App Targeting Lists: Target or Block Mobile and CTV Apps

App targeting lists let you control exactly which mobile and Connected TV (CTV) applications display your ads. Like domain lists, they are stored at the advertiser level and can be applied to any line item under that advertiser — giving you a consistent app targeting strategy across all your in-app campaigns.

Why App Targeting Lists Matter

In-app advertising delivers strong engagement, but not every app is right for every brand. App targeting lists let you:

• Curate premium placements — allowlist high-quality apps with engaged audiences that match your campaign goals.
• Protect your brand — blocklist apps that are off-brand, low quality, or contain inappropriate content.
• Include CTV apps — target streaming and entertainment apps on Connected TV devices alongside mobile inventory.
• Manage bid multipliers — adjust bidding on a per-app basis to prioritise top-performing placements.

Key Concepts

Advertiser-Level Asset

App targeting lists are created at the advertiser level. Once saved, a list is available to every campaign and line item under that advertiser.

Allowlist vs Blocklist

Campaign Type Restriction

App targeting lists can only be applied to In-App campaign type line items. They are not available for Display, Video, or CTV campaign types configured for web environments.

Supported App Stores

Each app in a list is identified by its store type and app ID:

Bid Multiplier

Every app carries a bid multiplier (0.1× to 10.0×, default 1.0×) that adjusts your line item's base bid for that specific app. Use higher multipliers on top-performing apps and lower multipliers on apps you want to remain eligible for but deprioritise.

Creating an App Targeting List

Navigate to Advertiser > Targeting Lists and click Create Targeting List, then select App List.

Step 1: Name and List Type

Step 2: Build Your App Collection

The creation form offers two methods to add apps. You can combine both — all apps are merged into a single list.

Featured App Search (Tab 1: App Search)

Browse ad:personam's curated database of featured apps, including a selection of CTV applications:

1. Filter by criteria:
   • Device Type — filter by device form factor.
   • Operating System — Android, iOS, or others.
   • Category — app content categories (e.g., Games, Entertainment, News).
   • Store Type — Google Play, Apple App Store, or others.
   • Search — free-text search by app name or developer.
2. Click Search to retrieve matching apps.
3. Select individual apps or use Select All to choose every result.
4. Click Add Selected to App List to push the selected apps to your list.

This is the fastest way to discover and add high-quality apps — the featured list is curated for quality and reach across mobile and CTV placements.

App Store URL Converter (Tab 2: URL Converter)

If you already have a list of app store URLs (from research, competitor analysis, or partner recommendations), paste them directly:

1. Paste URLs into the text area — one per line. Supported formats:
   • Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.example.app
   • Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/app-name/id123456789
2. The converter automatically parses each URL, extracts the store type and app ID, and converts it to the required format (googlePlay,com.example.app or appleAppStore,123456789).
3. Review results — successfully parsed apps are shown with their converted IDs; URLs that could not be matched are flagged with the reason.
4. Click Add to App List to add all converted apps to your list, or Copy the converted output for external use.

Up to 1,000 URLs can be processed at once.

Manual Input and CSV Upload (Right Panel)

Add apps directly by typing or uploading a file:

• Textarea — enter one app per line in storeType,appId format (e.g., googlePlay,com.king.candycrushsaga). Optionally include name and bid multiplier: storeType,appId,appName,bidMultiplier.
• CSV Upload — drag and drop or browse for a CSV file. Expected columns: storeType,id,name,bidMultiplier. A header row is auto-detected.

The system validates store types, removes duplicates, and applies a default bid multiplier of 1.0 where none is provided.

Step 3: Review and Configure

Before submitting, review the complete app collection:

• Remove individual apps.
• Adjust bid multipliers per app (0.1–10.0).
• Verify store types and app IDs are correct.
• Track the total app count in real time.

Step 4: Submit

Click Create List to save. The list is immediately available for use across all in-app line items under the current advertiser.

Note: App targeting lists cannot be edited after creation. To update a list, delete the existing one and create a new version.

Applying an App List to a Line Item

App targeting lists can only be applied to line items with the In-App campaign type.

During Line Item Creation or Editing

In the Line Item setup wizard at Step 5: Brand Safety, select an app targeting list from the dropdown under App Targeting List. The list is applied when you submit the line item. See the Campaign Setup Guide for the full setup flow.

Important: Applying an app targeting list is a full replacement operation — it overwrites any existing app targeting on that line item.

Best Practices

• Allowlist for premium campaigns — restrict delivery to a curated set of top-tier apps for maximum brand safety and audience quality.
• Blocklist for scale campaigns — maintain broad in-app reach while filtering out specific low-quality or off-brand apps.
• Include CTV apps — if your in-app strategy extends to Connected TV, add streaming and entertainment apps from the featured list.
• Use the URL converter for competitive research — paste competitor or partner app URLs to quickly build targeted lists without manually looking up app IDs.
• Leverage bid multipliers — bid higher on apps with proven engagement and lower on apps that underperform instead of removing them entirely.
• Name lists clearly — include the purpose, audience, and type (e.g., "Casual Games iOS — Allowlist") for easy identification.