The two stores index listing text in almost opposite ways, and writing for the wrong one is why so much carefully written store copy does nothing. Here is what each field is actually worth, and how to write it.
What each store indexes
| Field | App Store | Google Play |
|---|---|---|
| App name / title | Indexed — heaviest weight | Indexed — heaviest weight |
| Subtitle (Apple) / short description (Play) | Indexed | Indexed |
| Keyword field | Indexed, 100 bytes, invisible to users | Does not exist |
| Full description | Not indexed | Indexed |
| In-app purchase names | Indexed | Not indexed |
| Developer name | Indexed | Indexed |
The title: 30 characters doing most of the work
Your app name carries more ranking weight than anything else, and it is also the first thing a shopper reads. The convention that works is your brand, a separator, and the job the app does in real words:
- Weak: “Lumen” — brand only, ranks for nothing.
- Weak: “Lumen — Best Free Habit App 2026” — superlatives and a year, both rejected.
- Strong: “Lumen: Habit & Mood Tracker” — brand plus the two terms people search.
Keep the brand first so it survives truncation on the home screen and in search results, and do not stuff: Apple rejects names that read as a keyword list rather than a name.
The subtitle and short description
Apple gives you 30 characters of subtitle; Play gives you 80 of short description. Both are indexed, both appear in search results, and neither should repeat a word already in your title — the stores combine the fields, so a repeat is a wasted character. Use the space for the second-best set of terms, or for the outcome your app delivers.
The keyword field (Apple only)
One hundred characters, never shown to a user, and full of small rules that cost you space if you do not know them:
- Comma-separated, no spaces after the commas — a space is a wasted character.
- Do not repeat anything in your app name, subtitle or category.
- Singular only. Apple matches plurals for you.
- No competitor names, and no trademarks you do not own.
- Single words beat phrases. Apple builds combinations across your terms itself, so “habit,mood,tracker” also covers “habit tracker” and “mood tracker”.
The description: three lines that matter
Whatever the store does with it for search, the description has one job with a human: the first three lines, before the “more” link. Most shoppers read those and nothing else. Structure that survives contact with a real reader:
- Line 1–3: what the app does and who it is for, in plain words. No mission statement, no “Welcome to…”.
- Then a short feature list, one line each, benefit first.
- Then the details — platforms, sync, pricing model, what is free.
- Then support and legal links, which reviewers like to see.
For Play, weave your target terms through that prose naturally — Play reads the whole thing. For the App Store, ignore keywords here entirely and write purely for the reader.
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Worth saying plainly: on both stores, the first two or three screenshots do more for conversion than any sentence you write, because they are visible in search results before anyone opens the listing. If you have limited time, spend it on the screenshots first and the description second.
Change it and watch
Apple’s promotional text field — 170 characters above the description — can be edited without submitting a new build, which makes it the one place to test messaging quickly. Then change one thing at a time and give it a fortnight; store search moves slowly, and changing the title, subtitle and keywords together tells you nothing about which one worked.
Once the English listing performs, the highest-return work left is usually translating it.