# App store metadata

URL: https://storelift.net/glossary/app-store-metadata/
Language: en
Updated: 2026-09-02

Metadata is the set of text fields attached to a store listing: name, subtitle or short description, the visible description, and — on iOS only — a hidden keyword field. Which of these a store's search reads is a shorter list than what a user sees, and the two stores don't read the same fields.

## The most common mistake

Stuffing keywords into the iOS long description on the assumption it helps search — Apple does not index it for search at all; it's read-only copy for the human visitor. The reverse mistake happens on Google Play, where the long description IS indexed and under-using it leaves indexed space empty.