Short description and promotional text accurate and within limits

Apple's App Store metadata validation automatically rejects any subtitle exceeding 30 characters — this happens in seconds during upload, before a reviewer ever opens the app. A subtitle that repeats the app name wastes the 30-character conversion slot Apple gives you, and Apple's guidelines (Guideline 2.3.1) prohibit pricing information in subtitles. On Google Play, the 80-character short description is the primary text shown in search results; an inaccurate or over-limit short description reduces click-through rate and may trigger manual review for misleading content.

Check character counts against platform limits before every submission:

echo -n "$(cat fastlane/metadata/ios/en-US/subtitle.txt)" | wc -c
# Must be ≤30 for App Store subtitle
echo -n "$(cat fastlane/metadata/android/en-US/short_description.txt)" | wc -c
# Must be ≤80 for Google Play short description

Write the subtitle as a single value proposition — what the app does for the user, not what it is called. Avoid 'Free!', '$0.99', or any price reference in the subtitle. Store subtitle and short description files in fastlane/metadata/ version-controlled alongside app code.

• ID: short-description-accurate

• Severity: low

• What to look for: Check fastlane/metadata/ios/<locale>/subtitle.txt (App Store subtitle — max 30 chars) and fastlane/metadata/ios/<locale>/promotional_text.txt (App Store promotional text — max 170 chars, can be updated without a new submission). For Google Play, check fastlane/metadata/android/<locale>/short_description.txt (max 80 chars). Evaluate: (a) character limit compliance — the App Store will reject if the subtitle exceeds 30 characters, (b) accuracy — the subtitle should reflect actual functionality, not aspirational or future features, (c) the subtitle should not repeat the app name (Apple rejects subtitles that are just the app name again), (d) for Google Play, the short description is shown in search results and should be compelling but accurate. Also check for any price information in the subtitle or short description — Apple prohibits mentioning price in the subtitle. Count all instances found and enumerate each.

• Pass criteria: Short description / subtitle is present, within character limits, accurate, does not repeat the app name, and does not contain pricing information. At least 1 implementation must be confirmed.

• Fail criteria: App Store subtitle exceeds 30 characters; Google Play short description exceeds 80 characters; subtitle is identical to the app name; subtitle contains price ("Free!", "$0.99").

• Skip (N/A) when: No short description or subtitle files are present in the repository.

• Detail on fail: "fastlane/metadata/ios/en-US/subtitle.txt is 37 characters, exceeding the 30-character App Store subtitle limit" or "Subtitle 'MyApp - The Best App' repeats the app name".

• Remediation: Character limit violations cause automatic rejection during metadata validation.

  1. App Store subtitle: ≤30 characters, no price, no app name repetition
  2. Google Play short description: ≤80 characters
  3. Write the subtitle as a clear value proposition: what does this app do for the user?
  4. Test character counts with: echo -n "Your subtitle here" | wc -c

  Reference the relevant configuration in package.json or the src/ directory structure for implementation.