Today Tab Featuring
The Today tab is Apple's editorially curated App Store home surface, distinct from search results and unaffected by keyword metadata or ASO work.
Apps and stories on the Today tab are selected by Apple's editorial team, not surfaced by the search ranking algorithm. No combination of title, subtitle, or keyword field choices earns a Today tab placement — it's a curatorial decision based on design quality, timeliness, and story angle.
Being featured can produce a real, sometimes large, temporary spike in installs, which can then interact with the ranking algorithm's download-velocity signal and produce organic ranking gains that outlast the feature itself. But the feature is the cause; ASO metadata isn't the lever that gets you there.
Developers looking to be featured typically work through Apple's own submission channels (App Store Connect's 'Nominate for Editorial Consideration' or direct developer relations contact) well ahead of a launch, rather than through keyword optimization.
Frequently asked questions
- Can good ASO get my app featured on the Today tab?
- No. Featuring is an editorial decision separate from the search ranking algorithm. Strong metadata and a polished product page help conversion if a featured spike sends users to your listing, but they don't cause the feature.
Related terms
- Editorial FeaturesEditorial features are the app stories, collections, and highlights Apple's own editorial team selects across the App Store, entirely separate from the algorithmic search and browse ranking that ASO work influences.
- Download VelocityDownload velocity is the rate of installs an app receives over a short window, treated by Apple's ranking algorithm as a multiplier alongside metadata relevance, conversion, and retention.
- Search Tab vs. Browse TabThe App Store's Search tab surfaces apps by keyword query, where ASO metadata directly applies; the Today, Games, and Apps browse tabs surface apps through editorial curation and category browsing, where it doesn't.
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Put this into practice
Score App Store keywords by popularity and difficulty across 109 storefronts — the numbers behind today tab featuring.
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