App Store in-app events: a practical guide for small app teams.
In-app events give you extra cards in search, on your product page and in recommendations, without paying for them. Most small apps never publish one.
An in-app event is a second search result with your name on it. It is also one of the few Apple surfaces a small team can earn without editorial luck.
Where events appear
- On your product page, which lists your currently published events.
- In search, as event cards with your app, and in direct searches for events.
- In editorial selections and personalized recommendations on the Today, Games and Apps tabs.
- On an event details page, where users can share it, opt in to a start notification or download the app.
The rules
| Limit | Value |
|---|---|
| Published at once | Up to 10 |
| Approved in App Store Connect | Up to 15 |
| Duration | Up to 31 days |
| Promotion before start | Up to 14 days |
| Event name | Up to 30 characters, the actual event name |
| Short description | Up to 50 characters |
| Long description | Up to 120 characters |
| Pricing in metadata | Not allowed; leads to rejection |
Each event takes a badge: Challenge, Competition, Live Event, Major Update, New Season, Premiere or Special Event. Events can be submitted for review without a new app version.
Ideas for non-game apps
- Major Update: a real new feature, described in user terms.
- Challenge: a 30-day savings, fitness or learning challenge with a clear goal.
- Premiere: a new content series or course launch.
- Special Event: a seasonal moment tied to real in-app content, like exam-season practice.
Apple lists repetitive daily tasks, price promotions without new content and general awareness campaigns as poor candidates.
Make it work
- Name the event, not a slogan: "June Leaderboard Climb", as Apple's own example puts it.
- Deep link to the event inside the app with a universal link, and handle new users who need onboarding first.
- Choose the event purpose (new users, active users, lapsed users) honestly; Apple uses it for recommendations.
- Measure downloads, event page views, opens and notification opt-ins in App Analytics.
Google Play's equivalent is promotional content.
Questions people ask
How many App Store in-app events can I publish?
Up to 10 published at a time, with up to 15 approved in App Store Connect.
How long can an in-app event last?
Up to 31 days, and it can be promoted up to 14 days before it starts.
Do in-app events need an app update?
No. Events can be submitted for review independently of a new app version.
Sources
Want this mapped onto your product?
See how our ASO work runs, or send your store link and a founder will reply personally.
