Optimizing iOS App Name, Subtitle, and Keyword Fields
App Store Connect has three text fields that directly affect search visibility: the app name, the subtitle, and the keyword field. All three have tight character limits, and where you spend those characters materially changes how far your search reach extends. The most common mistake is repeating the same word across all three fields — once you understand what role each field plays in the search algorithm, it's obvious why that's a waste.
App Name (30 Characters) — Brand Plus One Core Keyword
The app name allows up to 30 characters and carries the heaviest search weight of the three fields. Structuring it as "Brand Name - Core Keyword" instead of just a bare brand name lets you capture both search visibility and brand recognition at once. Cram in too many keywords, though, and your name gets truncated in the store listing and under your icon — limit yourself to one or two keywords appended to the brand name.
Subtitle (30 Characters) — The Second Value Prop Your Name Didn't Have Room For
The subtitle also caps at 30 characters, appears directly below the app name, and factors into search as well. It's typically where you place the core keyword or second value proposition that didn't fit in the name. If your name covers the app's genre, for instance, the subtitle is a natural place to cover a key feature or differentiator.
Keyword Field (100 Characters) — Save Space with Commas
The keyword field is invisible to users and exists purely for search indexing, with a total limit of 100 characters. It's comma-separated, and skipping the space after each comma is the simplest way to save characters. "puzzle, game" with a space after the comma burns that space against your 100-character limit; "puzzle,game" without the space fits one more word into the same budget.
Duplicate Keywords Are Pure Waste
Apple's search algorithm indexes the app name, subtitle, and keyword field together. That means a word you've already used in the name adds nothing when repeated in the keyword field — it just eats into your limited 100 characters for no gain. Before filling out all three fields, it helps to lay out in a table exactly which word lives where, so you can spot duplicates before you submit.
| Field | Limit | Visible to Users | Rule of Thumb |
|---|---|---|---|
| App Name | 30 chars | Yes | Brand + 1 core keyword |
| Subtitle | 30 chars | Yes | Second value prop / differentiator |
| Keywords | 100 chars | No | Words not already in name/subtitle, comma-separated |
Singular or Plural — Pick One
Apple's search handles singular and plural forms of a word reasonably well on its own, so you don't need to include both "game" and "games" separately. Spend that saved space on a genuinely new search term instead. In the end, optimizing these three fields has less to do with clever copywriting and more to do with dividing a tight amount of space without overlap.