How to write an App Store description people actually read.
The App Store and Google Play both give you 4,000 characters. Only one of them uses it for search, and on both, the first line does most of the work.
An App Store description has two readers: the person deciding in five seconds, and, on Google Play, the search algorithm. Write the first sentence for the person and the rest for both.
App Store description character limit
| Store | Field | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| App Store | Description | 4,000 characters, plain text, line breaks allowed |
| App Store | Promotional text (above it) | 170 characters |
| Google Play | Short description | 80 characters |
| Google Play | Full description | 4,000 characters |
So the Play Store description character limit matches Apple's. Google notes the limits apply to full-width and half-width characters alike.
App Store description best practices
- Make the first sentence the pitch. Apple calls it the most important part, since it shows without tapping to read more.
- Follow Apple's shape: a concise, informative paragraph, then a short list of main features.
- Don't put prices in it. Apple advises against specific prices in the description.
- Put time-sensitive news in promotional text, which you can change without a new version. See promotional text.
- Keep search words in the name, subtitle and keyword field. Those are the text fields Apple lists for search.
Google Play description: write it for search too
On Google Play there is no keyword field, so the title, short description and full description carry your terms. Google's policy warns that repetitive or irrelevant keywords create a poor experience, and bans claims like "#1" or "App of the year", price promotions such as "10% off", unattributed testimonials, emojis and ALL CAPS in metadata. Mention your main phrases naturally, early and once or twice. See keyword density on Google Play and the short description.
An App Store description template
[One sentence: who it is for and the result they get.]
[Two or three sentences: how it works and what makes it different.]
FEATURES
- [Benefit-led feature 1]
- [Benefit-led feature 2]
- [Benefit-led feature 3]
[Trust: attributed awards, press, or user numbers you can prove.]
[Subscription terms, if any, and support contact.]Use your top screenshots and this first line to tell the same story; a mismatch costs installs. Check your listing with the ASO score tool.
Questions people ask
What is the App Store description character limit?
4,000 characters of plain text. HTML isn't supported.
What is the Play Store description character limit?
The full description is 4,000 characters, and the short description is 80.
Does the App Store description affect search ranking?
Apple lists the app name, subtitle, keyword field and primary category as the text fields search matches; the description isn't among them. On Google Play, the full description does carry keywords.
How do I write a good App Store description?
Put the pitch in the first sentence, follow with a short paragraph and a list of key features, avoid prices, and keep time-sensitive news in promotional text.
Want this mapped onto your product?
See how our ASO work runs, or send your store link and a founder will reply personally.
