Finished the artwork in the screenshot editor? Before submitting it, review the text and settings that sit beside it in the store listing.
Accurate metadata helps visitors understand whether the app solves their problem. Explain the main task early, keep requirements clear, and make the copy match the product. Measure search and conversion using the correct store report rather than a universal uplift claim.
Use this checklist before sending a listing update. Each section explains what to check and links to a detailed guide when you need one. Allow more time if the source copy or product requirements are still changing.
Review the text and artwork together
Text and screenshots work together. The name explains the app’s purpose, while the gallery shows what using it looks like.
Check each field directly rather than assuming a report captured the full listing. Our listing-change study withdrew its subtitle findings because the collector did not capture that field. Its recorded changes cannot describe every edit to a complete listing.
Relevant metadata helps the store understand which queries fit your app. Readable copy then helps visitors decide whether the product meets their needs.
The metadata guide explains the purpose of each field. Use it when a checklist item needs a larger rewrite.
The pre-publish metadata checklist
Work through the applicable items and record anything that still needs review.
☐ 1. App Title (30 Characters Max)
The title should identify the app and explain its purpose within the field limit. Choose a readable combination of brand and relevant task language.
What to check:
- Under 30 characters (both iOS and Google Play)
- Includes your primary keyword alongside your brand name
- Follows the "Brand Name - Keyword Descriptor" format (e.g., "Mint - Budget & Finance")
- No special characters that could cause indexing issues
- Not truncated on any device size
Tip: compare a few clear titles without assuming one word order will rank better. Use the keyword selection guide to check relevance before choosing terms.
☐ 2. Subtitle (iOS) / Short Description (Android)
Use the subtitle or short description to add a useful detail beyond the app name. Check the field separately for each store.
What to check:
- Under 30 characters (iOS subtitle) or 80 characters (Google Play short description)
- Contains complementary keywords, not duplicates of your title words
- Benefit-focused rather than feature-focused (e.g., "Save Money Effortlessly" beats "Expense Logging Tool")
- Reads naturally and isn't keyword-stuffed
Review the title and subtitle together for relevance and unnecessary repetition. Keep the Google short description readable within its different field allowance; the stores do not publish a universal numeric ranking weight for each phrase.
☐ 3. Keywords Field (iOS Only, 100 Bytes)
This hidden field is unique to the App Store and is one of the most misused metadata fields in ASO. It's a comma-separated list of keywords that Apple indexes for search, but users never see.
What to check:
- 100 bytes or fewer; check the localized text
- Comma-separated with no spaces after commas (spaces waste characters)
- No words duplicated from your title or subtitle (Apple already indexes those)
- No plurals if the singular form is already covered (Apple handles this)
- No competitor brand names (this violates App Store guidelines and risks rejection)
- Includes long-tail and niche variations of your primary terms
Use relevant terms separated by commas without spaces after commas; spaces inside phrases are permitted. Avoid irrelevant names and unnecessary repetition. Validate the actual keyword field in App Store Connect.
☐ 4. Full Description (4,000 Characters)
This is where the two platforms diverge sharply. On Apple, the description is not indexed for search. It's purely a conversion tool. On Google Play, the description is fully indexed, making it function like the body copy of a web page for SEO.
What to check:
- First 3 lines are compelling (this is all users see before tapping "more")
- On Google Play: relevant terms appear naturally without a fixed repetition target
- Formatted with line breaks and Unicode bullets for scannability
- Includes social proof (download count, rating, press mentions) where applicable
- Ends with a clear call to action
- Formatting matches what the target store supports
Tip: use the same accurate product facts, then adapt the wording and formatting to each store. The description guide has examples.
☐ 5. Promotional Text (iOS Only, 170 Characters)
Promotional text sits at the very top of your App Store description. It can be updated at any time without a new app review, making it perfect for time-sensitive messaging.
What to check:
- Under 170 characters
- Highlights something timely: a new feature, seasonal offer, or limited promotion
- Not keyword-stuffed (it's not indexed for search)
- Updated regularly to stay fresh and relevant
Tip: explain a current feature or offer plainly. Include dates and conditions where needed, and remove the message when it becomes outdated.
☐ 6. Release Notes
Release notes tell people what changed. Name the improvement or fixed issue instead of relying on “Bug fixes and improvements” for every release.
What to check:
- Written in plain, user-friendly language
- Highlights specific new features or improvements
- Keeps the most exciting update at the top
- Under 4,000 characters
Tip: “Fixed delayed reminders” is more useful than “Various improvements” when that is the actual change. Keep the explanation specific and accurate.
☐ 7. Category Selection
Your primary and secondary categories affect which browse charts you appear in and how the algorithm classifies your app. Choosing the wrong category can put you in competition with apps that have nothing to do with yours, or bury you in an oversaturated category.
What to check:
- Primary category matches your app's core function
- Secondary category (iOS) or additional category (Google Play) covers your secondary use case
- You've reviewed the top 10 apps in your chosen category to confirm the competitive landscape is realistic
Tip: choose categories that describe the app’s real purpose. Lower apparent competition is not a reason to choose an unrelated category.
☐ 8. Screenshots Uploaded for All Required Device Sizes
Check the screenshot requirements for the device families your app supports. Follow the current accepted sizes and fallback rules in the store console.
What to check:
- An accepted iPhone screenshot family using Apple’s current fallback rules
- Additional iPhone sizes where required for the app’s supported display families
- iPad Pro 13" if your app supports iPad
- Android phone and tablet sizes if you support both
- All screenshots meet minimum resolution requirements
- Screenshot order is optimized (most compelling first)
Use the screenshot editor to export the sizes you need, then inspect each file and its target locale. The conversion guide covers how to assess the gallery after release.
☐ 9. Privacy Policy URL Set
Both stores now require a valid privacy policy URL before your app can go live. It's a hard requirement. Missing it will block your submission entirely.
What to check:
- Privacy policy URL is entered in App Store Connect and/or Google Play Console
- The URL loads correctly (no 404 errors)
- The policy is accurate and covers data collection, storage, and third-party sharing
- It's accessible without authentication
Quick tip: If you don't have a privacy policy yet, free generators exist online. But don't use a template blindly. Make sure it accurately reflects what data your app collects. Apple and Google reviewers do check, and an inaccurate policy can delay or reject your submission.
☐ 10. Age Rating Configured
Your age rating determines who can see and download your app. An incorrect age rating can result in rejection, restricted distribution, or your app being hidden from a large percentage of potential users.
What to check:
- Age rating questionnaire completed accurately in App Store Connect / Google Play Console
- Rating reflects your app's actual content (violence, profanity, user-generated content, etc.)
- If your app includes web browsing, social features, or user-generated content, the rating reflects this
Tip: answer the age-rating questions from the app’s actual content and behavior. If an answer is unclear, consult the store guidance. The ASO checklist covers the wider submission review.
Draft fields that need a rewrite
If several fields need rewriting, prepare a short app brief first. Include the audience, supported features, requirements and chosen keywords.
Metadata generation prepares a draft from the app facts you provide. Review each claim, relevant term, and final field limit before use. Generation speed and scores do not establish search demand or conversion performance.
- Input your app details. Enter the app's name, a short description of what it does, its audience and its category.
- Generate a draft. The generator drafts a title, subtitle, keyword field (iOS), short description (Android), full description (both platforms), and promotional text, all tailored to your app's category and target audience.
- Review and tweak. Check every generated field for accuracy, relevance and its final size. You can edit any field, swap keywords, or adjust the tone.
- Export and publish. Once you're satisfied, export your metadata directly or use it as the foundation for your App Store Connect and Google Play Console listings.
Compare draft tools by the control and review they offer, rather than generation speed alone. The description generator comparison covers options.
The free plan includes the screenshot generator and a limited number of metadata generation tokens, so you can test the entire workflow without committing. For most indie developers launching a single app, the free tier covers the essentials.
Use the metadata generator for a first draft, then return to this checklist with the finished wording.
Going Global: Translate Your Listing to New Markets
Use local demand, product support, and review capacity to decide which markets to serve. A source-language listing is not automatically invisible to everyone using another language. Translate selected listing drafts and validate the result.
For each new language, plan the translation, fluent review, layout checks and future maintenance. Keep that workload small enough to finish properly.
Metadata translation can prepare drafts in 60+ languages. Research local terms separately and review each field for meaning, length and product accuracy.
Here's what the workflow looks like after you've finished your English metadata:
- Select target languages. Choose from 60+ supported languages, or start from a preset such as European, APAC or Americas.
- AI translates and localizes. Each field is translated with context-awareness. The AI knows the difference between a title, a keyword field, and a full description, and optimizes each one differently.
- Review each language. Compare every translated field with the source for meaning, length and product accuracy, and edit it before saving or sending.
- Send or copy. With a paid plan and connected store credentials, send the reviewed metadata to App Store Connect or Google Play Console as an explicit action; otherwise copy it into each console.
Use the publishing guide and translation walkthrough to plan the remaining review and submission steps.
Send Approved Listing Changes
When the text and artwork are approved, confirm the destination app, store, language and version before sending.
Keep filenames and language labels clear so each screenshot set reaches the right listing. Inspect the destination after sending.
AppDrift can send supported listing text to connected stores with paid access. Supported Apple screenshot uploads go to an App Store Connect draft after setup; Google Play screenshots are exported for manual upload. Saving, sending, app review, and public availability are separate states. Binary upload and code signing remain in your build workflow.
The full workflow from screenshots to global launch looks like this:
- Create screenshots with the free screenshot generator
- Generate metadata with the AI metadata generator
- Translate selected languages with AI metadata translation
- AppDrift can send supported listing text to connected stores with paid access. Supported Apple screenshot uploads go to an App Store Connect draft after setup; Google Play screenshots are exported for manual upload. Saving, sending, app review, and public availability are separate states. Binary upload and code signing remain in your build workflow.
The platform overview explains the supported tasks. You can prepare Free designs and try the initial AI allowance before choosing a paid workflow.
FAQ
How long does it take to optimize app metadata before publishing?
Time depends on source quality, research, app complexity, and review. AI can prepare a draft, but accuracy and store validation need their own time. Measure your actual workflow rather than assume a fixed completion time.
What is the difference between iOS keywords and Google Play keywords?
Apple provides a dedicated 100-byte keyword field that is hidden from users. You should use comma-separated terms with no spaces after commas and avoid duplicating words from your title or subtitle. Google Play has no hidden keyword field. Instead, Google indexes your full description, short description, and title for search. You need to weave keywords naturally into your Google Play copy.
Do I need to translate my metadata before publishing internationally?
Choose supported locales based on demand and review capacity. A translated listing can improve comprehension, but it is not a guarantee of discovery or installs. Keep the listing truthful about the languages available inside the product.
Can I update my metadata after the app is live?
Metadata editability depends on the store, field, and app state. Apple's property matrix documents the distinctions. Changing accurate copy on a fixed schedule does not guarantee better rankings.
What are the most common metadata mistakes that hurt app store rankings?
Common problems include inaccurate feature claims, text that exceeds field limits, unnecessary repeated keywords, wrong-language screenshots and outdated offer details. Review those against the current product before submitting.
References
- Apple Developer, App Store Search: https://developer.apple.com/app-store/search/
- Think with Google, How Users Discover and Use Apps: https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/marketing-strategies/app-and-mobile/how-users-discover-apps/
- CSA Research, Can't Read, Won't Buy: https://csa-research.com/Featured-Content/For-Global-Enterprises/Research-Findings/Language-and-Consumer-Decisions
