The AppLovin setup playbook. No micromanaging, no manual optimization, no bullshit. UA template for you! Applovin UA explained!
Solo for episode three of the MVP UA Template series (after Facebook and Google), this time breaking down AppLovin / Axon end-to-end. Tracking setup, campaign structure, bidding, ROAS targets, the new CPM-vs-CPI billing change, creative strategy, the real Axon dashboard with real numbers from his own game, and the patience required to actually scale.
The headline lesson: AppLovin is a beast, but it really matters what you feed it. Garbage MMP signals = garbage results. Playables aren't optional. And the geo-bucket strategy that works on Facebook and Google does NOT work here — worldwide campaign with geo targets is the only sensible setup.
If you've been avoiding AppLovin because it feels like a black box, this is the episode that demystifies it.
⏱️ TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Axon dashboard preview
02:20 Why AppLovin and what this episode covers
04:14 Budget, MMP signals, and the "garbage in, garbage out" rule
07:42 Worldwide campaign + geo targets (NOT geo buckets)
10:58 D7 vs D28 ROAS — which attribution window to pick
12:57 CPM vs CPI billing — the new setting most teams miss
14:40 Creative strategy: 80% playables, 60 new per month
17:59 Push budgets hard when something works (30-50%)
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📌 KEY TAKEAWAYS
— AppLovin is not Facebook and not Google. The geo-bucket
structure (US / Tier-1 / RoW) that works on those
channels does NOT work here. Run ONE worldwide campaign,
split by attribution window and platform only, and use
geo-level ROAS targets to steer traffic — never geo-level
budgets (they don't work the way you think).
— Garbage MMP signals = garbage results. AppLovin doesn't
know if you're sending the right event. If you're sending
free trial signals labeled as subscriptions, AppLovin will
optimize for free trials and your ROAS will look great in
Singular while your real revenue dies.
— Skip the CPI / D7 warm-up phase. AppLovin no longer
requires it. Go straight to D7 or D28 ROAS, ideally D28
for higher quality and longer-cohort optimization. Pick
D7 only if your payback period is short and cash flow
matters more than cohort quality.
— New CPM vs CPI billing setting: start with CPM (spends
evenly across the day), then switch to CPI only after
you have winning creatives identified and want to scale
aggressively. CPM billing eliminates the old "budget
capped in 2 hours" problem.
— Playables are non-negotiable. 80-90% of spend should go
to playables. Top-grossing games ship 60+ new playables
per month — that's the bar. Video length: 30-60 seconds,
best results in the 45-59 second window. No hook needed
on AppLovin (user must watch 30+ seconds anyway).
This episode is brought to you by Potensus — the premium
ad network with direct deals to Amazon, Apple, Coca-Cola,
and Vodafone (no programmatic middlemen), partnered with
PlayableMaker for native gaming creative formats.
Head to potensus.com to get started.
📌 MVP UA TEMPLATE SERIES
1. Facebook setup
2. Google setup
3. AppLovin setup - you are here
Full AppLovin setup guide linked in show notes.
#mobilegaming #useracquisition #applovin #axon #mvpua
#liveops #f2p
Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-3bckldvr8-8PXvzciMWdheOzED9hq0SA
Matej Lancaric
User Acquisition & Creatives Consultant
https://lancaric.me
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