an ASO checklist is a list of yes or no checks you run against your App Store and Google Play listings: metadata within limits, keywords placed well, screenshots that sell, healthy ratings, live tests, localized pages and clean policy. below are 40 points in seven sections. score one point per yes, then fix in the order at the end.
limits checked against Apple and Google documentation on 2 october 2026. this is the printable audit; the reasons behind each check are in the full app store optimization guide.
What should an ASO metadata audit check?
the metadata audit checks that every text field is inside its limit, carries the right words and says what the app does in plain language. App Store and Google Play limits differ, so audit each store separately. sources: Apple’s app information reference and Google’s store listing best practices.
- 1. App Store name is 2 to 30 characters and holds your main keyword in natural words.
- 2. Google Play title is 30 characters or fewer, with no “#1”, “free”, all caps or irrelevant emoji.
- 3. App Store subtitle (30 characters max) states the main benefit, not a slogan.
- 4. Google Play short description (80 characters max) states the benefit plainly.
- 5. description (4,000 characters max on both stores) opens with the core promise, with no keyword lists.
- 6. App Store promotional text (170 characters max) carries current news, since it does not affect ranking.
- 7. primary category is where users would browse for you, and the App Store secondary category is set.
How do you audit App Store keywords?
a keyword audit checks that the App Store keywords field is full, has no repeats and contains only honest, relevant terms drawn from how users actually talk. Google Play has no keywords field, so its words live in the title and descriptions. source: Apple’s App Store search guidance.
- 8. keywords field uses its full 100 bytes, separated by commas with no spaces.
- 9. no word appears twice across name, subtitle and keywords field.
- 10. no plurals of words already used, no filler like “the” or “app”.
- 11. no competitor names, trademarks or celebrity names anywhere, per guideline 2.3.7 of the App Review Guidelines.
- 12. keyword list comes from user words: your reviews, competitor reviews and support messages.
- 13. current rank for your top 10 target keywords is recorded before any change, and you change one field at a time.
What should a screenshot and visuals audit cover?
the visuals audit checks that the icon, screenshots and video sell the promise at a glance, meet each store’s specs and show the real app. the first few frames matter most, because many people never scroll. sources: Apple’s screenshot specifications and Google’s preview assets guide.
- 14. the first three App Store screenshots sell the core promise on their own.
- 15. one benefit per screenshot with captions readable as thumbnails.
- 16. screenshots show the app in use, not splash or login screens (guideline 2.3.3).
- 17. App Store has up to 10 screenshots; Google Play has at least 2 and up to 8 per device type.
- 18. Google Play icon is 512 x 512 PNG, 1024KB max.
- 19. Google Play feature graphic is 1024 x 500, JPEG or 24-bit PNG with no alpha.
- 20. App Store previews run 15 to 30 seconds (up to 3) and work muted; the Google Play video is a YouTube link where only the first 30 seconds autoplay.
caption writing and frame order are in App Store screenshots; every size for both stores is in App Store marketing assets.
How do you audit ratings and reviews?
the ratings audit checks that you ask for reviews through each store’s official prompt at a good moment, reply to unhappy users and never game the numbers. ratings feed ranking and conversion, so this section protects both. sources: Apple’s ratings and reviews page and Google’s In-App Review API guide.
- 21. iOS asks through SKStoreReviewController after a success moment; Apple shows it up to three times in 365 days.
- 22. Android uses the Play In-App Review API, with no “do you like the app?” question before it and no button that triggers it.
- 23. every low-star review that mentions a bug gets a short, plain reply.
- 24. no paid, incentivized, gated or fake reviews, which both stores ban.
- 25. repeated complaints and praise phrases from reviews feed the backlog and your captions.
Which conversion tests should be running?
the conversion audit checks that you know your product page conversion rate and are always testing something against it. both stores have free native testing and extra pages for ads and audiences. sources: Apple’s product page optimization and Google’s store listing experiments.
- 26. current product page conversion rate is recorded per store as a baseline.
- 27. an App Store test is live or planned: up to 3 treatments of icon, screenshots or previews, for up to 90 days, with new assets approved by App Review.
- 28. a Google Play experiment is live or planned: up to 2 variants, one asset changed at a time.
- 29. custom pages exist for each main ad theme: up to 70 custom product pages on the App Store, up to 50 custom store listings on Google Play.
- 30. every paid campaign, including Apple Ads, lands on the page that matches its ad promise.
What does a localization audit check?
the localization audit checks that your biggest markets get listings rewritten for them, not machine copies of your English page. start with countries already sending organic installs. source: Apple’s localize app information help, which notes that description and keywords are not copied when you add a language.
- 31. your top organic markets are listed.
- 32. description and keywords are written per language.
- 33. screenshot captions are translated and checked by a native speaker for your top markets.
- 34. Google Play localized experiments (up to five languages at once) test the local promise before a full rollout.
What technical and policy checks belong in an ASO audit?
the technical and policy audit checks things that quietly cut visibility or get an app pulled: crash rates, privacy disclosures and accurate claims. these fail silently until a warning or rejection arrives. sources: Google’s Android vitals, Apple’s app privacy details and Google’s Data safety help.
- 35. Android user-perceived crash rate is under 1.09% and ANR rate under 0.47% overall; above these, Play may reduce visibility or warn users.
- 36. App Store privacy details are accurate and updated whenever you add an SDK.
- 37. Google Play Data safety form is complete and accurate.
- 38. privacy policy URL works on both listings.
- 39. metadata shows only features the app really has (guideline 2.3.1).
- 40. App Store support URL leads to real contact details.
How do you score the audit and what do you fix first?
give one point per ticked box, out of 40, and note the score per section. then fix in order of damage: policy and technical gaps first, because they can remove you; keyword and metadata gaps second, because they decide ranking; the first three screenshots third, because they decide the tap.
| score | what it usually means (my rule of thumb) |
|---|---|
| 36 to 40 | healthy. keep testing and re-audit next quarter |
| 28 to 35 | gaps worth a focused week |
| below 28 | fix before spending more on ads |
the fix order i use:
- items 35 to 40. about a day of forms and checks.
- items 1 to 13. half a day of writing.
- items 14 to 16. about a week of design.
- items 21 to 25. one sprint, then weekly replies.
- items 26 to 34. run continuously.
in 6+ years of growth work with AI startups in the US, Europe and India, the fixes that mattered most were the boring ones: honest metadata, a sharp first screenshot and a working review prompt.
Frequently asked questions
What should an ASO audit include?
an ASO audit should check seven areas: metadata, keywords, visuals, ratings and reviews, conversion tests, localization, and technical and policy health. each item is a yes or no against the store's own limits and rules. score the yes answers, then fix policy risks first, ranking fields second and the first screenshots third.
How often should I run an ASO audit?
run the full 40 points once a quarter and after any big release, rebrand or new market. between audits, check the fast moving parts monthly: keyword ranks, conversion rate, new reviews and Android vitals. a quarterly rhythm is my habit, not a store rule, so tighten it if you ship often.
What are the ASO guidelines from Apple and Google?
both stores publish them. Apple's App Review Guidelines, section 2.3, cover accurate metadata, keywords and screenshots, and its search page explains how the keywords field works. Google's metadata policy and store listing best practices cover titles, descriptions and banned claims. every limit in this checklist links to those pages.