Writing an app description around actual use cases

Write App Store and Google Play descriptions around tasks people can complete in the current app. Lead with the main task and its useful result, then explain the features that make the promise credible.

Choose use cases before writing copy

Check the released product, supported devices, access conditions and the path a new user can follow. Choose one primary use case and a small number of secondary ones only when they meet different needs.

For each use case, record the situation, the user's action and the result the app provides. Leave proposed features out until the intended audience can use them.

Put the useful result first

The opening should tell readers who the app is for, what they can do and what they get from doing it. A useful drafting pattern is: “[Audience] can [task] to [result]”; use it only when the current app supports each part.

Keep the opening focused on the main use case rather than company history or a catalogue of settings. Apple says thoughtfully crafted metadata can help customers discover an app and engage with it.

After the opening, explain the features that make the task possible. Say whether someone can save the work, share it or return to it, and distinguish an outcome the app completes from an action it merely lets someone start.

Place limits beside the promise

Check whether a described use case requires a subscription, compatible device, available location, account or another person's participation. Put any material condition near the claim it qualifies.

If setup changes the first experience, avoid implying that everyone sees the same screen immediately. Describe only what the intended audience can do under the stated conditions.

Edit against the current product

Read the copy beside a current build or verified product specification. For each capability verb, such as “share”, “scan” or “book”, identify the screen and conditions under which a new user can perform it.

Apple says you can build and maintain an App Store product page in App Store Connect. Its “Creating your product page” guidance says the app name and subtitle can each be up to 30 characters, and that the subtitle can highlight features or typical uses.

Google Play Console supports short and long store descriptions. The short description is limited to 80 characters, including spaces and symbols; use it to state the primary value, then use the longer copy to explain the verified task and relevant features.

Apple's “Creating your product page” guidance cautions against generic subtitle wording such as “world’s best app”. For Google Play, consult “Best practices for your store listing” while editing the listing.

Remove or qualify claims that the build or product specification cannot support. Ask someone unfamiliar with the app to read the description and say what task they expect to perform.

Recheck the description when a product change affects a screen, capability or access condition. Keep each claim tied to what users can do in the current app.