Visitors usually enter the app store to find the app they want. In addition to searching through keywords, some people will search directly through the store's target theme category. The ranking of the category list is also very important for an app. How to choose an accurate and effective category for your application also determines to a certain extent the length of the period for your application to be ranked on the classification list.

We have compiled information about categories on the App Store and Mac App Store. On the topic of how to choose the right category, the experts of ASO World also gave some suggestions to help you attract users as quickly as possible and improve your new app’s visibility.

Categories of App Store and Mac App Store

You can assign two categories to your application-primary category and secondary category. The main category you choose is particularly important for the app’s visibility in the App Store. This is the category that the application appears when users browse the App Store or filter search results. It determines the location of the "Applications" tab or the "Games" tab of the App Store on iPhone and iPad.

For Mac applications, the main category you choose is also the category that the application appears when users browse through the Mac App Store or filter search results. It determines the position in the "Categories" tab of the Mac App Store in macOS 10.14 or later.



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How to choose the main category in the app store?

Suppose you to have a social network application that shares photos. For the App Store, you can choose photos and videos or social networks as the main category. To determine which category is best for your application, consider the following factors:

1) The purpose of your application.

Your main category should be the category that best describes the main function or theme of your application.

2) Users will naturally look for applications like yours.

Knowing your audience will help you determine in which categories they might be looking for your app. Do they think your app is more like a social networking app or a photography app?

3) Which categories contain the same types of applications as you.

Investigate how similar applications are categorized-users may already know that they need to visit these categories to find such applications.

Make sure that the category you choose accurately reflects the core experience of your app. Choosing a category that is not suitable for your application violates the App Store Review Guidelines.

Three special cases help you choose the correct and effective store category for your application.

Kid’s app

If you have an app specifically designed for children aged 11 and under, please check the "For children" checkbox in App Store Connect, and then select the appropriate age group (5 years old and under, 6-8 years old) Or 9-11 years old).

Your app must meet the app review guidelines for children’s apps and pass the review before it can be approved as a child category on the App Store. In addition to the kids’ category, your app can also be found in another primary and secondary category (for example: games, entertainment, or education).

When building apps for children, you need to make sure that you are creating a safe and trusted child app. You can help children learn, grow and have fun through games, interactive stories, educational materials, etc.

When parents visit the "children" category, they hope that the apps they find will only provide age-appropriate content and protect their children's data, and require a parent's door to link to the app, request permission or provide purchase opportunities. Apps in this category should not transmit personally identifiable information or device information to third parties, even in the part of the app that is aimed at parents or other adults. In addition, in order to display the advertisement, the age suitability of the advertisement must be manually reviewed.

Games

If your app is a game, you can choose up to two "Games" subcategories. Users can find your app by browsing through the subcategories in the App Store and the "Games" subcategory chart. If you don’t know which subcategory is best for your game, please research the type of each game before choosing a game.

Stickers

In iMessage’s App Store, you can assign the sticker pack application to a category called "stickers" or to another main category that best describes your application. If you use the "sticker" category, you can also select the "sticker" subcategory. Standalone sticker pack apps will not show up in categories on the App Store for iPhone and iPad-they can only be found in search results. The categories of iOS apps with iMessage extensions are taken from iOS apps and used in the App Store of iPhone, iPad and iMessage.

The iMessage app and stickers can help users express themselves in a richer way, create and share content, play games, make payments, and more without leaving the conversation. Companies can directly establish contact with customers in Messages for customer support and trade. Your iMessage application will be available in the app store for iPhone, iPad and iMessage.

In conclusion

The above is to help you correctly choose the main category of the application in the application store. The accurate information is presented to the application store, and it will be more advantageous in terms of the relevance weight scoring in the store's algorithm program.

The choice of classification is also a basic scoring item in ASO on-metadata. Together with the title, subtitle, description, screenshot, icon and preview you set for the application, it is an important ASO element in the basic algorithm of the application store. To learn more about ASO optimization and application promotion strategies, you can consult with ASO World experts for a complete strategy.