The App Store description is up to 4,000 characters of plain text on your product page. HTML isn't supported, the first sentence shows without tapping more, and you can only change it with a new version.
What the description is and who reads it
The description sits below the screenshots. App Store Connect Help says it shows on the product page and at install, and once the app is out it also feeds web search engine results.
The first sentence matters most. Apple says it's what people can read without tapping more. So it should say what the app does and who it's for, with no welcome message or origin story.
Where the description lives in App Store Connect
App Store Connect › Apps › your app › Distribution › the version under iOS App › Description. Promotional Text sits above it and Keywords nearby, and from version 2 there's also What's New in This Version. Pick the language from the menu at the top right.
A description is required in every language. A newly added language doesn't inherit the primary one's description, so you write it from scratch.
Apple's limits and rules
| What | Value |
|---|---|
| Description | up to 4,000 characters per language, required |
| Format | plain text with line breaks, HTML not supported |
| Visible right away | the first sentence, the rest after tapping more |
| When you can change it | when you submit a new version |
| What's New | up to 4,000 characters, not on version 1, required after that |
| Promotional text above it | up to 170 characters |
| Leave out | specific prices and extra keywords added for search |
Per App Store Connect Help and Apple's Creating your product page, checked October 16, 2026.
How to write a description, step by step
- Write a first sentence that works on its own. What the app does and who it's for.
- Add a short paragraph on the main job, then features one per line. A • is just a character and works, HTML and Markdown don't.
- If the app sells anything, say which features are paid, as guideline 2.3.2 requires.
- Leave out prices. The page already shows one, and a number in the text can be wrong elsewhere.
- Put awards and press mentions at the end or in the promotional text, as Apple suggests.
- Write it in every language and keep each under 4,000 characters.
The description and What's New
What's New in This Version is a separate field for each release. It isn't there for version 1, it's required from version 2, and the limit is the same 4,000 characters. Apple says this text appears on the product page and in the Updates tab.
Guideline 2.3.12 of the App Store Review Guidelines, as updated June 8, 2026, asks you to describe new features and changes clearly. Bug fixes and speed-ups can get a general line, bigger changes need spelling out.
Common mistakes
- HTML or Markdown. Apple's help says HTML isn't supported. Tags, asterisks and hash marks won't turn into bold text or headings.
- A weak first sentence. “Welcome to our app” takes the only spot people see without tapping.
- A keyword list in the text. Apple asks you not to stuff extra keywords into the description for search. The description isn't one of the fields App Store search uses, that's what keywords are for.
- News that's stale tomorrow. The description only changes with a version. Sales and events go in promotional text, which you can change any time.
The description and App Store tags
At WWDC25 in June 2025 Apple introduced App Store tags, short terms like Sleep that appear with an app in search and on its page. Language models build them from the app's metadata, description and screenshots included, and people review them. As of October 16, 2026 tags show only on the U.S. App Store and are based on English (U.S.) metadata. You can remove unwanted tags in App Information (Apple's help).
So the English description now also shapes an app's tags on the U.S. App Store. Appto writes the description in every language along with the name, subtitle and keywords and scores the page out of 100. More on the ASO in Appto page.
Questions
What is the App Store description character limit?
Up to 4,000 characters per language, per App Store Connect Help as of October 16, 2026. What's New gets the same.
Can I use bold text or bullet points in the description?
No bold, it's plain text without HTML. For a list, use line breaks and a • per item.
What's the difference between promotional text and the description?
The description holds 4,000 characters and changes with a version. Promotional text holds 170, sits above it and changes any time.
Does the description affect App Store search?
Apple lists name, subtitle, keywords and company name as search fields, not the description. It does feed web search results and, per Apple since 2025, App Store tags.
Build your own app in Appto
Appto checks the niche on fresh App Store data, designs the screens, writes the code, builds the App Store page and submits to Apple from your account or shows you what to press in App Store Connect. Runs on your own Claude Code or Codex.
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