App Store Keyword Field Guide: Maximize All 100 Characters (2026)

The App Store keyword field is 100 characters of pure search ranking power that most developers waste. It is hidden from users — they never see it on your listing — but Apple's search algorithm uses it to determine which searches your app appears in.

Common mistakes: repeating words already in your title (Apple indexes those automatically — you are burning characters for nothing), adding spaces after commas (each space is a character you could spend on a keyword), and using broad single-word keywords where specific two-word phrases would rank more easily and convert better.

This guide explains exactly how the keyword field works, what Apple does and does not index, the optimal formatting strategy to squeeze maximum value from all 100 characters, and three live examples with keyword fields dissected.

What Is the App Store Keyword Field?

The keyword field is a 100-character text field in App Store Connect → App Store → App Information → Keywords. It is only visible to you (the developer) — users never see it on your listing page. Apple uses it as a direct input to its search index.

Unlike the app name and subtitle (which users see), the keyword field is purely for influencing which search queries your app appears for. You enter keywords comma-separated, and Apple adds them to the pool of terms your app can rank for.

The keyword field can be updated without a binary submission — it goes through a metadata-only review. This means you can iterate on your keyword strategy with each app update without waiting for a full review cycle.

How Apple Indexes Keywords (and What It Ignores)

Apple's search algorithm indexes keywords from exactly three sources per app:

• App name — every word in your app name is automatically indexed. An app named "Habit Tracker – Daily Goals" is automatically searchable for "habit," "tracker," "daily," and "goals." You do not need to repeat these words in your keyword field.
• Subtitle — every word in your subtitle is automatically indexed, same as the app name.
• Keyword field — the 100 characters you provide in App Store Connect.

What Apple's search algorithm does NOT index for ranking:

• The long description (not indexed for search at all — it is purely for conversion)
• Developer name (not indexed directly)
• In-app purchase names
• User reviews
• Keywords used in screenshots

Apple also combines terms across sources to create phrase matches. An app with "habit" in the name and "tracker" in the keyword field is indexed for the phrase "habit tracker" — Apple constructs multi-word phrases by combining terms across the three indexed fields. This is why it is even more important not to repeat words between fields: the combination is already indexed.

Apple's Exact Rules for the Keyword Field

These are Apple's stated rules. Violating them can result in keyword field rejection during metadata review:

• No competitor app names. You cannot include the names of other apps — even indirectly. "Todoist alternative" as a keyword phrase is prohibited. This is one of the most commonly attempted black-hat tactics and one of the most consistently enforced rules.
• No trademarked terms you do not own. Brand names, character names, and registered trademarks of other companies are prohibited. Using a major brand name as a keyword is both a guideline violation and a trademark infringement risk.
• No irrelevant keywords. Keywords must be related to your app's actual functionality. An app with no photo features listing "camera" and "photo" as keywords will be rejected or have those terms removed.
• No words already in your app name or subtitle. Not a hard rejection, but a complete waste of characters. Apple already indexes those words — repeating them in the keyword field accomplishes nothing.
• No words like "free" or "best." Apple removes common quality/promotional terms ("free," "best," "top," "number one") from keyword indexing. Including them wastes characters.
• No punctuation other than commas as separators. Do not use · or | or ; to separate keywords. Only commas. Other punctuation may be included in a keyword if part of the term itself, but rarely matters.

The Optimal Keyword Field Strategy in 2026

Rule 1: Commas, no spaces. Format: keyword1,keyword2,keyword3 not keyword1, keyword2, keyword3. Each space after a comma is one character wasted. Over 10 keywords, that's up to 10 characters of wasted budget.

Rule 2: Use the shortest form of each keyword. If "budgeting" is a keyword you want, enter "budget" — Apple automatically searches for both singular and plural forms, and adding "-ing" just costs extra characters. Similarly, "track" covers "tracker," "tracking," "tracked."

Rule 3: Target mid-tail keywords, not single words. Single-word keywords ("finance," "health," "productivity") are overwhelmingly competitive. A new or small app will not rank page one for "finance." Two-word phrase combinations ("expense,tracker" — Apple combines these into "expense tracker") are lower competition and higher conversion intent. Include only the unique words — Apple's cross-field combination does the phrase construction.

Rule 4: Prioritize high-intent variations, not search volume. A keyword searched 100 times per month where you can reach page one is more valuable than a keyword searched 10,000 times per month where you rank page five. Smaller, more specific keywords convert better even when they have less raw volume.

Rule 5: Rotate and test. The keyword field can be updated with metadata-only submissions. Run a set of keywords for 4–6 weeks, observe which searches are actually driving installs (App Store Connect → Analytics → Acquisition → Peer Group Benchmarks), then replace the lowest-performing keywords with new candidates.

Dividing Keyword Responsibility: Title, Subtitle, Keywords Field

Think of your three indexed fields as three separate budgets. Each word spent in one field does not need to appear in another.

A practical framework: put your most important search query (the one most likely to drive installs) in the app name, adjacent to your brand name. Put the second most important search phrase — one that directly describes your app's unique approach or user benefit — in the subtitle. Use the keyword field for everything else: synonyms, use-case variations, related terms, and longer-tail phrases that are too wordy for the title/subtitle but still have search intent.

Live Examples: 3 App Categories with Optimized Keyword Fields

Using the Free Character Counter to Build Your Keyword Field

WhixFrame's free App Store character counter shows your keyword field character count in real time with a visual indicator that turns red when you are over the 100-character limit — no account required.

1. Go to whixframe.com/tools/character-counter.
2. Draft your keyword list in the keyword field section. The counter shows remaining characters.
3. Use commas without spaces as separators. The tool counts all characters including punctuation.
4. Also fill in your app name and subtitle in their respective fields — this helps you visually verify you are not repeating words across fields.
5. Once your keyword field hits 99–100 characters, you have maximized your budget. Copy the field directly into App Store Connect.

The counter also checks your title and subtitle against their 30-character limits simultaneously, so you can optimize all three fields in one session.

Frequently Asked Questions