ASO checklist for a new app
October 1, 2026 · 9 min read
App store optimization is mostly a set of fields filled in well, once, and revisited every few months. A new app cannot win on downloads yet, so it has to win on words: being found for the right phrases, and converting the people who find it.
In short
- Pick one main search phrase you can realistically rank for before you write anything.
- On the App Store, search reads the name, the subtitle and the hidden keyword field — not the description.
- On Google Play, search reads the name, the short description and the full description.
- The first two or three screenshots decide most installs.
On this page8 sections
01The checklist
Every item, in the order you would do them. Tick them off as you go: the list is saved in this browser. Each section below explains the why.
Research0/3
App Store0/5
Google Play0/3
Visuals0/4
Ratings0/2
Countries0/1
Ongoing0/3
02Choose your phrases first
List the phrases people type for your app's job, using the stores' own search suggestions. Pick one main phrase you can realistically rank for — specific enough that the leaders are not all household names — and a handful of secondary ones.
- 1
List the phrases for your app's job
From the stores' own search suggestions, in each country you target.
- 2
Look at the top ten for each
Household names updated last week are a wall; neglected apps are a door.
- 3
Pick one main phrase
Specific enough that you could reach the first page.
- 4
Keep three to five secondary phrases
For the subtitle, keyword field and description.
03App Store fields
| Field | Limit | Read by search | How to fill it |
|---|---|---|---|
| App name | 30 characters | Yes | Brand plus main phrase: “Brand: Receipt Scanner” |
| Subtitle | 30 characters | Yes | Secondary phrases, written as a benefit |
| Keyword field | 100 characters, hidden | Yes | Single words, commas, no spaces, no repeats of the name |
| Promotional text | 170 characters | No | What is new; change it without a release |
| Description | 4,000 characters | No | What the app does, in the first sentence |
04Google Play fields
| Field | Limit | Read by search | How to fill it |
|---|---|---|---|
| App name | 30 characters | Yes | Brand plus main phrase |
| Short description | 80 characters | Yes | The main benefit, with a secondary phrase |
| Full description | 4,000 characters | Yes | Phrases used naturally a few times, never as a list |
05Screenshots and icon
Most people decide from the first two or three screenshots without opening the description. Make each one a single benefit with a short caption, in the order of what matters most. The icon should be readable at the size of a fingertip and distinct from the leaders' icons next to it in search.
- screenshots at most on the App Store
- 10
- screenshots at most on the App Store
- per device type on Google Play
- 8
- per device type on Google Play
- the longest App Store preview video
- 30 s
- the longest App Store preview video
06Ratings
Ratings affect both ranking and conversion. Ask for a rating with the stores' own prompt at a moment of success — after a task is finished, not at launch — and never offer anything in return; both stores forbid incentivised ratings.
07Localise
Every storefront has its own fields. Translating the name, subtitle, keywords and screenshots into the languages of your target countries is often the cheapest growth available, because many leaders never do it.
08Update and test
Ship updates regularly: stores and users both favour apps that are maintained. Test your icon and first screenshot with the App Store's product page optimization or Google Play's store listing experiments, and revisit your phrases every few months, because what people search changes.
Questions people ask
- Does the App Store description affect ranking?
- No. On the App Store the name, subtitle and keyword field are what search reads. On Google Play the full description is indexed too.
- How long does ASO take to work?
- Changes to name and keywords can move rankings within days of a release, but a new app usually needs weeks of installs and ratings before it holds a high position.
- Should I put competitors' names in my keywords?
- No. Using other apps' trademarks in metadata is against App Store rules and can get the update rejected.
Finding the right phrase is the hard part. The free keyword suggestions tool shows what both stores suggest, and SideRadar scores how rankable each niche's phrase is from its leaders' strength. How we score