Apple gives every app 170 characters of promotional text at the top of its product page description. In 2026, Apple says you can change them "at any time without having to submit a new version of your app," and that they don't affect search ranking (Apple Developer, Creating your product page, 2026).
Promo text is easy to set once and forget. Every new version copies it forward, and so does every new language. A launch tagline can quietly become a second subtitle. For every App Store field's limit and index status, see our limits guide.
Key Takeaways
- 170 characters above the description, on the product page only (App Store Connect Help, 2026).
- It doesn't rank. Spend it on conversion.
- No submission on the default page. New versions and new languages inherit the old text.
- Rotate offers, events and launches over an evergreen default. Google Play has no equivalent.
Where does promotional text appear, and what changed in iOS 27?
We found no Apple documentation of any change to promotional text in iOS 27. The new element is the product page header at the top, shown only on iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 and later (Apple Developer, Asset best practices, 2026). Apple switched those assets on October 5, 2026 (Apple Developer News, 2026); see how the Asset Library works.
The field itself dates from 2017 (Apple Developer News, 2017). App Store Connect Help says it appears "above your description on the App Store for customers with devices running iOS 11 or later" and "can't be longer than 170 characters" (App Store Connect Help, 2026). For the part that did change, read our playbook on iOS 27 product page headers.
Search results show your rating and "up to three screenshots or app previews," not promo text (Apple Developer, App Store search, 2026), and Apple Ads doesn't document showing it inside ads either. An ad tap lands on a custom product page, whose promo text is what people read (Apple Ads Help, 2026).
Placement depends on who's looking. Apple's web App Store serves two section orders: new visitors reach the description right after the screenshots, while people who have the app see In-App Events and What's New first.
Where promotional text sits on the product page
The block starts collapsed; Apple's web code sets isCollapsed to true. Apple calls the description's first sentence "what users can read without having to tap to read more." Promo text sits above it, so it takes that slot (our inference). Lead with the message, and count your 170 characters first.
Apple's web App Store shows promo text, a blank line, then the description. The public Lookup API (itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=APP_ID&country=us) returns only the description, so whatever precedes it on apps.apple.com is the live promo text.
On September 28, 2026, Kalshi's US page opened with "America's #1 Prediction Market. Trade football, crypto, weather & more." (71 characters). Apple can change its web code, and apps.apple.com rate-limits fast, so check a few competitors, not a chart.
Last verified against Apple's pages: September 28, 2026.
Is App Store promotional text indexed for search?
No. In 2026, Apple says on two pages that promotional text "doesn't affect your app's search ranking so it should not be used to display keywords" (Apple Developer, App Store search; Creating your product page). Text relevance comes from "your app's title, subtitle, keywords, and primary category." Keywords belong there.
A field you can rewrite daily without review would be easy to game (our inference). Apple's app tags draw on "the metadata you've provided," but Apple hasn't named promo text as an input. Our explainer shows how Apple's AI tags are generated.
Since October 29, 2025, custom product pages "with keywords assigned to them can appear in search results for those selected keywords" (Apple Developer News, 2025). Each custom product page has its own promo text. Once you start assigning keywords to custom product pages, a "shared budget" searcher can land on copy written for that query.
What changes promotional text, and what still needs review?
On your default product page, promo text changes "without requiring an updated submission" (App Store Connect Help, 2026). Custom product pages differ: their metadata "must be submitted for review, which you can do independent of an app update" (Apple Developer, Custom product pages, 2026).
| Action | What happens to promo text | Review | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edit on the default page | Updates in place | No submission | ASC Help |
| Create a new version | Copied forward from the current version | Ships with the version | ASC Help |
| Add a language | Starts as the primary language's text | Ships with the version | ASC Help |
| Edit a custom product page | Per page and localization, via Create New Version | Page review | ASC Help |
| App Store Connect API | PATCH /v1/appStoreVersionLocalizations/{id} (API 1.2+); pages via PATCH /v1/appCustomProductPageLocalizations/{id} (1.7+) | Same as the UI | API docs |
Why does promo text go stale? Rows two and three. "The metadata from the current version is automatically transferred to the new version," so a launch line survives every release.
We found no "publish at" scheduler in Apple's help, so script the API call for a midnight switch. Apple doesn't document go-live time. Guideline 2.3.1(a) still makes "promoting a false price, whether within or outside of the App Store" grounds for removal (App Review Guidelines, revised June 8, 2026). Regulated apps should also read what regulated apps can't put in promo text.
How do you localize promotional text?
Per localization, not per storefront. The App Store Connect API stores promotionalText on each version localization, next to its locale (Apple, App Store Connect API, 2026). Since March 31, 2026, App Store Connect supports 50 localizations (Apple Developer News, 2026).
Adding a language copies your primary text. New-language properties "default to those of the primary language, except for the description and keywords" (App Store Connect Help, 2026). A new German localization therefore launches with your English line. Audit it the day you add it.
Can one line reach other countries? Yes. In Apple's localizations table, which we parsed on September 28, 2026, English (U.K.) is listed in 172 of 175 storefronts. It's the default in 135, including India. English (U.S.) is listed in only two: the US and Japan. Our map shows which localizations each storefront reads.
Keep currency amounts and single-market holidays out of any localization that more than one storefront reads. A "£" price in English (U.K.) can reach Lagos and Singapore. And since it's reading copy, translate with a native post-edit.
What should go in promotional text? Four rotation playbooks
Apple suggests "the latest news about your app, such as limited-time sales or upcoming features," and says an accolade can go "as part of your promotional text" (Apple Developer, Creating your product page, 2026). So rotate offers, events and launches over a social-proof default. Take each dated line down when it ends.
| Playbook | Illustrative example (characters) | Live window |
|---|---|---|
| Seasonal offer | "Black Friday: 50% off Premium annual until Dec 1. New holiday workout plans are live now." (89) | Offer dates |
| In-App Event | "Live now: the Winter Cup. Race friends in daily heats until Jan 10 and unlock the snow kart." (92) | Event dates (31 days max) |
| Feature launch | "New: shared budgets. Plan a trip or run a household with your partner and see every expense in one place." (105) | Release day plus 4–6 weeks |
| Social proof (default) | "Rated [4.8] by [n] people in the US. "[Short quote]" ([Publication], 2026)." (template) | Between campaigns |
None of these fills all 170 characters, on purpose: only the opening shows before "more," so in our view a complete short message beats a padded one.
| Where can a sale go? | Apple's rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Name, subtitle, screenshots, previews | No: "should not include prices, terms, or descriptions" not specific to the field | Guideline 2.3.7 |
| iOS 27 creative assets | No: "Don't include specific pricing, discounts" | Asset best practices |
| In-App Event metadata | No: "specific pricing will lead to rejection" | In-App Events |
| Promotional text | Yes: Apple suggests "limited-time sales" | Creating your product page |
Together, these rules make promo text the only product-page text where Apple invites a sale (our reading). Write "50% off the annual plan," not "$29.99," and time offers to the 2026 holiday switch dates.
Events run up to 31 days (Apple Developer, In-App Events, 2026), and promo text can echo the hook while one is live; our guide covers In-App Events that earn featuring. Apple's summary rating is set per territory (Apple Developer, 2026), so a "4.8" line must hold wherever it's read. Our rule: change the text at each campaign's start and end, and review it every 90 days.
A year of promotional text: one illustrative rotation
How do you know a promotional text change worked?
You can't A/B test it natively. Product page optimization tests "app icons, screenshots, and app preview videos," with up to three treatments for up to 90 days (Apple Developer, 2026). Promo text isn't on that list, so use a proxy.
- Before and after. Compare Search and Browse conversion for two full weeks either side, with no other listing change, using product page conversion by source type.
- Two custom product pages. Build two that differ only in promo text. Alternate which one is an Apple Ads ad group's custom ad each week. Apple allows "one active custom ad" per ad group (Apple Ads Help, 2026), and page metrics need "at least five first-time downloads" (App Store Connect Help, 2026). Treat the result as directional.
Will it move conversion much? Expect small effects from a collapsed 170-character block.
Does Google Play have promotional text?
No. Play's listing guidance says "your images and text should not indicate the price and promotional information, such as '10% off'" (Play Console Help, 2026). Release notes, up to 500 characters, can't be used "for promotional purposes" (Play Console Help, 2026). Listing changes take "a few hours or up to seven days" to process (Play Console Help, 2026).
Watch the naming. The same guidance calls the 80-character short description the "Promotional description." It "appears in places like search results" and bans "promotional offers (like 'free' or 'discount')" (Play Console Help, 2026). It's closer to Apple's subtitle.
Timed offers go in Promotional content: an 80-character tagline, a 500-character description, and offers worth "10% or more" (Play Console Help, 2026). Approval "can take up to four days," and featuring requests need 14 days' notice. It's open to all games, plus apps that meet Google's eligibility criteria (Play Console Help, 2026). Our Google Play listing guide covers the rest.
| Apple promotional text | Play short description | Play promotional content | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Length | 170 | 80 | Tagline 80, description 500 |
| Offers | Yes | No | Yes, 10% or more |
| Review | None on the default page | Like any listing change | Up to four days |
| Who can use it | Every app | Every app | All games; eligible apps |
Frequently asked questions
What is the character limit for App Store promotional text?
170 characters, shown above the description on devices running iOS 11 or later. It's separate from the 4,000-character description, and each custom product page carries its own, per Apple's 2026 documentation. You don't need to fill all 170 characters to use it well.
Does promotional text affect App Store search ranking?
No. Apple says promotional text "doesn't affect your app's search ranking so it should not be used to display keywords." Text relevance comes from your app's title, subtitle, keywords and primary category, per Apple's 2026 App Store search page. Use the 170 characters for conversion copy.
Do you need App Review to change promotional text?
Not on your default product page. Apple says it changes "without requiring an updated submission." Custom product page metadata, promotional text included, must be submitted for review. The App Review Guidelines still apply, so a false price can still get an app removed.
Can promotional text be different in each country?
It's set per language localization, not per storefront, and each of App Store Connect's 50 localizations can carry its own. Storefronts share localizations. In September 2026, Apple listed English (U.K.) in 172 of 175 storefronts, so keep currency amounts and single-market holidays out of shared ones.
Does Google Play have promotional text?
No. Google Play's listing text can't carry price or promotion wording, and release notes can't be used for promotion. Timed offers, events and major updates go in Promotional content, which can take up to four days to approve and is open to all games and eligible apps.
The bottom line
- Where: 170 characters above the description, iOS 11 or later. Not in search, not ranked.
- Changes: no submission on the default page. New versions and languages inherit it.
- Rotate: offers, events and launches over a social-proof default. On Google Play, use Promotional content.
Check your live promo text in every localization today. Then book a free 30-minute call. We'll review it as part of our conversion rate optimization work, usually starting with the fixed-price ASO audit.
