ASO Audit Checklist: 30 Fields to Review Before Any Launch
Most app launches underperform not because the product is bad, but because the store listing wasn't ready. A weak title, the wrong keyword mix, or screenshots that don't convert — any one of these will quietly drain your install rate before you've spent a dollar on paid acquisition.
This checklist covers all 30 fields that matter before you hit publish. It's organized by category, includes pass/fail criteria, and is platform-aware (Apple App Store vs. Google Play differ more than most people expect). Run through it before every launch, every major update, and every localization.
Why ASO Still Determines Organic Install Volume
Paid acquisition can flood the top of the funnel, but App Store Optimization controls whether organic traffic converts. The app stores are search engines. Users search, browse, and make snap judgments based on your listing — title, icon, screenshots, rating, and review count — usually in under ten seconds.
Getting this right compounds. A well-optimized listing improves your conversion rate, which improves your ranking, which increases organic reach, which reduces your cost per install on paid channels. Everything downstream gets easier when the listing does its job.
If you're new to thinking about app discoverability as a distinct discipline from web SEO, the principles in A Thorough Guide To Deep Linking And Strategic Marketing are a good complement to the on-store work covered here.
The 30-Field ASO Audit
Category 1: Metadata (Fields 1–10)
These are the indexable fields. Get them wrong and no amount of creative assets will save your rankings.
| # | Field | Pass Criteria | Common Failure |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | App Title | Primary keyword in first 3 words; ≤30 chars (iOS) / ≤50 chars (Play) | Keyword buried or omitted entirely |
| 2 | Subtitle (iOS) | Second-priority keyword included; ≤30 chars | Generic tagline with no keyword value |
| 3 | Short Description (Play) | Primary + secondary keyword; ≤80 chars; ends with action phrase | Repeated from long description |
| 4 | Long Description | Keywords appear naturally in first 3 sentences; benefit-led; ≤4,000 chars | Feature list with no user-outcome framing |
| 5 | Keyword Field (iOS) | 100 chars used exactly; no spaces after commas; no repetition from title/subtitle | Padding with brand name; wasted characters |
| 6 | Category (Primary) | Matches the dominant use case, not just what seems prestigious | Picking a lower-competition category that doesn't match user intent |
| 7 | Category (Secondary, Play) | Complements primary; improves Browse surface | Left blank |
| 8 | Developer Name | Consistent across all apps in portfolio; no keyword stuffing | Different spellings across listings |
| 9 | App URL / Bundle ID | Includes primary keyword (set at creation — cannot change) | Generic or numeric bundle ID |
| 10 | Promotional Text (iOS) | Updated with current offer or feature announcement; ≤170 chars | Left at launch copy for months |
iOS-specific note: The keyword field is not shown to users — it's purely for indexing. Every character counts. Prioritize keywords you don't already rank for via the title and subtitle.
Play-specific note: Google indexes the full long description. Keyword density matters here in a way it doesn't on iOS. Aim for natural repetition of 2–3 core terms across the description.
Category 2: Creative Assets (Fields 11–20)
Creative assets don't affect indexing directly, but they control conversion rate — which feeds back into ranking signals.
| # | Field | Pass Criteria | Common Failure |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Icon | Legible at 29×29px; no text; stands out on dark and light backgrounds | Looks great at large size, unrecognizable at small |
| 12 | Screenshot 1 (First Frame) | Conveys core value prop without reading caption; matches search intent | Generic UI screenshot with no context |
| 13 | Screenshots 2–5 | Tells a sequential story; each screen advances the value narrative | Reordered randomly; no narrative arc |
| 14 | Screenshot Captions | Short, benefit-led, consistent font/style across set | Missing entirely, or generic ("Easy to use!") |
| 15 | Screenshot Dimensions | Correct per device class (6.7" iPhone, 12.9" iPad if supporting iPad) | Wrong dimensions cause rejection or display cropping |
| 16 | Preview Video (iOS) | First 3 seconds show core action; no voiceover dependency (auto-plays muted) | Opens with a logo animation; silent playback tells nothing |
| 17 | Feature Graphic (Play) | 1024×500px; readable at thumbnail scale; matches brand palette | Sized correctly but visually muddy at small sizes |
| 18 | Promo Video (Play) | Hosted on YouTube; first 30 seconds are the hook; captions included | Video starts with company intro instead of product demo |
| 19 | Icon — Seasonal / Locale Variants | Planned if running seasonal campaigns; approved in advance | Reactive requests that miss campaign windows |
| 20 | Graphic Asset Consistency | Icon, screenshots, and feature graphic share a visual system | Each asset looks like it came from a different designer |
In our engagements, screenshot set redesigns are the single intervention that most frequently produces a measurable lift in conversion rate without touching the keyword mix. Don't underinvest here.
Category 3: Ratings & Reviews (Fields 21–25)
Ratings are a ranking factor and a conversion driver. Low ratings suppress both.
| # | Field | Pass Criteria | Common Failure |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Average Rating | ≥4.2 stars at launch (seed from beta/TestFlight users before public release) | Launching at 0 reviews or with unresolved 1-star crashes |
| 22 | Review Volume | Enough reviews to show a number, not "Ratings: –" | Launching with 0 visible reviews |
| 23 | Rating Prompt Placement | Triggered after a user completes a positive action (not on first open) | Triggered immediately on launch; produces angry 1-star responses |
| 24 | Developer Response (existing reviews) | Negative reviews have a response within 72 hours; constructive tone | No responses; or defensive/generic copy-paste replies |
| 25 | Review Velocity Plan | Defined in-app moment triggers for SKStoreReviewRequest / Play In-App Review API | No plan; relies on organic unprompted reviews only |
Run your ASO audit alongside a paid growth review. Semnexus's mobile app marketing services cover both — so you're not optimizing the listing in a vacuum while acquisition campaigns point traffic at a listing that won't convert.
Category 4: Localization (Fields 26–28)
Localization is the highest-leverage ASO lever most teams skip.
| # | Field | Pass Criteria | Common Failure |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | Target Locale List | Defined based on revenue potential, not just where the team speaks the language | Defaulting to English only in markets where local-language listings rank significantly higher |
| 27 | Metadata Translation | Done by a native speaker familiar with app store conventions, not Google Translate | Machine-translated title breaks character limits or sounds unnatural |
| 28 | Screenshot Localization | Screenshots reflect locale-appropriate UI text, not just translated captions on English screens | English UI visible in non-English screenshot sets |
Category 5: Technical & Compliance (Fields 29–30)
These two fields don't improve rankings, but failing them gets your app rejected or hidden.
| # | Field | Pass Criteria | Common Failure |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | Age Rating Accuracy | Matches actual content; set conservatively if in doubt | Under-rated apps pulled by Apple after user reports |
| 30 | Privacy Policy URL | Live URL; accessible without login; matches data practices in app | Broken URL, or policy doesn't cover data types collected |
How to Prioritize When You Can't Fix Everything at Once
Run the checklist and triage failures into three buckets:
Fix before launch (blockers): Fields 1, 2/3 (platform-specific), 5, 10, 11, 12, 15, 29, 30. These directly affect indexing, approval, or first-impression conversion. Don't launch with any of these failing.
Fix in the first two weeks post-launch (high impact): Fields 4, 6, 13, 14, 16/17, 21, 23, 25. These affect ranking velocity and conversion rate during the critical early period when the stores are actively evaluating your new listing.
Roadmap items (medium impact, schedule deliberately): Fields 7, 18, 19, 26, 27, 28. Localization and secondary creative assets compound over time but aren't launch-critical unless you're entering a non-English market on day one.
FAQ
How often should I run an ASO audit after launch?
Approximately every 60–90 days for stable apps. Run an unscheduled audit whenever you push a major feature update, change your pricing model, or see a meaningful drop in organic install rate. The App Store algorithm reindexes after updates, which is an opportunity to refresh metadata.
Does Google Play ASO work the same way as Apple App Store ASO?
They share fundamentals but differ in key ways. Google indexes your full long description — keyword placement in the description matters. Apple does not index the description for search. Apple's keyword field (100 characters, iOS only) has no Play equivalent. Screenshot dimensions, video hosting requirements, and the secondary category field also differ. Treat them as related but distinct surfaces.
Can I change my app's bundle ID or URL slug after launch?
No. The bundle ID (iOS) and package name (Android) are permanent once set. This is why including your primary keyword in the bundle ID at creation — while it's still possible — is worth the five minutes it takes to decide.
How many screenshots should I include?
iOS allows up to 10 screenshots per device class; Play allows up to 8. In practice, 5–8 well-sequenced screenshots outperform 10 random ones. Quality and narrative order matter more than hitting the maximum.
Is a preview video required?
Not required, but consistently worth including. Preview videos auto-play muted in search results on iOS, which means the first three seconds of visual motion are doing conversion work before the user actively engages. If your app has an interesting UI or a clear workflow to demonstrate, a video will typically improve install rate. If your app is primarily text-based or your video quality is low, skip it until you can do it well.
What's the right keyword research process for the 100-character iOS keyword field?
Start with your primary keyword (likely already in the title), then find terms you don't rank for via title/subtitle. Use App Store Connect's search suggestion data, competitor keyword gap analysis, and volume-vs-difficulty estimates from ASO tools. Prioritize mid-tail terms over single-word generics — competition for one-word terms is typically too high for new apps to rank. Revisit and rotate every 60–90 days based on ranking data from App Store Connect analytics.
If you want a second pair of eyes on your listing before launch — or you're watching install rates plateau on an existing app — book a 30-minute call or review what Semnexus covers end-to-end on the mobile app marketing services page. A listing audit takes less than a day. Leaving it unfixed costs you every day it stays broken.
