Turkish-speaking audience that haven't yet scaled on Google and Meta

How we manage Mobile App Ads

  1. Tracking system auditWe check the existing MMP, event names and postback settings.
  2. Adding the app to DirectWe add the app via its store link and set up the tracking links.
  3. Event mappingWe map in-app events to Direct goals and verify them with a test install.
  4. Install-focused startIn the first week, we complete the learning phase with an install objective.
  5. Switching to eventsOnce an in-app event accumulates regularly, we move optimization to that event.

Mobile App Ads: metrics and requirements

Metrics we track

  • Cost per install
  • Cost per in-app action
  • First-week retention
  • Registration rate
  • Revenue per user

What you need to get started

  • A live app on Google Play or the App Store
  • AppMetrica or a supported MMP (AppsFlyer, Adjust, etc.)
  • Event postbacks enabled for Yandex
  • If targeting Russian-speaking users, Russian localization of the store listing and interface

Official sources

The Brand Move Yandex Team

To learn more about Mobile App Ads or other Yandex ad formats, contact The Brand Move Yandex team today.

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Explore further

Other Yandex Ads campaign types and ad formats

Yandex Ads overview

Unified Performance Campaign

One Yandex Direct campaign across Search, the Advertising Network, Maps and Product Gallery. The expert mode that gives the most control on Yandex.

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Product Campaign

Automated Yandex Direct ads for the products and categories in your catalog. An e-commerce campaign that launches quickly with minimal settings.

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Engagement Campaign

Viewable display ads on Turkish websites through Yandex Ads, with no charge for unseen impressions and a bigger retargeting pool.

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Yandex Ecomm+

A Yandex e-commerce campaign where you pay only for results, with a CPA or ROAS strategy running on your product feed and Metrica.

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Frequently asked questions

Mobile App Ads: frequently asked questions

Where do Yandex mobile app ads appear?

On Yandex Search and across the Yandex Advertising Network. They drive installs from Google Play and the App Store, and can also bring existing users back to the app through re-engagement audiences and deep links.

Do we have to install AppMetrica for Yandex?

No. AppMetrica is the easiest option to connect, but Yandex Direct also works with AppsFlyer, Adjust, Branch, Kochava, Singular, Tenjin, MyTracker and AirBridge. We enable Yandex as a partner in your existing tracking system and set up the links.

Can we pay only for installs?

Yes. The pay-per-install option charges only for completed installs. Once in-app events such as registration or first purchase accumulate regularly each week, we move optimization to that event with the maximum conversions strategy.

Why can't Yandex see our in-app purchases?

The most common reason is that event postbacks for Yandex aren't enabled in the tracking system, or that event names don't match the goal names in Direct. During setup we verify every event with a test install, and we don't connect the strategy to an event until we see it in Direct.

How soon will we see results?

Yandex states that the strategy learns during the first week after it is connected and that results may deviate from target during this time. We leave the first week out of the assessment and look at at least two to three weeks of data before making decisions. For in-app event goals, this can take longer.

Let's run a first Mobile App Ads review together.

In a free call we review your search terms report, conversion settings and budget split, then send you the first three fixes in writing.

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