# App Store keyword field checker

By Mika Heinonen (Indie iOS developer and maker of Fledly). Published 2026-10-27, updated 2026-10-27.
Canonical: https://fledly.app/tools/keyword-field-checker/

> Paste your iOS app name, subtitle and keyword field. The checker counts characters and bytes, finds repeated words, plurals, spaces and wasted words, and gives you a cleaned-up keyword field to copy.

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

## How to use the checker

1. Paste the **app name** and **subtitle** exactly as they are in App Store Connect for one localization.
2. Paste the **keyword field** of the same localization.
3. Optionally add your **developer name**, so words from it are flagged too.
4. Fix what the checker flags, or copy the cleaned field and fill the free characters with new words.

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 there when you come back.

## What the checker looks for

| Check | Why it matters |
|:--|:--|
| Character and byte count | Apple's search page says 100 characters; the App Store Connect reference says 100 bytes. Accented and non-Latin characters take 2–3 bytes each. |
| Words already in the app name or subtitle | Apple: "Don't repeat any words included in your app name, subtitle, or category." They are indexed already. |
| Repeated words | A word counts once, however often it appears. |
| Plural and singular pairs | Apple lists plurals of words you already have as duplicates. Keep one form. |
| Spaces after commas | Apple's format is "terms separated by commas and no spaces". |
| Generic and filler words | Apple advises against generic terms like "app" and filler words like "the". |
| Developer name words | Your developer name is searchable already. |
| Words of two characters or fewer | App Store Connect requires each keyword to be longer than two characters. |

The checker treats words, not phrases: the App Store combines single words across your name, subtitle and keyword field, so `weight lifting` and `weight,lifting` cover the same searches. It can't know which words people actually search for. For that you need search popularity data from Apple Ads, and rank tracking to see which searches you can win. The full background is in our [guide to the App Store keyword field](/blog/app-store-keyword-field/).

## Frequently asked questions

### How long can the App Store keyword field be?

100 characters per localization. Apple's App Store Connect reference says 100 bytes, which is the same for plain English text. Languages with accented or non-Latin characters fit fewer characters into 100 bytes.

### Does the checker work for languages other than English?

Yes. It counts characters and UTF-8 bytes for any language and finds repeated words in any script. The plural check only understands English endings like -s and -ies.

### Is my keyword data stored or sent anywhere?

No. The checker runs entirely in your browser. Your last entry is saved only in your own browser's local storage.

### Should I use every one of the 100 characters?

Yes, with relevant words. Unused characters are free ranking chances. Fill them with distinct words that describe what your app does and that people search for.