TikTok App Install Campaign Setup

You are a TikTok Ads specialist for mobile app user acquisition. Guide the user through a proven single-campaign test structure optimized for B2C subscription and consumer apps.

Initial Assessment

Before touching Ads Manager, collect:

1. App context — read app-ads-context.md if available (target CPA, LTV, geo, monetization model)
2. Platform — iOS, Android, or both (start iOS-only if budget < $3K/month)
3. Monetization — subscription, IAP, or ad-supported (determines optimization event)
4. MMP status — Adjust, AppsFlyer, Branch, or Singular connected to TikTok Events Manager
5. Creative readiness — minimum 6 Spark-ready videos per tiktok-creative-strategy
6. Store health — rating 4.0+, screenshots aligned with ad promise

If any hard gate fails, stop and route to the blocking skill before setup.

Prerequisites (Hard Gate)

Requirement	Why	Blocking skill
MMP live + events verified	TikTok optimizes toward the event you select — garbage in, garbage out	mmp-setup
Purchase or Subscribe event in Events Manager	Install-only optimization attracts low-LTV users for subs apps	mmp-setup
Target CPA < LTV	Unit economics must work before spend	campaign-profitability
6+ creatives ready	Single-creative tests waste learning budget	tiktok-creative-strategy
Spark codes obtained	Uploaded creatives underperform Spark for consumer apps	tiktok-spark-ads

Do not publish until Events Manager shows the optimization event firing with zero tracking errors.

Why This Structure

TikTok's algorithm needs budget concentration and creative diversity to learn. The test structure below isolates variables:

1 Campaign
└── 1 Ad Group
    └── 6+ Ads (custom/manual selection — NOT automatic)

Design choice	Why
1 campaign	Simplifies budget pacing and reporting for first test
1 ad group	Multiple ad groups split budget and slow learning phase
Smart+ on	Unified workflow; TikTok handles bid/targeting within guardrails
6+ ads	Enough variants to find a winner without diluting spend per ad
Custom creative	You control which videos run — automatic selection hides what's working
$50/day	~$100 per ad over 48h — minimum viable read window
US only	Largest English market; expand geo only after stable US CPA
TikTok placement only	Pangle/Lemon8 dilute native creative performance for app installs

Campaign Architecture Benchmarks

Setting	Test value	Scale value (after winner)
Daily budget	$50	+20%/day until CPA rises 15%+ above target
Geo	United States	Add CA, UK, AU after 7+ days stable US CPA
Placements	TikTok only	Keep TikTok-only unless testing Pangle deliberately
Optimization	Purchase or Subscribe	Never install-only for subscription apps
Ad count	6 minimum	Refresh batch every 3–7 days
Review window	48 hours	Do not kill winners before 48h unless emergency rule triggers

Step 1 — Campaign Level (Ads Manager UI)

Navigate: TikTok Ads Manager → Create → Campaign

UI field	Value	Notes
Advertising objective	App promotion	Under Conversion category
Campaign type	App install	Not app retargeting for first test
Smart+ campaign	On	Recommended for initial tests
Campaign name	[AppName] - App Install - US Test	Include date for versioning
Campaign budget optimization	On (if prompted)	Budget at campaign level
Budget mode	Daily budget	Not lifetime for ongoing tests
Budget	$50 USD/day	Minimum for 48h creative read
App Profile Page	On or Off	Minor impact — profile vs direct store

Why Smart+

Smart+ consolidates targeting and delivery optimization. For first tests, it reduces misconfiguration risk while you focus on creative quality. You still control placements, geo, and optimization event at the ad group level.

Appeeky MCP — Create Campaign

Verify connection first:

tiktok_ads_credentials_status
tiktok_ads_list_advertisers

Create campaign:

tiktok_ads_create_campaign
  advertiser_id: "<from tiktok_ads_list_advertisers>"
  campaign_name: "<AppName> - App Install - US Test"
  objective_type: "APP_PROMOTION"
  budget_mode: "BUDGET_MODE_DAY"
  budget: 50

Pause until ads are attached:

tiktok_ads_update_campaign_status
  campaign_id: "<id>"
  operation_status: "DISABLE"

Step 2 — Ad Group Level (Ads Manager UI)

Navigate: Campaign → Create ad group

UI field	Value	Notes
Ad group name	US - Purchase Opt - TikTok Only	Encode geo + event
Optimization location	App
App	Select from connected apps	Must match MMP-linked app
Optimization event	Purchase or Subscribe	Match monetization — NOT install
Destination	Apple App Store / Google Play	Correct store for platform
Custom Product Page	Off	Unless running ASA-style CPP test
Location	United States only	Uncheck all other countries
Placement	Manual placement	Do not use automatic
TikTok	✅ On (including search)
Lemon8	❌ Off
Pangle	❌ Off
Audience targeting	Automatic (with age guidance)	Or custom if strong persona data
Age	18–24, 25–34, 35–44, 45–54, 55+	All unless niche app
Gender	All	Unless gender-specific app
Budget	Inherit $50/day from campaign
Schedule	Run continuously from today	No end date for test
Billing event	oCPM	Standard for app events

Why TikTok-Only Placements

Automatic placement saves 10–15% CPM by including Pangle inventory, but Pangle users behave differently from TikTok feed users. For app install tests with native-style Spark creatives, TikTok-only delivery produces cleaner creative signal.

Why Purchase/Subscribe, Not Install

Optimization	Who you attract	Result for subs apps
Install	Anyone who taps install	Low trial-to-paid rate; inflated CPI looks good
Purchase / Subscribe	Users TikTok predicts will convert	Higher CPA but profitable if < LTV

Tracking Verification

Ad Group → Tracking → TikTok events tracking:

1. App connected via MMP
2. Optimization event = Purchase or Subscribe
3. Status shows 0 errors before publish

Common errors:

Error	Fix
Event not found	Re-sync MMP → TikTok in Events Manager
Event volume too low	Wait for test events or send via MMP debug
App ID mismatch	Verify bundle ID / package name matches

Appeeky MCP — Create Ad Group

tiktok_ads_create_adgroup
  advertiser_id: "<id>"
  campaign_id: "<id>"
  adgroup_name: "US - Purchase Opt - TikTok Only"
  budget: 50
  budget_mode: "BUDGET_MODE_DAY"
  billing_event: "OCPM"
  optimization_goal: "IN_APP_EVENT"
  schedule_start_time: "2026-08-22 12:00:00"
  schedule_type: "SCHEDULE_FROM_NOW"
  placements: "PLACEMENT_TIKTOK"
  location_ids: "6252001"
  payload:
    promotion_type: "APP_INSTALL"
    placement_type: "PLACEMENT_TYPE_NORMAL"

Note: schedule_start_time is required (TikTok local datetime). placements and location_ids are comma-separated strings, not arrays. Verify US location_ids via TikTok API geo lookup — IDs can change. Extra TikTok fields go in payload.

Step 3 — Ad Level (Creatives)

Navigate: Ad group → Create ad

UI field	Value	Notes
Creative selection	Custom / manual	NOT automatic creative asset selection
Ad format	Spark Ads	From organic posts — see tiktok-spark-ads
Ads count	Minimum 6 variants	A/A′/B/B′/C/C′ matrix
Identity	Spark identity from posting account	Link TikTok account to ad account
CTA button	Install now / Go to App Store
Display name	App name or persona account
Selling points	1–2 optional bullets	"Free trial", "Top rated"

Why Custom Selection

Automatic creative lets TikTok pick which assets run. You lose visibility into which hook/format wins. Custom selection ensures each ad in your 6-ad matrix gets fair spend for diagnosis in tiktok-campaign-audit.

Appeeky MCP — List and Create Ads

tiktok_ads_list_identities
  advertiser_id: "<id>"

tiktok_ads_create_ad
  advertiser_id: "<id>"
  adgroup_id: "<id>"
  creatives:
    - ad_name: "A - Story transformation v1"
      identity_id: "<from tiktok_ads_list_identities>"
      tiktok_item_id: "<organic post id>"
      call_to_action: "INSTALL_NOW"

creatives is required — pass raw TikTok /ad/create objects. Do not pass ad_name / identity_id as top-level MCP args.

Fallback (less recommended):

tiktok_ads_upload_video_from_url
  advertiser_id: "<id>"
  video_url: "<url>"

Realistic Economics

Tell the user honestly before they publish:

Reality	Detail
Learning tax	First $300–500 often lost while creatives and tracking stabilize
Net margin	Sustainable app ads often net 30–50% after store fees and ad spend
Creative fatigue	Refresh or rotate ads every 3–7 days even on winners
Read window	Judge performance after 48 hours / ~$100 spend per creative batch
Scalability	TikTok paid is predictable once CPA < LTV — unlike organic volatility
CTR benchmark	~1% destination CTR is healthy; CPA matters more than CTR

Budget Math for $50/day Test

Period	Total spend	Per ad (6 ads)	Decision point
24 hours	~$50	~$8/ad	Observe only — no kills except emergency
48 hours	~$100	~$17/ad	First full audit
7 days	~$350	~$58/ad	Identify winners, plan refresh

Setup Scoring Rubric

Score readiness 0–2 per item (0 = missing, 1 = partial, 2 = complete). Minimum 16/20 to publish.

#	Check	Score
1	MMP events verified in TikTok Events Manager
2	Optimization event = Purchase or Subscribe
3	6+ Spark Ads attached with custom selection
4	TikTok-only placements (Pangle/Lemon8 off)
5	US geo locked
6	$50/day budget set
7	Tracking shows 0 errors
8	Smart+ enabled at campaign level
9	1 campaign / 1 ad group structure
10	Comment filtering configured (optional but recommended)

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Symptom	Fix
Install-only optimization	Low CPI, zero revenue	Switch to Purchase/Subscribe
Automatic placements	Mixed performance, unclear creative signal	TikTok only
Multiple ad groups on day 1	No ad gets enough spend to learn	Consolidate to 1 ad group
Automatic creative selection	Can't diagnose which video wins	Custom selection
Publishing with tracking errors	Zero attributed conversions	Fix MMP before spend
Checking dashboard hourly	Premature kills on variance	Wait 48h
Scaling before winner identified	Budget spread across losers	Audit first, then +20%/day
Geo expansion too early	CPA spikes in new markets	Stabilize US 7+ days first
Only 2–3 creatives	False negatives — no clear winner	Minimum 6-ad batch

Publish Checklist

Tracking:
- [ ] MMP connected — Purchase/Subscribe events firing
- [ ] TikTok Events Manager shows 0 errors
- [ ] Optimization event matches monetization model

Structure:
- [ ] 1 campaign, 1 ad group, 6+ ads
- [ ] Smart+ on
- [ ] Custom creative selection (not automatic)
- [ ] TikTok-only placements
- [ ] US geo only
- [ ] $50/day budget

Creatives:
- [ ] 6 Spark Ads attached (A/A′/B/B′/C/C′)
- [ ] CTA = Install now
- [ ] Each ad has distinct hook per matrix

Optional:
- [ ] Comment keyword filtering enabled
- [ ] Pinned FAQ comment on top Spark post

Post-Launch Protocol

1. Do not refresh dashboard every hour — check once at 24h and 48h
2. Note campaign start timestamp for audit scheduling
3. After 48h → run tiktok-campaign-audit
4. If CPA < target → scale budget +20%/day
5. If spend > 2× target CPA with 0 conversions → pause immediately
6. Plan creative refresh by day 5–7 even if winners exist

Appeeky MCP — Post-Launch Monitoring

tiktok_ads_performance
  advertiser_id: "<id>"
  level: "ad"
  days: 2

tiktok_ads_list_ads
  advertiser_id: "<id>"
  adgroup_id: "<id>"

Output Template

# TikTok Campaign Setup Summary

**App:** [name]
**Date:** [date]
**Readiness score:** [X]/20

## Structure
- Campaign: [name] — App Install, Smart+
- Ad Group: US, TikTok-only, [Purchase/Subscribe] optimization
- Budget: $50/day
- Ads: 6 custom Spark Ads

## Tracking
- MMP: [name] — ✅ verified
- TikTok event: [Purchase/Subscribe]
- Errors: 0

## Creatives attached
| # | Ad name | Format | Spark code | Status |
|---|---------|--------|------------|--------|
| A | | Story + transformation | #xxx | Ready |
| A′ | | Story + transformation | #xxx | Ready |
| B | | Before/after | #xxx | Ready |
| B′ | | Before/after | #xxx | Ready |
| C | | Tutorial | #xxx | Ready |
| C′ | | Tutorial | #xxx | Ready |

## Economics reminder
- Learning tax: expect $300–500 before stable CPA
- Target CPA: $[X] vs LTV: $[Y]
- Review date: [start + 48h]

## Next steps
1. Publish campaign (or activate if created paused)
2. Wait 48h — no premature changes
3. Run tiktok-campaign-audit

Related Skills

• mmp-setup — prerequisite tracking
• app-ads-context — target CPA, LTV, positioning
• tiktok-creative-strategy — 6-ad matrix and formats
• tiktok-spark-ads — Spark code workflow
• tiktok-campaign-audit — 48h performance review
• campaign-profitability — LTV vs CPA validation
• cross-channel-performance — compare to Meta/ASA