Reference library · Glossary
Promotional text: the 170 characters you can change without a new version
The only product page copy you can change today. Most apps leave it empty or waste it on keywords Apple ignores.
Checked against Apple's product page guidance, App Store search guidance and App Store Connect reference, on Sep 30, 2026.
Definition
- Promotional text
- Promotional text is an optional, localizable App Store field of up to 170 characters that appears above your app's description and can be changed at any time without submitting a new version.
Also called: Promo text · App Store promotional text
The short answer
Promotional text sits at the top of your description, holds up to 170 characters, and can be updated whenever you like without a new app version. Apple says it doesn't affect search ranking, so don't spend it on keywords. Use it for timely, persuasive copy — a new feature, a sale, an award, an event — and localize it. Each custom product page can carry its own.
- Limit
- 170 characters
- New version needed
- No
- Edit and save any time
- Affects search ranking
- No
- Apple says so explicitly
- Localizable
- Yes
- Per locale and per custom product page
01What Apple says about it
Your app's promotional text appears at the top of the description and is up to 170 characters long. You can update promotional text at any time without having to submit a new version of your app.
…keep in mind that promotional text doesn't affect your app's search ranking so it should not be used to display keywords.
That second line settles an argument that still runs in ASO forums. Promotional text is conversion copy. It helps a visitor who's already on your product page decide; it does nothing to put your app in front of more people. For that, see what drives impressions.
02How it compares with the other text fields
| Field | Limit | Used for search | Changing it |
|---|---|---|---|
| App name | 30 characters | Yes | With a new version |
| Subtitle | 30 characters | Yes | With a new version |
| Keywords | 100 bytes | Yes | With a new version; custom product page keywords can go live without review |
| Promotional text | 170 characters | No — Apple says it doesn't affect ranking | Any time, no submission |
| Description | 4,000 characters | Apple advises against adding keywords to it | With a new version |
03What to write: five patterns that earn the space
Promotional text works best when it answers the question a visitor has right now: why this app, why today? These examples are written for fictional apps to show the shape; each fits the limit with room to spare.
| Pattern | Example | Chars |
|---|---|---|
| Launch | New in 3.0: scan a meal with your camera and get calories and macros in two seconds. Works offline, and your first week of Pro is on us. | 136 |
| Seasonal offer | Holiday reset: 50% off yearly Pro until January 5. Build the three habits you keep promising yourself, with reminders that adapt to your week. | 142 |
| Proof | Named an App of the Day in 12 countries. Join 400,000 people who plan their day in one visual timeline, synced across iPhone, iPad and Mac. | 139 |
| Feature news | Now with Live Activities: your focus timer on the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island, so you never unlock your phone just to check the clock. | 137 |
| Event | Marathon week: the in-app event starts Monday. Log 5 runs by Sunday to unlock the finisher badge and a free month of coaching plans. | 132 |
04How to update it in App Store Connect
Open the live version
In App Store Connect, go to your app, then the App Store tab, and select the version that's currently on the store.
Edit the field for each locale
Promotional text is on the version page. Switch locales with the language menu; every localization has its own.
Save — no submission needed
The change doesn't go through a new version. Custom product pages have their own promotional text, edited on each page.
Note the date
Log the change and the date, then compare conversion rate by source for the week before and after.
05Common mistakes
- Keyword stuffing. It doesn't help ranking, and it reads badly to the person deciding whether to download.
- Stale offers. A "summer sale" still showing in October tells visitors nobody's minding the app. Put an end date in your calendar when you publish.
- Repeating the subtitle. The subtitle is already visible above it. Say something new.
- Forgetting localizations. If you localize screenshots but not promotional text, non-English visitors see the offer in English or not at all.
- Leaving it empty. Then your description starts at the top, and it's usually the least persuasive paragraph you wrote.
Frequently asked questions
Is promotional text indexed for App Store search?
No. Apple's App Store search guidance says promotional text doesn't affect your app's search ranking and shouldn't be used for keywords.
Do I need App Review to change promotional text?
No. Apple says you can update it at any time without submitting a new version of your app.
How often should I change it?
Whenever something true and timely changes: a release, an offer, an event, an award. Leaving the same text for months isn't wrong, but stale time-bound claims are.
Where does promotional text appear?
Above your description on the product page, for devices running iOS 11 or later. It doesn't show in search result rows, which use your name, subtitle and screenshots.
Where to go next
- App Store impressionsWhat promotional text can't move — and what does.
- ASO for indie iOS appsThe fields that are indexed: title, subtitle and keywords, done properly.
- ASO for habit tracker appsHow a crowded category uses its limited words.
- What an ASO audit actually checksWhere promotional text sits in a full listing review.
Sources
- Creating your product page — Apple Developer
- App Store search — Apple Developer
- Platform version information (promotional text, keywords, description) — Apple Developer
- App information (name and subtitle limits) — Apple Developer
- Product page optimization — Apple Developer
Published Sep 30, 2026 · last checked Sep 30, 2026. Found something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it within a day. Machine-readable version: /glossary/promotional-text.md