Fecha: 19 de October de 2026 Noelia Leiro
Before we talk about keywords, budgets, or strategies, there’s one essential step you can’t skip: the initial setup of your Apple Search Ads account. If this part is done incorrectly, the rest simply won’t work:
- Campaigns won’t launch
- Billing fails
- And you can lose valuable days (or weeks)
Apple Search Ads is one of the most powerful platforms for effectively acquiring users on iOS. If you’re not sure what it is or what makes it so effective, here’s a comprehensive guide to get you started from scratch: What Is Apple Search Ads?
Would you rather watch a video? Here’s a step-by-step tutorial to help you set up your Apple Search Ads account correctly.
What are push notifications, and how do they work?
Push notifications are messages sent directly to your users’ mobile devices or browsers, even when they aren’t using your app.
They are used for:
- Reactivate Inactive Users
- Remind users of pending actions (shopping carts, registrations, renewals)
- Communicate promotions or news
- Increase retention and lifetime value (LTV)
The key is when you send them, who you send them to, and what tool you use.
How to Create an Account on Apple Search Ads Advanced
Before you begin, make sure you already have an active developer account on App Store Connect. If you haven’t created one yet, follow this guide, where we explain how to do it step by step: How to Create a Developer Account
- Go to ads.apple.com
- Select “Advanced” (not “Basic”). This version gives you full control over your campaigns.
- Click “Get Started”
- Sign in with the Apple ID linked to your App Store Connect account
Step 2: Fill in the initial information
When you create your account, Apple will ask you for some key information. Some of it CANNOT be changed later:
- Account Name: something clear, such as “MyApp – Spain”
- Country/Region: where the company or business is registered
- Currency: very important if you operate internationally. Choose carefully
- Time zone: for mainland Spain, UTC+1
- Advertiser type: direct or agency
- Contact Email and acceptance of terms
Tip: Use a business Apple ID, not a personal one. It will help you avoid confusion if you’re working as part of a team.
Step 3: Set up your tax information correctly
In this section, you can choose how Apple will bill you:
- Full legal name of your company or as a self-employed individual
- Type of entity (company or freelance)
- Tax ID or VAT (starts with “ES” if you operate in Spain)
- Official tax address
If you are an NGO or VAT-exempt, you can also check this box.
Step 4: Add your payment method in Apple Search Ads
Apple does not launch campaigns without an active payment method.
- Add a card (Visa, Mastercard, or Amex)
- Prepaid cards and PayPal are not accepted
If you plan to run international campaigns, notify your bank to prevent charges from being blocked.
Step 5: Link Apple Search Ads to App Store Connect
This is required in order to promote your app:
- Go to Settings > Link Accounts
- Select your App Store Connect account
- Click “Link”
Requirements:
- Use the same email address for both accounts
- Have administrator role in App Store Connect
Step 6: Manage user access and permissions
From “User Management,” you can invite other users:
- Admin: full access
- Campaign Manager: can create and edit campaigns
- Finance: can only view billing
- Read-Only: view only
If you’re an agency, you can manage multiple accounts from here or work as a “guest” on client accounts.
Step 7: Final Profile Settings
From your account profile, you can:
- Change language
- Manage notifications
- View all the accounts you have access to and your role in each one
You cannot change your Apple ID email address from here.
Conclusion: What’s next after setting up your account?
✅ If you’ve already followed all these steps, your account is ready to launch campaigns that actually work.
The next step is to learn how to create campaigns, choose the right keywords, and optimize your lead generation strategy.
► You can watch the next video in the series, where we explain this step by step.
► If you’re exploring ways to scale your app or integrate new features like AI, you might be interested in this guide to integrating ChatGPT into your apps.
And if you’d like us to help you directly with launching and scaling your campaigns, email us at contacto@actualizatec.com
We share our accumulated experience of more than 16 years and 550 apps to help you make informed and strategic decisions. We know that success depends not only on choosing the right tool, but also on implementing best practices to maximize its potential and then optimizing it month by month.
Also, if you want to become an expert in apps and digital marketing, join our online program. Learn from the best and take your projects to the next level.
