Meta App Install Ads and App Promotion Campaign Management

What happened to Advantage+ app campaigns (AAC)?

Until 2025, app advertisers chose between two routes: a manual app campaign or a separate type, the Advantage+ app campaign (AAC). Meta removed that split. Today, a campaign with the App Promotion objective is marked Advantage+ as long as budget, audience and placements all stay on their Advantage+ settings. On the API side, new campaigns cannot be created in the old structure since v24.0, and AAC campaigns left in the old structure have been read-only or paused since May 2026.

In practice, most app accounts now find new users with one broad Advantage+ campaign and keep small manual campaigns for specific countries, languages or user segments. Learning built up in old AAC campaigns resets in the move, so we migrate outside campaign periods, in a low-risk week.

Tracking setup for Meta app ads: SDK, MMP and iOS

For Meta to see what each user does in the app, the app needs to be registered in a Meta developer account and events need to be sent through the Meta SDK or a mobile measurement partner (MMP, such as AppsFlyer or Adjust). Server-side events, such as subscription renewals, can also be sent through the Conversions API for app events. Before building a campaign, we confirm in Events Manager with a test device that events actually arrive.

• We map event names such as registration, first purchase and subscription start to Meta's standard events; custom-named events perform worse in optimization.
• If the purchase event does not send value and currency, value optimization is not available.
• On iOS, measurement is limited because of App Tracking Transparency; we configure SKAdNetwork and Meta's iOS measurement settings separately during setup.
• Install counts reported by the MMP and by Meta never match exactly because of different attribution rules; we decide upfront in the measurement plan which number drives decisions.

Optimizing for in-app events, not just installs

For a new app, starting with install optimization is often unavoidable, because in-app event volume is still too low. Once enough signups or first purchases come in each week, we move optimization to that event. Cost per install rises in this switch; what matters is that cost per signup or purchase falls. We track 7-day and 30-day revenue by cohort in BigQuery, joined with MMP data.

For people who installed the app and stopped using it, we set up an app engagement campaign. The prerequisite is working deep links: the product in the ad should take the user straight to that product's screen, not the app's home screen. Before launch, we test deep links on both Android and iOS, separately with the app installed and not installed.

App ad creative: show the screen

In an app ad, the user cannot hold the product; they want to see what is on the screen. Real screen recordings, short demos showing where the finger taps, and vertical videos that explain the problem the app solves in the first 3 seconds are the best starting points. App store visuals and ad visuals should speak the same language; if someone moving from the ad to the store page feels they are looking at a different product, installs drop. We also test the same creatives in Google Ads App campaigns and carry the angles that work on both platforms into the next shoot list.

App Promotion Campaigns: when do we recommend it?

How we manage App Promotion Campaigns

1. App registration and SDKWe check the app's registration with Meta, the SDK or MMP connection and event mapping.
2. Event hierarchyWe rank install, registration, first purchase and subscription events by importance and verify value parameters.
3. iOS measurementWe configure SKAdNetwork and iOS campaign settings and read Android and iOS separately.
4. Optimization switchWhen event volume is sufficient, we move from install to registration or purchase optimization.
5. Re-engagementWe test deep links and set up an app engagement campaign for lapsed users.
6. Cohort reportWe track 7-day and 30-day revenue and retention by campaign.

App Promotion Campaigns: metrics and requirements

The Brand Move Meta Team

To learn more about App Promotion Campaigns or other Meta ad formats, contact The Brand Move Meta team today.

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