App Store promotional text: limit, ranking, and changing it without a new version

Updated 14 November 2026

The facts, from Apple

• Up to 170 characters
• Appears at the top of the description
• You can update it at any time without having to submit a new version of your app
• Apple: promotional text "doesn't affect your app's search ranking so it should not be used to display keywords"

Compare that with the description. Apple says you can update the description when you submit a new version. For more frequent news, Apple suggests promotional text instead

What to use it for

It is the one piece of your listing you can change without waiting on a release. So use it for things that change:

• A sale, a free-trial offer or a new price
• A seasonal push (a holiday, a sports season, back to school)
• The feature you just shipped, or the one you want people to try first
• A one-line reason to download, written for the person who is still deciding

What not to use it for

Keywords. It will not help you rank. Put searches in the name and subtitle and the keyword field, where Apple reads them. The same goes for the description: in our scan it does not move your App Store position

How to write 170 characters

1. Lead with the benefit or the offer. The first line is what people see before they tap "more"
2. One idea. Two ideas get none read
3. Name the real feature, in words people use
4. Update it when something changes, not on a schedule

Example of the shape: New: lock screen widget. Free for 7 days, then pick monthly or yearly. That is 77 characters

Does a change need review?

Apple's pages say no new version is needed. We did not find a statement on Apple's pages about whether an edit is reviewed, so check the status in App Store Connect before relying on it. All limits for all fields: App Store character limits

Lazy ASO writes and uploads your listing text through your AI assistant, after your yes. Start with the free check