Connecting a Content Token (formerly VPP Account, Apps and Books)

Managing Content with Apple Business

Formerly known as the Apple Volume Purchase Program (VPP) and Apps and Books, content management via Content Tokens is a core part of Apple Business/Apple School Manager and allows organizations to do the following:

• Purchase, share, and revoke App Store app licenses with devices in SimpleMDM.
• Push an App Store app to a device using SimpleMDM without prompting the user of the device for an Apple ID.
• Gain access to private B2B app store apps, shared with them by app developers.

SimpleMDM connects to your Apple Business/Apple School Manager account's Content Token to automatically manage and distribute app licenses to devices as needed.

Note: as of April 2026 in Apple's systems VPP/Apps and Books tokens are now known as Content Tokens. In SimpleMDM we continue to refer to them as VPP Tokens and accounts.

How to create a new Content Token

Create a new Organizational Unit

Before you can set up a new Content Token in Apple Business/Apple School Manager you will need to set up a new Organizational Unit to associate with Apps and Books you wish to deploy to SimpleMDM.

Note: It is critical that you set up separate Organizational Units for every Device Management server you set up. If you attempt to use the same Organizational Unit's Content Token on multiple servers you will experience unexpected App deployment failures.

1. Sign into your Apple Business or Apple School Manager Account
2. In the upper right select your Organization's Name and choose Settings from the dropdown menu
3. Select Organizational Units in the left sidebar
4. Click on "Add" to the right of the second Organizational Units header
5. Give your new Organizational Unit a name and description to make it easily identifiable
   1. A name along the lines of "MyOrg SimpleMDM" is a reasonable choice
6. When you have selected a Name for your Organizational Unit select Save
7. Once saved you will will be taken to a page where you can assign Users and Apps to the new Organizational Unit
   1. This is a good time to go to "Assign Apps" and get some licenses for the SimpleMDM iOS App

Downloading your Content Token

Note: You may want to complete this process from this point on from a computer. 

1. Start from/sign into your Apple Business or Apple School Manager Account
2. In the upper right select your Organization's Name and choose Settings from the dropdown menu
3. Choose Payments & Billing in the left sidebar
4. Under the Payments text midpage choose "Apps & Books"
5. Locate your new Content Token in the list
6. Select Download on the same line as the Content Token for SimpleMDM
7. Ensure the .vpptoken file downloads to a location on your computer where you can easily reupload it

Uploading your Token to SimpleMDM

1. Sign in to your SimpleMDM account
2. Select Apps & Media in the left sidebar
3. Select VPP from the additional left sidebar options
4. Use the "Add Token" button
5. Use the "Choose File" button and upload the .vpptoken file you downloaded
6. Select Save to associate SimpleMDM and your Apple Content Token

Next steps

Once you have associated your Apple Content Token with SimpleMDM any App or Book licenses assigned to the Organizational Unit associated with it will be available in SimpleMDM. As you add additional Apps or Books they will sync to SimpleMDM periodically throughout the day.

You will need to renew your Token every year, and you may also need to renew it after Manage Apple Account Password changes.