How to fill the keyword field, step by step
Follow these steps in order. Each one is something we do on client work.
- List 50 candidate terms. From App Store suggestions, reviews and competitor names and subtitles (to learn, not to copy).
- Remove what's already indexed. Words in your name, subtitle and company name don't need repeating.
- Use singular forms once. Don't add both "photo" and "photos".
- Separate with commas, no spaces. Spaces waste bytes in a 100-byte field.
- Check bytes, not characters. Non-Latin scripts can use more than one byte per character.
- Track and swap. Replace terms that don't bring impressions after a few weeks.
App Store keywords: key rules and context
Rules
- 100 characters, comma-separated (Apple: Search).
- No spaces after commas.
- Don't repeat name/subtitle words.
- No trademarks you don't own (2.3.7).
Prioritising. Rank candidates by relevance and difficulty from your keyword research. Single words combine into phrases ("budget,tracker" covers "budget tracker").
Common waste. App or "free" (low value), both singular and plural, your company name, numbers spelled out twice.
Check it. Paste fields into the ASO title checker. Add more space with localizations.
Common mistakes
- Competitor names. Against 2.3.7.
- Spaces after commas. Wasted bytes.
- Repeating name words. Already indexed.
- Never updating. Search behaviour shifts.
If you want this handled for you, our pricing page lists every fixed package.
Worked example (hypothetical)
This example is illustrative. The app is made up, and so are any numbers in it.
Imagine StudyStack, a flashcard app. Name: "StudyStack: Flashcards"; subtitle: "Memorize faster for exams". The keyword field then shouldn't repeat flashcards, memorize or exams. A first draft could be quiz,vocab,anki,... but "anki" is another app's name and breaks guideline 2.3.7. We'd use quiz,vocabulary,revision,spaced,repetition,test,language,school,college,notes and check the byte count.
App Store text fields and their limits
These are the limits App Store Connect enforces today. Plan your copy against them before you write a word.
| Field | Limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| App name | 2–30 characters | Shown on the product page and in search |
| Subtitle | 30 characters | Appears under the name |
| Keywords | 100 bytes | Comma-separated, each keyword more than two characters; don't repeat app or company name; no other app or company names |
| Promotional text | 170 characters | Above the description; can change without a new submission |
| Description | 4,000 characters | Plain text, no HTML |
| What's New | 4,000 characters | Required for every version after the first |
How we measure the result
Here is how we judge whether App Store keywords work is paying off. Search changes move slowly and the daily numbers are noisy, so we read trends over weeks rather than single days. On Google Play, the store performance and acquisition reports in Play Console show where visitors came from and how many of them installed.
Checklist
Copy this list into your release notes or ticket and tick each item off before you ship.
- 50 candidates collected
- Indexed words removed
- Singulars only
- Commas, no spaces
- ≤ 100 bytes
- Review date set
Sources
- Apple: Search on the App Store (accessed 26 October 2026)
- Apple: App Review Guidelines (accessed 26 October 2026)
- Apple App Store Connect Help: App information (accessed 26 October 2026)
- Apple App Store Connect Help: Platform version information (accessed 26 October 2026)
Questions
Spaces after commas?
No.
Phrases or words?
Mostly single words.
Competitor names?
No.
Is "app" worth including?
Usually not.
Can you write mine?
Yes.
Should I use phrases or single words in the keyword field?
Single words separated by commas usually fit more variety into 100 bytes; Apple can combine them with your name and subtitle.