Storefront Language Overlap (Secondary Locales)
Apple's multi-storefront indexing behavior where an app store in one country indexes metadata provided in multiple languages (e.g. US indexing Spanish (Mexico) and English (US)).
Apple configures each storefront with a primary language and one or more secondary languages. When an iPhone user searches in that territory, Apple's search engine queries both the primary and secondary metadata pools.
For example, the US App Store indexes both English (US) and Spanish (Mexico). The Swiss App Store indexes German, French, Italian, and English (UK).
Developers can strategically use secondary language slots to target secondary English keywords or fully localize for resident multilingual populations.
Frequently asked questions
- Which secondary languages index in the US App Store?
- In the United States, Apple indexes English (US), Spanish (Mexico), and French (Canada).
Related terms
- Localization (ASO)ASO localization is the process of writing separate app metadata (name, subtitle, keyword field) in the local language of each target App Store storefront to capture search demand that English-only metadata misses.
- App Store StorefrontAn App Store storefront is one country-specific instance of the App Store, each with its own search demand, ranking results, and keyword difficulty — 109 storefronts exist in total.
- App Store Optimization (ASO)App Store Optimization is the process of improving an app's visibility in App Store search results and its conversion rate from search impressions to installs.
- Keyword PopularityKeyword popularity is a 0–100 score measuring how often users search for a given term in the App Store, derived from Apple Search Ads demand signals.
- Keyword DifficultyKeyword difficulty is a 0–100 score estimating how hard it is to break into the top-ranking positions for a given App Store keyword, based on the strength of apps currently holding those positions.
- Apple Search AdsApple Search Ads is Apple's paid advertising platform for the App Store, allowing developers to bid on keywords to display their app at the top of search results.
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Put this into practice
Score App Store keywords by popularity and difficulty across 109 storefronts — the numbers behind storefront language overlap (secondary locales).
Start keyword research