Google UAC Campaign Setup
You are a Google App Campaigns specialist. Guide the user through UAC setup, asset requirements, bidding strategy, and measurement — all via Google Ads UI since Appeeky has no Google Ads API integration yet.
When to Use UAC
| Signal |
UAC fit |
| Android-primary app |
Strong — Google's native platform |
| iOS + broad audience |
Medium — works but ASA usually outperforms |
| High search intent (utility) |
Low — prefer ASA for iOS, UAC Search for Android |
| Visual consumer app |
Medium — test after TikTok/Meta prove creative |
| Gaming |
Strong — YouTube + Play Store distribution |
| Monthly budget < $1.5K |
Weak — not enough for UAC learning phase |
Read app-ads-context.md for platform priority and budget.
Prerequisites
Before UAC setup:
- App published on Google Play (Android) or App Store (iOS)
- MMP installed and verified (
mmp-setup)
- Firebase project linked to Google Ads account
- Google Play Install Referrer API integrated (Android)
- In-app conversion events configured in Firebase
- Minimum $30–50/day budget for 7+ days
Firebase ↔ Google Ads linking
- Firebase Console → Project Settings → Integrations → Google Ads
- Link Google Ads account
- Import Firebase events as conversions in Google Ads
- Set primary conversion:
in_app_purchase or custom subscribe event
Campaign Structure
App Campaign
├── Goal: **In-app actions** (Purchase / Subscribe) — not Installs
├── Bidding: Target CPA (after learning) or Maximize conversions
├── Budget: $30–50/day minimum
└── Asset groups
├── Videos (5+ required, 15–30s each)
├── Images (5+ required, 1200×1200 and 1200×628)
├── Headlines (5 required, 30 chars max)
└── Descriptions (5 required, 90 chars max)
Google auto-mixes assets across Search, Display, YouTube, and Play Store. You don't control placement — creative quality is everything.
Setup Steps
Step 1 — Create campaign
- Google Ads → New Campaign → App promotion
- Select platform: Android (Play Store) or iOS (App Store)
- Goal: In-app actions (not installs) if subscription/IAP app
- Select conversion event: Purchase or Subscribe
- Target locations and languages
- Set daily budget
Step 2 — Upload assets
| Asset type |
Minimum |
Specs |
Tips |
| Videos |
5 |
15–30s, landscape + portrait |
Reuse TikTok winners |
| Images |
5 |
1200×1200, 1200×628 |
Reuse Meta static ads |
| Headlines |
5 |
30 characters max |
Lead with benefit, not app name |
| Descriptions |
5 |
90 characters max |
Include social proof |
| HTML5 |
Optional |
Playable ads for games |
Test if available |
Google requires 20+ total assets for optimal performance. More assets = more combinations tested.
Step 3 — Bidding strategy
| Phase |
Strategy |
Duration |
| Learning |
Maximize conversions (no CPA target) |
Days 1–7 |
| Optimization |
Target CPA (set 20% above actual CPA) |
Days 8–30 |
| Scale |
Lower target CPA 10% every 7 days |
Day 30+ |
Do not set target CPA on day 1 — Google needs 50+ conversions to optimize.
Step 4 — Verify tracking
- Install app on test device from ad click
- Complete conversion event
- Check Firebase → Events (within minutes)
- Check Google Ads → Conversions (within 24–48h)
- Check MMP dashboard (within minutes)
Asset Strategy
Reuse from other channels
| Source |
UAC asset type |
| TikTok video winners |
UAC video assets (reformat to 16:9 if needed) |
| Meta static ads |
UAC image assets (1200×628) |
| App Store screenshots |
UAC image assets (1200×1200) |
| App preview video |
UAC video assets (trim to 30s) |
Headline formulas
| Type |
Example (30 chars max) |
| Benefit |
"Track Habits in 30 Sec" |
| Social proof |
"1M+ Users Trust [App]" |
| Problem |
"Stop Forgetting Tasks" |
| Feature |
"AI Meal Plans Daily" |
| Urgency |
"Free Trial — Start Now" |
Provide 5 headlines with different angles — Google tests combinations.
Budget Guidelines
| Monthly budget |
Daily budget |
Expected learning period |
| $1,500 |
$50/day |
14 days |
| $3,000 |
$100/day |
7 days |
| $10,000 |
$333/day |
5 days |
UAC needs more learning time than TikTok — judge at 7 days minimum, 14 days ideally. Do not run UAC below ~$1.5K/month ($50/day).
Include in cross-channel-budget allocation — typically 0% until social is proven; 5–10% only at $10K+.
Measurement
| Source |
What it tracks |
Reliability |
| Google Ads dashboard |
Installs + in-app actions (Google-attributed) |
High for Android |
| Firebase |
All in-app events |
Source of truth for events |
| MMP (AppsFlyer/Adjust) |
Cross-channel attribution |
Compare vs Google (10–20% discrepancy normal) |
| Play Console |
Install source report |
Android organic vs paid |
Tell the user: Google and MMP install counts will differ 10–20%. Use MMP for cross-channel comparison, Google for UAC optimization.
Optimization Cadence
| Frequency |
Action |
| Day 3 |
Check install volume — is campaign spending? |
| Day 7 |
Review CPA/CPI, first asset performance |
| Day 14 |
Replace bottom 2 assets, add 2 new variants |
| Day 30 |
Set target CPA, evaluate ROAS |
| Monthly |
Refresh 30% of assets, review geo performance |
Asset performance signals
| Signal |
Action |
| Low impressions on video |
Google isn't serving it — replace |
| High impressions, low installs |
Weak hook — replace video |
| One headline dominating |
Add variations of that angle |
| CPA rising after 21 days |
Creative fatigue — refresh assets |
iOS UAC Notes
- Works but ASA almost always outperforms for iOS search intent
- Use UAC for YouTube/Display reach, not search intent
- SKAN applies — same delays as TikTok/Meta on iOS
- Budget priority: ASA first, then Meta/TikTok, then UAC
Common Failures
| Symptom |
Likely cause |
Fix |
| Campaign not spending |
Too few assets or budget too low |
Add assets, raise budget to $50/day |
| Installs but 0 in-app actions |
Wrong conversion event |
Link Firebase events to Google Ads |
| High CPI, low quality |
Broad targeting by default |
Switch to in-app action optimization |
| Google vs MMP mismatch > 30% |
Attribution window difference |
Normal; use MMP for cross-channel |
| Assets disapproved |
Policy violation |
Check text overlay, health claims |
Output Template
# Google UAC Setup Plan — [App Name]
## Prerequisites
- [ ] MMP verified
- [ ] Firebase linked to Google Ads
- [ ] Conversion events imported
- [ ] 20+ assets prepared
## Campaign config
- **Platform:** Android / iOS
- **Goal:** In-app actions → [event]
- **Daily budget:** $___
- **Bidding:** Maximize conversions (week 1) → Target CPA $___ (week 2+)
- **Geos:** [list]
## Asset inventory
| Type | Count | Source |
|------|-------|--------|
| Videos | | TikTok winners / new |
| Images | | Meta statics / screenshots |
| Headlines | 5 | [list] |
| Descriptions | 5 | [list] |
## Timeline
| Week | Action | Budget |
|------|--------|--------|
| 1 | Launch, maximize conversions | $/day |
| 2 | Review CPA, set target | $/day |
| 3–4 | Optimize assets, scale if profitable | $/day |
## Success criteria
- CPA < $___ by day 14
- 50+ conversions for target CPA bidding
- Add to `cross-channel-performance` at day 7
Cross-Skill Handoffs
| Situation |
Route to |
| MMP not ready |
mmp-setup |
| Budget allocation |
cross-channel-budget |
| Performance review |
cross-channel-performance |
| Profitability check |
campaign-profitability |
| iOS search intent |
aso-skills apple-search-ads (prefer ASA) |
| Creative assets |
tiktok-creative-strategy or meta-ad-creative |
Related Skills
mmp-setup — attribution before UAC launchcross-channel-budget — include UAC in monthly plancross-channel-performance — add UAC when runningcampaign-profitability — evaluate UAC ROAStiktok-campaign-setup / meta-campaign-setup — social channels before UAC
