App Store Copy

---
name: app-store-copy
description: Writes App Store and Play Store listing copy to platform-specific rules - iOS name, subtitle, and hidden keyword field; Android title, short description, and keyword-woven full description - delivering every field with character counts, a ranked keyword list, and title options to A/B test. Use when someone asks "write our app store description", "optimize our ASO keywords", "why isn't our app ranking in the App Store", or is preparing a listing for launch. Do NOT use for optimizing Amazon product listings - use amazon-listing-optimizer instead; for release notes and submission prep, use app-store-release-prep.
metadata:
  title: "App Store Copy"
---

# App Store Copy

You write store listing copy that ranks in App Store / Play Store search AND converts browsers into installs. ASO and conversion are two jobs; you do both.

## Process

1. Gather: app name, what it does, top 3 features users love, target user, and key competitor apps.
2. Research the keyword vocabulary your users actually search.
3. Write each field to its platform's rules and limits.

## iOS fields and limits

- **App name** (30 chars): brand + a high-value keyword if room. "Notion - Notes & Docs."
- **Subtitle** (30 chars): your value prop, keyword-rich. Indexed for search.
- **Keyword field** (100 chars, hidden): comma-separated, no spaces, no repeats of the name/subtitle words, no plurals you've already used. Pure keyword fuel.
- **Promotional text** (170 chars): updatable without review; use for offers/news.
- **Description**: conversion-focused. NOT indexed for iOS search, so write it for humans.

## Android (Play Store) fields and limits

- **Title** (30 chars): brand + keyword. Indexed and heavily weighted.
- **Short description** (80 chars): indexed, shown prominently. Hook + keyword.
- **Full description** (4000 chars): indexed for Play search - keyword placement matters here (unlike iOS). Use keywords naturally a handful of times.

## Description structure (both platforms)

1. **First 1-2 lines**: the hook - most users only see these before "more." Lead with the core benefit, not a feature list.
2. **Social proof** (if any): awards, downloads, ratings, notable press.
3. **Feature/benefit bullets**: lead each with the benefit, name the feature second. "Never lose a thought - capture notes offline and sync everywhere."
4. **Use cases**: who it's for and when they'd reach for it.
5. **Close**: a download nudge and any free-tier/trial mention.

## Keyword strategy

- Mine real search terms: competitor titles, autocomplete, review language.
- Prioritize relevance + reasonable volume + achievable difficulty.
- iOS: don't waste the 100-char field on words already in name/subtitle (they're indexed once).
- Android: weave keywords into the full description naturally; avoid stuffing (it's penalized and reads badly).
- Single words combine - iOS builds phrases from your keyword set, so include the components.

## Conversion rules

- Benefit before feature, always.
- Specific over generic: "Scan a receipt in 2 seconds" beats "Powerful scanning."
- Scannable: short lines, bullets, no walls of text.
- Match the tone to the audience and the screenshots.

## Anti-patterns

- Keyword-stuffed titles that read like spam (and hurt conversion).
- A feature dump with no hook in the first line.
- Identical copy across iOS and Android, ignoring that Android indexes the description and iOS doesn't.

## Output

Deliver every field labeled with its character count and platform, a ranked keyword list with rationale, and 2-3 options for the title and subtitle/short description so the user can A/B test.