aso

Apple:  apps.apple.com/{country}/app/{name}/id{digits}
Google: play.google.com/store/apps/details?id={package}

If the user gives an app name instead of a URL, search the web for: site:apps.apple.com "{app name}" or site:play.google.com "{app name}"

Use WebFetch to retrieve the listing page. Extract every available field:

Apple App Store fields:

• App name (title) — 30 char limit
• Subtitle — 30 char limit
• Description (long) — not indexed for search, but matters for conversion
• Promotional text — 170 chars, updatable without new release
• Category (primary + secondary)
• Screenshots (count, order, caption text)
• Preview video (presence, duration)
• Rating (average + count)
• Recent reviews (visible ones)
• Price / in-app purchases
• Developer name
• Last updated date
• Version history notes
• Age rating
• Size
• Languages / localizations listed
• In-app events (if any visible)

Google Play fields:

• App name (title) — 30 char limit
• Short description — 80 char limit
• Full description — 4,000 char limit, IS indexed for search
• Category + tags
• Feature graphic (presence)
• Screenshots (count, order)
• Preview video (presence)
• Rating (average + count)
• Recent reviews (visible ones)
• Price / in-app purchases
• Developer name
• Last updated date
• What's new text
• Downloads range
• Content rating
• Data safety section
• Languages listed

If WebFetch returns incomplete data (stores render client-side), note gaps and work with what's available. Ask the user to paste missing fields if critical.

WebFetch cannot extract screenshot images or caption text. Take a screenshot of the listing page to get visual data:

1. Navigate to the listing URL and capture a full-page screenshot
2. Assess the screenshot for: icon quality, screenshot count, caption text, messaging quality, preview video presence, feature graphic (Google Play)
3. If browser tools are unavailable, ask the user to share a screenshot of the listing page

Promotional text (Apple): This 170-char field appears above the description but is often indistinguishable from it in scraped HTML. If you cannot confirm its presence, note this and recommend the user check App Store Connect.

Dominant apps get adjusted scoring in these areas:

• Title: Brand-only or brand-first titles are valid (score 8+ if brand is the keyword). These apps don't need generic keyword discovery.
• Description: Score purely on conversion quality, not keyword presence. If the app is a household name, a well-crafted brand description beats a keyword-stuffed one.
• Visual Assets: Lifestyle/brand photography instead of UI demos is a legitimate conversion strategy. No video is acceptable if the product is hard to demo in 30s or brand awareness is near-universal.
• What's New: Generic release notes at weekly+ cadence are acceptable (score 8+). At scale, detailed changelogs have minimal ROI and risk backlash.
• In-app events: Missing events for utility apps with massive install bases (Uber, WhatsApp) is not a penalty. These apps don't need discovery help.
• Localization: Score relative to actual market, not absolute count. A US-only fintech with 2 languages (English + Spanish) is appropriately localized.

Established apps get partial adjustment:

• Brand-first titles are fine but should still include 1-2 keywords
• Strategic description choices get benefit of the doubt
• Other dimensions scored normally

Challenger apps are scored strictly against textbook ASO best practices — every character, screenshot, and keyword matters.

Key principle: Before docking points, ask: "Is this a mistake or a deliberate choice by a team that has data I don't?" If the app has 1M+ ratings and a dedicated ASO team, assume their choices are data-informed unless clearly wrong.

Final score = weighted sum, out of 100.

• Every recommendation must be specific and actionable ("Change subtitle from X to Y" not "Improve subtitle")
• Include character counts for all text recommendations
• Flag platform-specific differences (Apple vs Google) when relevant
• Note what CANNOT be assessed without paid tools (search volume, exact rankings)
• When suggesting keyword changes, explain WHY each keyword matters

• Title (30 chars) + Subtitle (30 chars) + Keyword field (100 bytes, hidden) = indexed text
• Keywords field is bytes not chars — Arabic/CJK use 2-3 bytes per char
• Long description is NOT indexed for search — optimize for conversion only
• Promotional text (170 chars) does NOT affect search (Apple confirmed)
• Never repeat words across title/subtitle/keyword field (Apple indexes each word once)
• Keyword field: commas, no spaces ("photo,editor,filter" not "photo, editor, filter")
• Screenshots: up to 10 per device. First 3 visible in search — 90% never scroll past 3rd
• Screenshot captions indexed since June 2025 (AI extraction)
• In-app events: max 10 published at once, max 31 days each. Indexed and appear in search
• Custom Product Pages (up to 70) in organic search since July 2025. +5.9% avg conversion lift
• App preview video: up to 3, 15-30s each. Autoplays muted — +20-40% conversion lift
• SKStoreReviewController: max 3 prompts per 365 days
• Apple has human editorial curation — quality and design matter more
• See references/apple-specs.md for full specs, dimensions, and rejection triggers

• Title (30 chars) + Short description (80 chars) + Full description (4,000 chars) = indexed text
• Full description IS indexed — target 2-3% keyword density naturally
• No hidden keyword field — all keywords must be in visible text
• Google NLP/semantic understanding — keyword stuffing detected and penalized
• Prohibited in title: emojis, ALL CAPS, "best"/"#1"/"free", CTAs (enforced since 2021)
• Screenshots: min 2, max 8 per device (not 10 like Apple)
• Feature graphic (1024x500, exact) required for featured placements
• Video does NOT autoplay — only ~6% of users tap play (low ROI vs iOS)
• Android Vitals directly affect ranking: crash >1.09% or ANR >0.47% = reduced visibility
• Promotional Content: submit 14 days early for featuring. Apps see 2x explore acquisitions
• Custom Store Listings: up to 50 (can target churned users, specific countries, ad campaigns)
• Store Listing Experiments: test up to 3 variants, run 7+ days, 1 experiment at a time
• See references/google-play-specs.md for full specs and policy details