Beginning October 27, developers will have the option to update their Apple Developer Account to enable in-app events. In-app event cards will begin appearing in several different prominent locations in the iOS and iPadOS app stores, including in the editorial sections of the Today, Games, and Apps tabs.

Apple will recommend events to users based on events that are algorithmically determined to match their interests, which could be a useful tool for acquiring new users. In-app events may also provide opportunities to increase retention and re-engagement of existing users with new app . New performance metrics associated with these events will be available to developers in App Analytics.

What are Apple's in-app events?

Apple's new in-app events will allow developers to connect with users through timely events in new ways. Originally announced at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference this past June, these in-app events are one of the few very useful tools introduced this year with the release of iOS 15.

In-app events are timely events within iOS apps - such as contests, movie premieres, live streaming experiences, and more. In other words, they are any activity that a user performs after installing the app. So to clarify, in-app events are not necessarily real-time events.
    
In addition to being highlighted on the Edit tab, the events card will also appear in search results and on product pages. The Products page will display up to five events that are visible to all users, whether they are current or new. Event cards will be presented differently in search for current users who have installed the application and for brand new users who have not installed the application. Existing users will see the Event Card in place of the current screenshot of the app, while new users will see the Event Card below the current screenshot in Search.



These events appear in the App Store as event cards, which include an image or video, the name of the event, and a short description. Clicking on an event card then takes you to the event details page, which provides a longer description and notes if an in-app purchase or subscription is required to participate in the event. The event details page can be shared with others, and users can also set up notifications from the App Store when an event begins.

To learn more about other iOS 15 App Store new functionalities, you can check "How to prepare your App Store custom product pages (CPPs) for iOS 15 ASO?" of our previous articles.

Time to set up your in-app events

In-app events are available to all developers who choose to upgrade their Apple Developer accounts, and creating and configuring them is fairly simple. Publishing in-app events on the App Store is actually quite simple. Follow these three steps.:

• Log in to your App Store Connect account.
• Enter the event's metadata, select regional availability (if applicable), etc.
• Submit your event for review and wait for approval.

It couldn't be simpler. But don't just publish any event. Think carefully about which events are important to your users - e.g., special events, contests, debuts, product launches. Don't just create events around everyday events. 

Once you've decided on an event, make sure your content is unique. Create interesting content for your in-app event metadata that your audience will enjoy and want to interact with. 

Metadata for in-app events: tips to increase app ranking and your organic visibility in App Store 

You need to include a 30-character event name and a short description of up to 50 characters. This information is on your event card. You can provide up to 120 characters of details, which will be displayed on your event details page.



Apple will consider the metadata on the event card to determine where to display the event card in search results and editorial content. 

To better understand what your event is about and where it will show up in search results, Apple may consider the keywords used in the event title and short description. Therefore, it is important to optimize the following in-app event metadata when creating event cards.

• Event name: The event name can be up to 30 characters long. Choose a unique and descriptive name for your event. Avoid generic terms such as "Game Event" or "Major Update" and statements such as "Best of" or "#1". "Apple also recommends not using titles to explain the type of event (such as movie premieres or challenges), as badges will display this information. 
• Short Description: A short description appears on the event card and can be up to 30 characters long. Use this placeholder to briefly describe your event. 
• Media: Upload an explanatory image or video that generates interest in your event. Videos can be up to 30 seconds long and require a poster frame. Remember, the event card is designed to generate interest in your application from new and existing users.
• Details: A detailed description will be displayed on the event details page. It is not expected that this copy will be indexed. Therefore, please focus on the user experience and provide detailed information about your event. Long descriptions can be up to 120 characters long.
• Event Reference Name: This name will only appear in App Store Connect and is intended to help developers easily navigate their event listings. Because this name will only appear in App Store Connect, it is unlikely to be indexed; however, it may be worth testing.

Here's the Do and Don'ts from Apple:


It remains to be seen how accurately Apple will index the keywords used in the event card metadata as a whole. It is important that your event metadata accurately reflects in-app events and is specific to the experience. apple will consider the metadata on your in-app event card to determine if and where it is displayed in search results and editorial content. In other words, Apple may consider the keywords you use in the event name and short/long description.

To learn more about keyword optimization, you can check "ASO Keywords Selection Strategy: How To Choose Keyword for Ranking Optimization" of our previous articles.

Choosing an event badge

When you create an event, you must select a badge that will appear next to the event title. This badge will help Apple understand the type of event you are promoting (challenge, contest, new update, etc.) Apple will likely use this information to make more personalized recommendations and favorites in the Apps, Games, and Today tabs.

• Challenge: An event that encourages users to achieve a goal. For example, a fitness challenge in the Workout app
• Competition: Activities that allow users to compete against each other to win rewards. For example, a battle between players to win the most matches
• Live event: Live events through which users can simultaneously experience and receive new content, features, or merchandise. For example, a sports game or a live concert.
• Major update: Significant new features, content or experiences (bug fixes are not included here). For example, the introduction of a new game mode
• New season: New content, storyline or media library. For example, a new season of a TV show
• Premiere: The first time content/media is available. For example, a newly released movie
• Special Event: A limited time event. For example, an event featuring a collaboration

Click "Learn More" to drive your apps & games business with ASO World app promotion service now.

Adding your in-app event details

Now that you've written impactful in-app event metadata, it's time to optimize the details of your in-app events. These include event purpose, event availability, and event cost. 

• Event Availability. Select your event start and end dates. Your in-app event can last up to 31 days and be promoted up to 14 days before the start date. You can choose to make your event available only in specific regions on specific dates.
• Event Deep Link. This link takes your users who click "open" on the event card or details page to the event content in your app. We recommend using a generic link or a custom URL. avoid using URL shorteners.
• Campaign Purpose. Choose the option that best suits the purpose of your campaign: for all users; to attract new users; to keep active users informed or to bring back lost users.
• Event priority. Events are listed in chronological order based on the earliest start date displayed first. Marking the event as high priority will make it appear before the normal priority events.
• Event Cost. This will indicate if an in-app purchase or subscription is required to participate.

How will in-app events affect ASO?

In-app event cards can be found throughout the App Store. They will appear on the app product page, as well as directly in search results and editorial content.

More specifically, in-app events can increase  keyword ranking in play store and the visibility of the app by:

• More search results: When a user searches for a specific event (e.g. a new movie release), the event card will appear in the search results next to the app. This means that the information provided on the event card (such as the event name and a short description) will be indexable and provide developers with an entirely new way to boost app visibility of their applications by locating core keywords or adding new ones. 
• More options for returning users: When a user searches for an application, the event card will also replace the screenshot in the search results for users who have already downloaded the application. This provides developers with new opportunities to increase interaction with current users. It's also worth noting that early apple app store A/B testing of the iOS 15 beta suggests that search results may no longer show screenshot galleries of apps that users have installed. If the testing applies to iOS version 15, in-app events may be a way to keep your app visible in search results for existing users (thus preventing competitors from taking advantage of any increased visibility).
• Exposure in the "Today", "Games" and "Apps" tabs: In-app events will also appear in the "Today", "Games" and "Apps" tabs. ", Games, and Apps tabs in Editorial and Featured Collections, which can greatly increase visibility. "Featured upcoming events from the Today tab can also appear in the new iOS 15 App Store widget.