When you create a campaign, you're configuring the signals AppLovin's AI engine uses to find the right customers and optimize spend. Getting these settings right from the start gives the model the best chance to learn quickly and perform efficiently.
Install the AppLovin pixel
Before setting up your first campaign, you'll need to connect AppLovin to your store so the model can track purchases and optimize toward them.
- If you're on Shopify, install the AppLovin app from the Shopify App Store. The app sets up your pixel, syncs your product catalog, and configures purchase tracking automatically. Installation guide ↗
- If you're not on Shopify, you can integrate via Google Tag Manager. Installation guide ↗
Use AppLovin's Pixel Helper to validate your pixel is firing correctly before launching. Once done, head to the AppLovin Ads platform and click Create to set up your first campaign.
Create your campaign
Most advertisers start with a single campaign, though how you structure your setup is ultimately up to you. Name your campaign(s) something that'll be easy to recognize later.
Enable Dynamic Catalog. Dynamic Catalog shows users personalized product or offering recommendations. Advertisers that use it typically see higher conversion metrics than those that don't.
Set landing page URL and tracking
Enter the landing page URL you want the campaign to drive traffic to. AppLovin automatically appends its own tracking parameters. You can also specify landing page URLs at the creative set level if you want greater control over your funnel. If no landing page URL is defined for a specific creative set, the campaign landing page URL will be used.
If you use a third-party measurement partner (Triple Whale, Northbeam, etc), select them from the dropdown. Their UTMs will be added automatically across all creative sets, so as you drive users through different funnels you won't need to append parameters manually each time.
View 3rd party measurement options ↗
Choose your optimization type
Your optimization type tells the model what the campaign should prioritize. There are three options:
- ROAS (Return on Ad Spend): Best for multi-SKU brands, it maximizes revenue relative to ad spend. Set your target as a percentage; for example, a 2x ROAS goal should be entered as 200%.
- Cost Per Purchase (CPP): Minimize cost per transaction. Works well for single SKUs, subscriptions, or brands focused on CAC. You set a target dollar amount per purchase.
- Cost Per Lead (CPL): Minimize cost per lead. Available for lead gen and digital services businesses. Connecting AppLovin's Conversion API will give the model stronger signals to optimize for high-quality leads.
Geo-targeting
Keep targeting broad and group multiple countries into a single campaign. For optimal learning and performance, target all available regions you are able to ship to outside of Western Europe (not supported at this time).
Choose your audience strategy
Choose from the following audience strategies based on your customer acquisition goals.
- Universal: Optimizes for all purchases equally, regardless if customers are new or returning. Best for maximizing total ROAS or minimizing CPP.
- Prospecting: Focuses on new customers and new-customer revenue. Best if your primary goal is to grow your customer base or acquire new subscribers.
- Discovery: Targets users who have never visited your site. Best if your primary KPI is driving purchases from net-new visitors.
You can run multiple audience strategies at the same time. This can help you find the ideal balance between total purchases, new-customer acquisition, and new visitors.
Set your day target
The day target defines the conversion window the model optimizes toward.
- Day 0 optimizes for same-day conversions. The right choice for most brands, as the majority of AppLovin-driven purchases happen the same day a user clicks.
- Day 7 optimizes for purchases within a 7-day window. Better suited for higher-AOV products or longer consideration cycles like furniture, mattresses, or high-ticket health products.
Set your budget
Start out with enough budget to generate at least a handful of daily purchases given your typical CPA. A budget that drives 10 purchases a day on your existing social channels is a good starting point to give AppLovin's AI engine plenty of signal to optimize quickly.
From there, scale as long as you are happy with performance. AppLovin's model handles budget increases well — advertisers have successfully scaled to six-figure daily spend within a week of launch.
Creating your creative sets
Creative sets are the groupings of ad creatives that run within a campaign. Each set must contain at least one video and one interactive or image, and can hold up to 10 of each. AppLovin's AI automatically tests combinations within each set and shifts spend toward what performs best.
Organize sets around a testable theme. Common approaches include:
- By audience: ads speaking to a specific age group, persona, or pain point
- By offer: a first-order discount or limited-time promo
- By product: a specific SKU, feature, or category you want to spotlight
On average, a user sees around eight different creatives before converting. Different creatives resonate at different stages of the purchase journey, so the more variety you have, the better your chances of moving someone all the way through.
For a deeper look at what makes winning creative and how to use AppLovin's built-in creative tools, check out our creative best practices ↗