App Store Keyword Field Guide 2026: 100 Characters, Commas & Examples

What Apple actually indexes

Apple gives you visible fields such as app name and subtitle, plus the private keyword field in App Store Connect. The keyword field is where you add relevant discovery terms that do not fit naturally in the visible copy. Apple's own guidance says not to repeat words from your app name, subtitle, or category, so the field works best as a compact supplement rather than a dumping ground.

A better 100-character workflow

1. Start with the app name and subtitle, then remove those words from your keyword list.
2. Group remaining terms by intent: problem, feature, audience, category, and use case.
3. Pick specific terms you can realistically rank for, not only the biggest head terms.
4. Write the final list as comma-separated words with no spaces.
5. Track rankings after release and replace terms that never move.

Common mistakes

• Repeating the same word in singular and plural forms without a clear reason.
• Adding category words Apple already knows from your category selection.
• Using competitor brand names because they look attractive in research tools.
• Leaving spaces after commas and wasting characters.
• Changing keywords without tracking rank movement by country.

Official sources

• Apple App Store Search guidance
• Apple product page guidance
• Apple App Store Connect app information reference