How to Optimize App Store Character Limits (30/30/100)
Maximizing the 160 characters Apple actually indexes for organic keyword ranking
The 160-Character Real Estate
Apple strictly indexes three metadata fields: the 30-character App Title, the 30-character Subtitle, and the 100-character Keyword field. Totaling 160 characters.
Long descriptions (4,000 characters) and promotional text (170 characters) are completely ignored by Apple's search algorithm for keyword indexing.
Every repeated character across these fields represents a lost opportunity to rank for an additional keyword combination.
Character Optimization Checklist
Fill titles and subtitles to 28–30 characters without sacrificing human readability or brand clarity.
Use single commas with no spaces in the keyword field: 'run,jog,pace,marathon' rather than 'run, jog, pace, marathon'. Spaces after commas waste up to 15 characters.
Remove stop words (a, an, the, and, of, for, with) from the keyword field; Apple's search engine automatically handles conjunctions and prepositions.
How ASOGrade solves this
- Paste your planned Title, Subtitle, and Keywords into ASOGrade.
- Check character counts against Apple's strict limits and identify accidental duplicate words.
- Score your combined keyword set across 109 storefronts to ensure high demand.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Apple index the App Store description for search?
- No. Unlike Google Play, Apple does not index the 4,000-character app description for organic App Store search rankings.
- Do spaces after commas count in the keyword field?
- Yes. In the 100-character keyword field, spaces consume 1 character each. Always format keywords strictly as 'word1,word2,word3' with no spaces.
Other ASO solutions
- How to Find High-Value App Store Keyword Ideas | ASOGradeTurning raw ideas, competitor terms, and review language into a scored candidate listLearn more
- Finding Winnable App Store KeywordsTargeting high demand with low difficulty — the only quadrant worth your charactersLearn more
- How to Uncover What Keywords Competitors Rank For | ASOGradeReverse-engineer any App Store URL and extract scored keyword sets in secondsLearn more
- International ASO Across 109 StorefrontsEvaluate keyword demand and difficulty per country before paying for translationsLearn more
- Fast App Store Keyword Research in Seconds, Not Hours | ASOGradeScore 100 keywords in a single batch with instant cached resultsLearn more
- Affordable App Store Keyword ResearchThe research pass on its own — no bloated dashboards, no $300/mo agency feesLearn more
- Recover from App Store Keyword Ranking Drops | ASOGradeStep-by-step diagnostic to identify why your ranks fell and how to regain positionLearn more
- Stop Words to Remove from App Store Keywords | ASOGradeStop wasting characters on words Apple already filters out automaticallyLearn more
- Singular vs Plural App Store Keywords | ASOGradeWhen does Apple stem keywords and when do you need both variants?Learn more
- The Zero-Repeat Keyword Strategy | ASOGradeWhy repeating words across your Title, Subtitle, and Keyword field harms your rankLearn more
- Rank in the Japan App Store (ASO Guide) | ASOGradeLeveraging Kanji, Katakana, and secondary English indexing in the world's #3 mobile marketLearn more
- Double US App Store Keywords via Mexican Spanish | ASOGradeTake advantage of Apple's cross-indexing rules to gain 160 bonus characters in the USLearn more
Ready to solve this for your app?
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