Promotional text is a line of up to 170 characters above the description on your App Store product page. You can change it at any time without a new version, but it has no effect on search ranking.
What promotional text is
Promotional text sits above the description, at the top of the text part of the page. People on iOS 11 or later see it. Apple suggests using it for the latest news about your app, such as limited-time sales or upcoming features.
What sets it apart from the description is timing. The description only changes with a new version, while promotional text can be rewritten any day with no new version to review. The trade-off is search. As of October 16, 2026, Apple says plainly that promotional text doesn't affect your search ranking.
Where promotional text lives in App Store Connect
App Store Connect › Apps › your app › Distribution › the version under iOS App › Promotional Text. It sits above Description. Pick the language from the menu at the top right, each language has its own text.
The field is optional, and App Store Connect Help doesn't mark it as required the way it does the description and keywords. Every separate page for ads and email campaigns (custom product page) has its own promotional text too, and since October 29, 2025 an app can have up to 70 of them.
Apple's limits and numbers
| What | Value |
|---|---|
| Length | up to 170 characters per language |
| Where it shows | above the description, on iOS 11 or later |
| When you can change it | any time, no new version needed |
| Effect on search | none |
| When changes show up | up to 24 hours after saving |
| Separate versions | on each page for ads and email campaigns, up to 70 of them |
Per App Store Connect Help (version information, editing app information, custom product pages) and Apple's Creating your product page and App Store search, checked October 16, 2026.
How to use it, step by step
- Decide what matters right now. A news item, a seasonal collection, an in-app event or an award all work, and Apple suggests putting awards here or at the end of the description.
- Write one or two sentences under 170 characters, the key point first.
- Skip the exact price. Prices differ by country, and one language's text shows in many countries.
- Translate it for every language on the page.
- Save the field. App Store Connect Help warns that changes can take up to 24 hours to show.
- When the sale ends, replace the text. A past date above the description makes the app look abandoned.
Common mistakes
- A comma-separated keyword list. It does nothing for search, and visitors see a jumble of words instead of news. Search runs on keywords and the subtitle.
- Copying the description's first sentence. The same line twice in a row wastes the most visible spot on the page.
- A forgotten sale. “Sale ends September 1” still up in October tells people nobody looks after the app.
- Leaving it empty. It's optional, but it's the only text you can update without reviewing a new version. Without it, news waits for the next release.
Promotional text next to the other fields
| Field | Limit | Changes | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
| Promotional text | 170 | any time | no effect |
| Description | 4,000 | with a new version | not among Apple's search fields |
| Subtitle | 30 | with a new version | counted |
| Keywords | 100 | with the version | counted |
As of October 2026 that gives a simple rule. Anything meant to work for search goes into the name, subtitle and keywords, and anything that will be out of date in a month goes into promotional text.
Appto writes the page texts in every language and scores the page out of 100, and after launch it tracks search rankings and points to the field worth changing. More on the ASO in Appto page.
Questions
What is the App Store promotional text character limit?
Up to 170 characters per language, per App Store Connect Help as of October 16, 2026.
Can I change promotional text without a new version?
Yes. Apple says you can update it at any time without submitting a new version. Changes can take up to 24 hours to show.
What's the difference between promotional text and the description?
The description holds up to 4,000 characters and changes with a new version. Promotional text holds 170, sits above it and changes whenever you like.
Does promotional text affect search?
No. Apple says promotional text doesn't affect search ranking, so keywords in it don't help.
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.
Download for Mac