ASO checklist: 30 checks before launch and every release

How do you use this checklist?

Run it before the first launch and again before every release that changes your listing. Each line names the field, the official limit or rule, and where you check it. Copy the Markdown version of this page into your own tracker if you want to tick items off. The reasoning behind the order is in What is ASO?, and choosing the words themselves is covered in app keyword research.

App Store: search text (7 checks)

#	Check	Field and limit	Where to verify
1	Brand plus the single most valuable search, readable, no stuffing	App name: 2–30 characters	App Store Connect > App Information (per language)
2	A second valuable search, as a phrase people would read	Subtitle: up to 30 characters; changes ship with a new version	App Information
3	All of the space used, words separated by commas with no spaces after them	Keyword field: up to 100 bytes; each word longer than 2 characters	The version page, per language
4	No word repeated from the name, subtitle, category or company name (Apple says the app is already searchable by app name and company name); no plurals of words you already have; no "app", "game" or filler words	Name + subtitle + keyword field	Read the three fields side by side
5	No other apps' names, trademarks, celebrity names, prices or irrelevant terms in any metadata	All metadata (Guideline 2.3.7)	Every field and every screenshot text
6	Primary and secondary category both relevant; both are indexed	Category (Guideline 2.3.5)	App Information
7	Every country that brings installs has its own researched text, not a word-for-word translation	All localizable fields	App Store Connect, one language at a time

App Store: visuals and conversion (4 checks)

#	Check	Field and limit	Where to verify
8	Icon readable at small size, consistent with the app	1024×1024 px source (Human Interface Guidelines)	Xcode asset catalog
9	More than half of the screenshots for each device show the app in use; the first three tell the core benefit, because up to three can show in search results	Screenshots: 1–10 per device size, .jpeg/.jpg/.png, no transparency; upload the sizes App Store Connect marks as required	Product page media, each device size
10	App previews use only screen captures of the app itself	Up to 3 per language and device size, 15–30 seconds, up to 500 MB (Guideline 2.3.4)	Product page media
11	Promotional text carries current news or offers, not keywords (it does not affect ranking)	Promotional text: up to 170 characters, changes without a new version	Version page

App Store: review readiness (5 checks)

#	Check	Field and limit	Where to verify
12	Age rating answered honestly; screenshots, previews and icon suitable for a 4+ audience even if the app is rated higher	Age rating questionnaire (Guidelines 2.3.6 and 2.3.8)	App Information > Age Ratings
13	Privacy policy link in App Store Connect and inside the app; support URL with real contact details	Guidelines 5.1.1(i) and 1.5	App Information and the app itself
14	Working demo account (or approved demo mode), backend switched on, notes explaining non-obvious features	App Review notes: up to 4,000 bytes (Guideline 2.1)	Version page > App Review Information
15	Every in-app purchase complete, visible to the reviewer and working	Guideline 2.1(b)	In-App Purchases and the build
16	What's New describes significant changes specifically	Up to 4,000 characters; required for every update (Guideline 2.3.12)	Version page

Google Play: text and visuals (11 checks)

#	Check	Field and limit	Where to verify
17	Brand plus main search; no emoji, emoticons, repeated special characters, ALL CAPS (unless the brand is), "#1", "best", "free", "No Ads" or discounts	Title: up to 30 characters (Metadata policy)	Play Console > Grow users > Store presence > Main store listing
18	The main benefit with your main search, written for people; no price or ranking claims	Short description: up to 80 characters	Main store listing
19	Important searches early and natural; no keyword lists, no unattributed testimonials, short description not repeated	Full description: up to 4,000 characters	Main store listing
20	One relevant category; up to 5 obviously relevant tags	Category and tags; changes can take up to 24 hours	Store presence > Store settings
21	Icon follows Google Play's spec; no misleading symbols such as fake notification dots	512×512 px, 32-bit PNG, up to 1024 KB	Main store listing
22	Feature graphic present, with no performance, price or Google Play program claims	1024×500 px, JPEG or 24-bit PNG, no alpha; required to publish	Main store listing
23	Screenshots show the real experience; alt text describes each one	Up to 8 per device type, at least 2 in total to publish, sides 320–3,840 px, long side at most twice the short side; alt text up to 140 characters	Main store listing
24	For recommendation formats: apps at least 4 screenshots, games at least three 16:9 or 9:16, minimum 1080 px; taglines under 20% of the image	Preview asset guidelines	Main store listing
25	Promo video (optional) shows the real app early	One YouTube URL, no playlist or channel, no timecode	Main store listing
26	Data safety form matches the app and every SDK; privacy policy URL is public, non-geofenced, not a PDF	App content > Data safety	Play Console > App content
27	Target API level meets the current rule (from 31 August 2026: Android 16, API level 36, for new apps and updates on phones)	targetSdkVersion	Your build and Play Console warnings

Every release, both stores (3 checks)

#	Check	Where
28	Rank of every important keyword recorded before the release, so you can compare after it	Your rank tracker, per storefront
29	New 1–2 star reviews read and answered; Android vitals under the bad-behavior thresholds (user-perceived crashes 1.09%, ANRs 0.47% of daily users)	Ratings and reviews; Play Console > Android vitals
30	Keyword list reviewed: drop searches nobody types, promote terms you rank 11–30 for, add terms rivals newly win	Your keyword sheet

What do people most often miss?

The byte limit on the App Store keyword field: letters such as é, ü, ç or ß take more than one byte.
Changing the subtitle without noticing that it waits for the next version.
Leaving a screenshot set where most images are marketing graphics instead of the app in use.
Google Play's "free" and "No Ads" rule: Google says they promote deals and do not belong in titles or developer names.
Forgetting that the Data safety form has to cover data collected by SDKs, not only your own code.

Games have extra rules on screenshots, video and events; see ASO for mobile games. Category choice is in choosing a category and reading top charts.

Where does Uptika fit?

The free Metadata Linter checks items 1–5 and 17–19 in your browser: limits, repeated words, singular/plural waste and policy risks such as other brands, "best", "#1", "free", emoji and ALL CAPS. Listing X-Ray reads any live listing and gives three prioritized fixes. In the panel, Sayfa denetimi (listing audit) scores your live page from weighted checks with a fix for each, and the ASO puanı (ASO score) tracks the result over time. Start free to run them on your own app every day.

Questions

What are the most important ASO tips?

Put your most valuable search in the title, use every indexed field without repeating words, make the first three screenshots explain the core benefit, keep metadata free of other brands, prices and ranking claims, ask for ratings at good moments, and track ranks daily so you can tell what each change did.

How do I optimize an App Store listing?

Fill the name (30 characters), subtitle (30) and keyword field (100 bytes) with different, relevant words; choose a relevant primary and secondary category; show the app in use in the screenshots; write a clear description and What's New text; answer the age rating questions honestly; and localize for each country that brings installs.

What are the Google Play ASO basics?

A 30-character title with your brand and main search, an 80-character short description that states the benefit, a natural 4,000-character full description without keyword lists, a relevant category and up to 5 tags, a 512×512 icon, a 1024×500 feature graphic and screenshots that show the real experience, with no emoji, ALL CAPS, "#1", "free" or discount claims.

How do I do app store optimization step by step?

Research keywords per country, write the indexed fields, prepare the visuals, pass the review checks, publish, then track ranks, ratings and conversion daily and revise with each release. This checklist follows that order.