What changed in 2026?
These dates come from the pages listed under Sources, read on September 25, 2026.
- February 25, 2026. Apple announced Maximize Conversions, a bidding option for search results campaigns that “combines Search Match with an intelligent auto-bidder”.
- CPA caps are going away, date not given. A CPA cap is an optional limit on what an ad group pays per download. Apple says “CPA caps will soon be unavailable”. The CPA cap help page still explains how to set one. Neither page gives a date.
- June 2026. Apple paused every campaign that used a lifetime budget, and switched campaigns that used both to a daily budget only.
- More ad spots in search results. The December 17, 2025 announcement said additional ads would start running further down search results early in 2026. The help page now says an ad can appear at the top of the results or further down.
Nothing on the pages we read says target CPA, the goal Maximize Conversions uses, is going away. Apple changes these pages, so check them before a big decision.
What are manual cost-per-tap bids?
With manual bids, also called Manage Bids, you set a max cost-per-tap bid: the most you are willing to pay when someone taps your ad. You never pay more than it, and often pay less, because the price comes from an auction.
Apple suggests a starting bid for new campaigns and ad groups, and calls it “simply a reference point”. A bid change also may not take effect right away.
The upside is control. You decide what each keyword is worth, and you can see and change every bid. The work is that someone has to keep adjusting them.
What does Maximize Conversions do?
Maximize Conversions aims to get you the most tap-through installs (downloads from people who tapped your ad) at a target CPA you set. CPA means cost per acquisition, here the cost of one download. An auto-bidder sets a bid for each search, and Search Match finds the searches.
- It works in search results only, and is designed for apps that are already out, not pre-orders.
- The target is an average. On a given day the cost can be above or below it. The aim is to meet it on a weekly basis.
- Your daily budget still controls total spend, with the same 30.4-day monthly cap as other campaigns.
- You can change the target any time, but Apple recommends at least two weeks before changing it, so the system can learn.
How do they compare on a small budget?
| Manual bids | Maximize Conversions | |
|---|---|---|
| Who sets the bid | You, per keyword or ad group. | An auto-bidder, for each search. |
| What you set | A max cost-per-tap bid: the most you'll pay for one tap. | A target CPA: the average you want to pay per download. |
| Keywords | You choose them, and can turn Search Match on or off. | Search Match is required in the automatic ad group. You can add a second ad group with chosen keywords, but you can’t set keyword bids. |
| Recommended budget | No minimum stated on the pages we read. | Enough for at least five conversions a day. |
| Time before judging | Several days before major changes to a new campaign. | At least two weeks. |
| What you pay for | Taps. | Taps, like other Apple Ads campaigns. |
The budget line is the one that matters most for a small app. An automatic bidder learns from downloads. Apple recommends a budget that allows at least five a day, and many small apps don’t get five downloads a day from ads.
Example, with made-up round numbers
Say your target is $3 per download. Five downloads a day at that price is $15 a day, about $456 a month, for one campaign.
AdSitter's rule of thumb
When volume is low, an automatic bidder has little to learn from, and you can’t see or fix the bid on a single keyword. With manual bids, a small account can still move money toward the few searches that work.
What does AdSitter do?
This is our own approach, from the playbook AdSitter runs on. It is not Apple’s advice.
AdSitter's rule of thumb
- Manual bids by default, whenever a campaign’s daily budget is less than five times the target cost per download. That follows Apple’s five-a-day recommendation.
- Bids aimed at paying customers, not just downloads, once RevenueCat is connected. Maximize Conversions aims at installs.
- If you already run a Maximize Conversions campaign, AdSitter touches it rarely: the target at most once every two weeks, the budget only to keep you inside your monthly limit, and negative keywords whenever they’re needed.
- Never sets a CPA cap. An existing cap is treated as a hidden ceiling on your bids, because a cap sets a bid ceiling for every keyword in the ad group, even ones with higher bids.
Which should I use?
Go down the list. The first “yes” decides it.
- Is your app in pre-order? Use manual bids. Maximize Conversions is designed for apps that are already out.
- Is your daily budget less than five times your target cost per download? Use manual bids. That is below the recommended budget.
- Do you want to set the bid on each keyword? Use manual bids. Maximize Conversionsdoesn’t allow keyword bids.
- Will you need to change it within two weeks? Use manual bids. Maximize Conversions should be left alone for at least two weeks.
- None of the above? Maximize Conversions is worth a try, most sensibly on a discovery campaign first, while your best keywords stay on manual bids. That last part is our rule of thumb.
Budget sizes are covered in how much to spend when you start, and discovery campaigns in how campaigns are set up.
Questions
Are CPA caps going away in Apple Ads?
Apple says “CPA caps will soon be unavailable” but, on the pages we read on September 25, 2026, gives no date. Until then, a cap still sets a bid ceiling for every keyword in its ad group.
Can I switch from Maximize Conversions back to manual bids?
Yes, any time. If the campaign used manual bids before, Apple restores your previous bids and puts the automatic ad group on hold.
Can I turn off Search Match in Maximize Conversions?
Not in the automatic ad group, where it is required. If Search Match doesn’t suit your campaign, use a manual bids campaign instead.
Can I use negative keywords with Maximize Conversions?
Yes. You can use negative keywords if you don’t want your ad to appear for certain searches.
Do I pay per download with Maximize Conversions?
No. You still pay per tap, like other Apple Ads campaigns. The target CPA is the average cost per download it aims for.
Sources
Facts about how Apple Ads works come from Apple’s own pages, listed below. We read them on . Apple changes them, so check the page itself before a big decision. Anything marked as AdSitter’s rule of thumb is our own judgment, not Apple’s.
- Use the Maximize Conversions bid strategy ads.apple.com
- Maximize Conversions best practices ads.apple.com
- Apple Ads news ads.apple.com
- Set and adjust bids ads.apple.com
- Set and adjust your CPA cap ads.apple.com
- Manage budgets ads.apple.com
- Search results ads ads.apple.com
- Tips for solving performance issues ads.apple.com
More guides
Rather not do this by hand?AdSitter can run it for you.
You set a hard monthly limit. AdSitter picks the keywords, sets the bids, pauses what wastes money, and explains every change in plain English. You can set up and connect Apple Ads today, in about 5 minutes.