App Subtitle vs Promotional Text: What Goes Where (and Why It Matters)
Two small fields in App Store Connect confuse almost every first-time publisher: the subtitle and the promotional text. They sit near each other, they are both short, and they both feel like "the tagline." But they do opposite jobs. One is indexed by Apple's search and can only change when you ship a new version. The other is invisible to search but you can edit it any day of the week. Put the wrong content in the wrong field and you either waste a ranking opportunity or lock a time-sensitive message behind a full app review.
This guide settles it: what each field is, the exact character limits, what belongs in each, and how they work alongside your app name. It is part of our ASO playbook for indie and no-code developers — the field-by-field companion to the strategy.
The one-sentence difference
- Subtitle = permanent, indexed, keyword real estate. 30 characters. Changes only with a new app version. Users see it.
- Promotional text = flexible, not indexed, announcement space. 170 characters. Change it anytime, no new version. Users see it at the top of the description.
If you remember nothing else: put your keywords and core value in the subtitle, and put your news and offers in the promotional text.
Field-by-field comparison
|
App name |
Subtitle |
Promotional text |
| Character limit |
30 |
30 |
170 |
| Visible to users? |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes (top of description) |
| Indexed for search? |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
| Editable without a new version? |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Best used for |
Brand + top keyword |
Keyword + benefit |
Announcements, offers, seasonal news |
That "editable without a new version" row is the whole reason promotional text exists. Apple gives you a place to say "50% off this week" or "Now with iOS 18 widgets" without waiting days for app review.
What to put in the subtitle (30 characters)
Your subtitle appears directly under your app name — on the product page and in search results — and Apple indexes it for search. That makes it prime real estate. You have two goals in 30 characters:
- Rank — include a strong keyword phrase you couldn't fit in the app name.
- Convert — communicate a clear benefit so the person scanning search results taps you.
Good subtitles do both at once:
- Bill splitter → "Split expenses with friends"
- Habit tracker → "Daily habits, streaks & goals"
- Receipt scanner → "Scan receipts & track spending"
Notice each one reads naturally and contains searchable terms (split expenses, habits streaks, scan receipts). Don't cram in disconnected keywords — "Budget Money Finance Save" reads like spam and converts nobody. And don't repeat words already in your app name; that duplicates indexing and wastes your 30 characters. The subtitle and the 100-character keywords field should complement each other, not overlap.
What to put in the promotional text (170 characters)
Promotional text sits at the very top of your description, above the "more" fold. It is not indexed for search, so keywords here do nothing for ranking. Its superpower is that you can change it anytime without submitting a new build.
Use it for anything time-sensitive:
- Launch and feature news: "New: dark mode, home-screen widgets, and offline sync — update now."
- Sales and promotions: "Back-to-school sale — Pro is 40% off through September 5."
- Seasonal hooks: "Planning holiday travel? Split every trip cost in seconds."
- Social proof that changes: "Now trusted by 100,000+ people splitting bills the easy way."
Because it is the first thing readers see, keep it punchy and benefit-led. When there is no active news, use it as a strong extra value line rather than leaving it blank — but reserve it for anything you'll want to swap out frequently.
How the app name fits in
Naming ties the whole top of your listing together, so it is worth getting right first. Your app name has 30 characters and is your strongest ranking signal — Apple weights it heavily. The proven pattern for indie apps is:
Brand Name: Top Keyword Phrase
For example: "Tally: Split Bills & Expenses" or "Streak: Daily Habit Tracker." The brand comes first for recognition; the keyword phrase after the colon earns you search ranking and tells a cold browser what the app does.
Then the fields cascade:
- App name (30 chars) — brand + your single most valuable keyword phrase.
- Subtitle (30 chars) — a different keyword phrase + benefit.
- Keywords field (100 chars) — supporting single-word terms, no repeats of the above.
- Promotional text (170 chars) — current news, not keywords.
Together the name and subtitle give you 60 visible, indexed characters. Spend them on distinct terms — never the same word twice — to maximize the range of searches you can rank for.
A quick before-and-after
Before (all three fields doing the same thing):
- Name: "BudgetApp - Budget Tracker"
- Subtitle: "The best budget tracker app"
- Promotional text: "Track your budget with the best budget tracker."
Everything repeats "budget tracker," nothing is time-sensitive, and the promotional text wastes the only editable field.
After (each field pulling its weight):
- Name: "Tally: Split Bills & Expenses"
- Subtitle: "Track group spending & IOUs"
- Promotional text: "New: scan receipts instantly and settle up in one tap. Try it free."
Now the name and subtitle cover split bills, expenses, group spending, IOUs — four distinct search angles — and the promotional text carries fresh news you can rotate anytime.
Google Play: no equivalent fields
If you also publish to Android, note that Google Play has neither a subtitle nor promotional text. Its closest field is the 80-character short description, which is indexed and shown near the top of the listing — so on Play, that one field does the combined job of Apple's subtitle. The app title is capped at 30 characters, same as Apple. For how the short description works alongside the full description, see our guide to writing an app store description that gets downloads.
Put it all together
Get these fields right and you have built the entire indexed, visible top of your App Store listing on purpose rather than by accident. But metadata only wins the search-result tap — the product page still has to close the install. Your screenshots do most of that closing, so once your name, subtitle, and promotional text are dialed in, use our App Store screenshot generator to export store-ready screenshots at the exact required sizes and turn those hard-won impressions into downloads.
Frequently asked questions
What is the character limit for the App Store subtitle?
The App Store subtitle has a 30-character limit — the same as the app name. It appears directly under your app name on the product page and in search results, and Apple indexes it for search, so it should carry a keyword and a benefit.
What is promotional text and how long can it be?
Promotional text is a 170-character field that appears at the very top of your App Store description. It is not indexed for search, but you can change it anytime without submitting a new app version — making it ideal for announcements, sales, and time-sensitive news.
Does Google Play have a subtitle or promotional text?
No. Google Play has no subtitle or promotional text field. Its closest equivalent is the 80-character short description, which is indexed for search and shown near the top of the listing. The app title is capped at 30 characters, like Apple's.