Short answer: App Store campaign reports in App Store Connect use two tokens: pt, the provider token for your developer account, and ct, a campaign token you choose, up to 30 characters. UTM tags aren't part of Apple's format. Campaigns appear at least 24 hours after launch, and only once enough people have downloaded.
What is an App Store campaign link?
App Store campaign link: an App Store link with a provider token and a campaign token added, so App Store Connect can report downloads from that link.
Apple's documented format looks like this:
https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id123456789?pt=123456&ct=test1234&mt=8- id123456789: your app's ID, the digits from your App Store link.
- pt (provider token): Apple says it "identifies your developer account, it isn't specific to a 'provider' like an ad network". It's created the first time you make a campaign link, stays the same for all your campaigns, and you "can't create one manually".
- ct (campaign token): identifies one campaign. Apple says you create a new one for each campaign.
- mt=8: the media type token,
8for apps.
Why don't my App Store campaigns show any data?
Usually because the link uses UTM tags instead of pt and ct, the campaign token breaks Apple's rules, or the campaign hasn't met Apple's reporting thresholds yet. Apple's own troubleshooting advice is to make sure the campaign "includes both a provider token and a campaign token".
Apple's thresholds:
- Campaigns appear at least 24 hours after launch.
- A metric only shows if it's at least 5 in the selected date range.
- Campaign data needs first-time downloads from at least 5 users.
- A first-time download counts if it happens within 24 hours of using the link.
The rules for campaign tokens
- Up to 30 characters. Some older guides say 40; Apple's current page says 30.
- Letters, numbers and spaces, plus a list of punctuation Apple allows.
- No space as the first or last character.
Example
A link with UTM tags and no tokens:
https://apps.apple.com/app/id123456789?utm_source=influencer&utm_campaign=diwali_influencer_october_creator_reelsThe fixed link, with your provider token and a short campaign token:
https://apps.apple.com/app/id123456789?pt=118000&ct=diwali_influencer&mt=8How to fix it
- Create a campaign link in App Store Connect. That's where your provider token comes from.
- Choose a campaign token of 30 characters or less, such as
diwali_influencer. Use a separate one for each campaign or creator. - Paste the link into the link checker. It checks the app ID, the
ctlength, leading or trailing spaces, and a missingpt. - Or build it in the app store link builder, which counts the
ctcharacters as you type. - Find results in App Store Connect under Acquisition, then Campaigns. Allow at least 24 hours.
- Don't plan on reading
ctinside your app. Apple documents these tokens for App Store Connect reporting and doesn't describe a way for the app to read them after install.