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In-App Events: free App Store visibility for small apps
In-App Events are free cards on the App Store that show up in search results, on your product page and in Apple's recommendations, for anything time-bound happening in your app: a challenge, a major update, a new season. They cost nothing, don't need a new app version, and most indie apps never use them.
Big games run events constantly. Small apps mostly don't, which is exactly why they're worth it: an event card is extra space in search results that your competitors probably aren't using. Here's what Apple allows, what works for apps that aren't games, and how to make one in an afternoon.
Where events appear
According to Apple's In-App Events page, a published event can appear:
- In search results, as a card alongside your app. People can also search for events directly.
- On your product page, which lists all your currently published events.
- In editorial selections and personalized recommendations on the Today, Games and Apps tabs.
From the card, people can get your app, or open it straight to the event through a deep link you provide. They can also opt in to a notification from the App Store when the event starts.
Events appear on the App Store for iPhone and iPad. Apple's page describes them on iOS and iPadOS only, so they're not a tool for Mac-only apps.
The rules and limits
| What | Limit |
|---|---|
| Event name | 30 characters, title case |
| Short description (on the card) | 50 characters, sentence case |
| Long description (details page) | 120 characters, sentence case |
| Promotion before it starts | Up to 14 days |
| Event length | Up to 31 days |
| Published at once | Up to 10 per app |
| Approved in App Store Connect | Up to 15 at a time |
| Card image | 16:9, 1920 × 1080 to 3840 × 2160 |
| Details page image | 9:16, 1080 × 1920 to 2160 × 3840 |
| Video (optional) | Same sizes, 15 to 30 seconds |
Image and video sizes are from Apple's creative assets specifications. Each event gets a badge that says what kind of event it is: Challenge, Competition, Live Event, Major Update, New Season, Premiere or Special Event. You can run an event in some regions only, with different dates per region, and events are reviewed on their own, without a new app version. Don't put prices in the event text; Apple says that leads to rejection.
Event ideas for apps that aren't games
- Major Update. Your next real feature release, as an event. The card explains the new thing in 50 characters, and it can run for up to 31 days after release.
- Challenge. A habit, fitness or learning app: "7-day hydration challenge", "30 days of Spanish". A clear start and end suits the format.
- Special Event. Something seasonal that genuinely changes in the app: new year planning templates, a summer reading list, holiday themes.
- Live Event. A live session, a community meetup, a launch stream.
- Premiere. New content arriving on a date: a new course, a new set of sounds, new levels.
The test for a good event: would someone who doesn't have your app understand what's happening from the card alone, in under five seconds? If the event only makes sense to existing users, it won't bring new ones.
Making one, step by step
- Pick the moment and the badge. One event, one reason.
- Write the three texts. 30, 50 and 120 characters. The card's 50 is what most people read: lead with the benefit, not the event name again.
- Make the two images. A 16:9 card and a 9:16 details image, with any text kept short and nothing important near the edges.
- Set the deep link. A universal link straight to the event inside your app. Apple advises against URL shorteners.
- Localize it. An event in English shown to a French searcher is a missed card. Translate the three texts for every language your listing supports.
- Submit it in App Store Connect, then publish it up to 14 days before it starts.
- Nominate it. An approved event can be attached to a featuring nomination, which gives editors a dated reason to feature you.
Afterwards, App Analytics shows how people interacted with the event, so you can compare it with your normal search traffic.
Doing it in Storeboard
Storeboard authors In-App Events on your Mac: AI-written card text kept inside Apple's 30, 50 and 120-character limits, one-click translation into every App Store language, any dropped image cropped to Apple's exact card and details sizes, a live preview of both, and the finished event pushed to App Store Connect as a draft for you to review and submit.
Write, translate and preview your next event
Every language, inside Apple's limits, sent to App Store Connect as a draft. Free to download.
Get Storeboard for MacFAQ
Do In-App Events cost anything?
No. Creating and publishing In-App Events in App Store Connect is free, and they don't need a new app version.
Do In-App Events help App Store search?
They add an event card next to your app in search results, and people can search for events directly. That gives you more space and a reason to tap, especially for searches where competitors show only screenshots.
Can apps that aren't games use In-App Events?
Yes. Major updates, challenges, premieres of new content and seasonal special events all work for apps outside games, as long as there's something time-bound happening in the app.
Do In-App Events show on the Mac App Store?
Apple describes In-App Events on the App Store for iPhone and iPad, and they only apply to iOS and iPadOS apps, so Mac-only apps can't use them.
How long can an In-App Event run?
Up to 31 days, and you can promote it on the App Store up to 14 days before it starts.