# App Store metadata checker

By Mika Heinonen (Indie iOS developer and maker of Fledly). Published 2026-10-28, updated 2026-10-28.
Canonical: https://fledly.app/tools/app-store-metadata-checker/

> Check your whole App Store listing before you submit: app name and subtitle (30 characters), keyword field (100 bytes), promotional text (170), description (4,000) and In-App Events. See what Apple indexes for search, every wasted word, and how your name looks in iPhone search results.

*Interactive tool: open https://fledly.app/tools/app-store-metadata-checker/ in a browser to use it.*

## How to use the checker

1. Choose one localization in App Store Connect, for example English (U.S.).
2. Paste its **app name**, **subtitle** and **keyword field**. Add the **promotional text** and **description** if you want those checked too.
3. If you run an In-App Event, open *In-App Event texts* and paste the event name and descriptions.
4. Fix everything marked × first. Those either break Apple's limits or waste search space. Marks with ! are advice.

Everything runs in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere. Your last entry is kept in your browser's local storage, so it's still there when you come back.

## Which App Store fields count for search

Only some of your texts are part of Apple's search index. The rest still matter, because people read them before they tap *Get*.

| Field | Limit | Indexed for App Store search | Change without a new app version |
|:--|--:|:--|:--|
| App name | 30 characters | Yes, the strongest field | No |
| Subtitle | 30 characters | Yes | No |
| Keyword field | 100 bytes | Yes, but never shown to users | No |
| Promotional text | 170 characters | No | Yes, any time |
| Description | 4,000 characters | No | No |
| In-App Event name | 30 characters | Yes, while the event is shown | Per event |
| In-App Event short description | 50 characters | Not documented by Apple | Per event |
| In-App Event long description | 120 characters | Not documented by Apple | Per event |

Your developer name and your app's category are searchable too, so their words don't belong in the keyword field.

The App Store combines words across the indexed fields. If your name contains *gym* and your keyword field contains *log*, you can rank for "gym log" without writing that phrase anywhere. That's why repeating a word in two fields wastes space: Apple only needs it once. Our [guide to the App Store keyword field](/blog/app-store-keyword-field/) explains this in detail.

## What the checker looks for

| Check | Why it matters |
|:--|:--|
| Length of every field | App Store Connect won't save text over the limit. The keyword field is measured in bytes, so accented letters and non-Latin scripts take 2–3 bytes each. |
| Words in the keyword field that are already in the name or subtitle | They are indexed once already, so repeating them only uses up bytes. |
| Repeated words and singular/plural pairs | Each word counts once. Apple treats plurals as matches, so keep one form. |
| App name and category words in the keyword field | Your name and category are indexed automatically. |
| Spaces after commas and empty entries | Apple's format is words separated by commas with no spaces. |
| Pricing words and Apple trademarks in the name or subtitle | Apple's [App Review Guideline 2.3.7](https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#accurate-metadata) asks you not to pack metadata with pricing information or trademarked terms. |
| Event name without any of your keywords | The event name is indexed, so it's a free chance to show up for one more search. |
| How your name and subtitle fit an iPhone search result | Text that doesn't fit is cut off with "…". It is still indexed, but nobody reads it. |

The checks are the same ones Fledly's AI assistant tools use. If you write your App Store texts with Claude or ChatGPT, [connect Fledly](/docs/mcp/) and ask it to run `check_metadata` on every draft.

Once your texts pass, the next question is which words to put in them. The [keyword field builder](/tools/keyword-field-builder/) packs the searches you want into 100 bytes, and the [keyword field checker](/tools/keyword-field-checker/) cleans up a field you already have.

## Frequently asked questions

### How many characters can an App Store app name have?

30 characters, and the same for the subtitle. The keyword field takes 100 bytes, promotional text 170 characters and the description 4,000 characters. App Store Connect counts emoji and accented letters as characters too.

### Does the App Store description affect search ranking?

Not on the App Store. Apple builds its search index from the app name, subtitle, keyword field, developer name, category and In-App Events, not from the description or promotional text. The description still decides whether people download, and Google can show it in web search results.

### Can I change my App Store keywords without an update?

No. The app name, subtitle and keyword field can only be changed when you submit a new app version. Promotional text is the exception: you can change it at any time, but it isn't indexed for search.

### Why does the checker flag the word "free" in my app name?

Apple's App Review Guidelines ask developers to keep pricing information out of app metadata, and reviewers often ask apps with "free" in the name to remove it. "Free" is also a word Apple matches without you listing it.

### Is my App Store metadata stored or sent anywhere?

No. The checker runs entirely in your browser and works offline once the page has loaded. Your last entry is saved only in your own browser's local storage.