Do Shopify App Store ads pay back?
App Store ads put your listing at the top of search. Installs are easy to buy; paying merchants are what count.
- Are App Store ads worth it?
- Which keywords?
- How do we measure them?
Shopify App Store search ads charge per click and show your app at the top of results for keywords you choose. Bid on terms where your listing converts well and your app solves the exact problem. Measure cost per paying merchant: ad spend divided by installs that convert to paid and stay past the first billing cycle. Pause terms that bring installs but no revenue.
The calculation
| Item | Source |
|---|---|
| Ad spend | Ads dashboard |
| Installs from ads | Ads dashboard and Partner data |
| Converted to paid | Your billing data |
| Cost per paying merchant | Spend รท paid merchants |
Before you spend
- Fix the listing first.
- Fix day-one uninstalls.
- Choose specific keywords over broad ones.
- Set a test budget and time limit.
How we look at it at ShoutEx
We run and measure App Store ads alongside Google and Meta. Fix uninstalls first.
- Ads before the listing converts.
- Broad keywords.
- Judging on installs.
- No paid conversion data.
- Listing fixed first.
- Specific keywords.
- Cost per paying merchant.
- Test budget and end date.
What developers and Shopify say
Here is what Shopify and developers say.
Shopify's announcement of App Store search ads for qualified partners.
Read the changelog →Community summaries describe recurring themes in public threads, not individual posts. Vendor pages describe vendor claims, so test them on your own calls.
Read next
Go deeper in the ShoutEx guides, or check the sources behind this answer.
We'll run and measure App Store ads.
Book a call →Follow-up questions
Can we bid on competitor names?
Check Shopify's current ad policies.
Do Built for Shopify apps get more ad options?
Shopify has added targeting options for them.
Should we run Google Ads too?
Yes, to your website. It's a different journey.