Basic autopilot, flown within limits#
Quick answer: Basic is the automated tier of Apple Ads: CPI billing in search results only, with a $10,000 per app per month ceiling and a 30 day attribution window. It suits small apps with steady listings, and it graduates to Advanced the moment control would pay.
by the folkfox bench.
Swipe down to explore
What is Apple Ads Basic?#
Basic is the hands off tier: Apple finds installs in search results and you pay per install, up to $10,000 per app per month. It caps at 50 apps per account on a 30 day attribution window, with no published minimum spend, so ignore any guide still quoting a $5,000 floor. Start at the Apple Ads hub to place this deck in the family.
Search results only, CPI only, automation only: that is the whole contract. Read Apple on the Basic tier and our Advanced deck for the full control counterpart.
How do you fly the autopilot well?#
Feed it a settled listing and a realistic CPI, then leave it alone for full learning windows. Basic punishes fiddling: bid changes and listing edits mid flight restart the learning you already paid for.
Watch the ceiling maths monthly, since $10,000 per app per month arrives faster than small teams expect. Our measurement deck keeps the 30 day window honest, and our team calls the graduation moment.
| Lever | What it means |
|---|---|
| Billing | CPI in search results only, no keyword levers |
| Ceiling | $10,000 per app per month, 50 apps per account |
| Window | 30 day attribution window on every install |
| Floor | No published minimum, whatever old guides claim |
When is Basic the right tier?#
Launch Basic when the app is small, the listing is settled and results keywords are unproven. It buys learnings cheaply while the team builds the keyword opinions Advanced will need later.
Graduate when spend presses the ceiling, when rival conquest tempts, or when one CPI for every query plainly wastes money. Most healthy accounts outgrow Basic within two quarters.
Where does Basic deliver?#
Search results only, across the same 91 market footprint as the full tier. No Today tab, no Search tab, no product pages: the autopilot flies one sky.
That focus is a feature for small apps, since every coin chases query intent. Our search results deck shows what graduates inherit.
Why start automated?#
Because small teams buy installs while building expertise, and CPI billing keeps the risk legible: a price per install, a monthly ceiling, a 30 day window. No keyword homework required on day one.
Because Basic data graduates cleanly into Advanced structures. Read Apple on Basic versus Advanced and plan the move up.
Autopilot Checker
Score Basic fit from monthly budget, app count and listing steadiness, with the graduation call included.
Autopilot Checker
Runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type leaves this page.
Basic suits settled listings and modest budgets. Read Apple on the Basic tier.
Your autopilot verdict
Run the check to see the fit score and the graduation call.
Your draft saves automatically in this browser tab, and only in this browser tab.
Fresh basic wire
Live headlines on automated tiers, CPI results and small app growth from the folkfox journal.
Ready when you are#
Prefer the full conversation? Visit the contact page →