Do Spaces Count in App Store Keywords? How the 100-Character Keyword Field Works

If you have ever pasted a list of search terms into the Keywords box in App Store Connect and wondered how the limit is counted, you have probably asked this question: do spaces count in App Store keywords? The short answer is that every character you type into that field uses part of a fixed budget, and Apple tells you to keep the list tight. This guide walks through what Apple actually documents, what it leaves unsaid, and how to build a keyword list that makes full use of the space without breaking the rules.

The short answer

Apple's App Store search guidance says keywords are limited to 100 characters in total, with terms separated by commas and no spaces. Apple adds a clarification: you can use spaces to separate the words inside a single keyword phrase, and it gives "Property,House,Real Estate" as its own example of a correctly formatted list.

Put plainly:

Between keywords: use a comma and nothing else. Do not put a space after the comma.
Inside a phrase: a space is allowed when the phrase is made of more than one word, such as "Real Estate".
Against the limit: the limit is stated as 100 characters in total. A comma is a character, and so is a space inside a phrase, so by the plain reading of Apple's wording both take up room. Apple does not publish a worked count, so treat this as the reading of its wording and check that your list is accepted when you enter it in App Store Connect.

One detail is worth knowing. Apple's App Store Connect reference page for platform version information describes the limit as 100 bytes of content rather than 100 characters. Apple does not explain how it counts those bytes. In common text encodings such as UTF-8, a plain English letter takes one byte, while accented letters and characters from many other scripts take more than one, so a localized keyword list may fill the field sooner than its character count suggests. If you localize your listing, check that App Store Connect accepts each language's list rather than counting by hand.

What the keyword field is for

Apple states that search results are based on a number of factors, including text relevance (matches for your app's title, subtitle, keywords and primary category) as well as user behavior such as downloads and ratings and reviews. The keyword field is therefore only one input among several. It is also different from the name and subtitle in one practical way: Apple lists the app name and subtitle among the product page elements that appear in search results, while the keyword list is not among them. It is written for matching, not for reading.

Apple also says that promotional text does not affect your app's search ranking, so it should not be used to display keywords. That matters here because it means the 100-character keyword field is not something you can work around by moving terms to another editable text box. The description field is a separate matter. Apple's product page advises against adding unnecessary keywords to it, and this guide makes no ranking claims about it.

Rules Apple documents for the field

Apple's guidance and its App Store Connect reference give several concrete rules. Collected in one place:

Stay under the limit. 100 characters in total, comma-separated.
Do not repeat words that are already in your app name, subtitle or category. Apple already lists the name, subtitle and primary category as part of text relevance, so repeating those words spends space without adding a new term. Apple's reference also notes that your app is searchable by app name and company name, so you should not duplicate those values in the keyword list.
Skip plurals of words you already included in the singular form. Apple's example is "climbs" and "climb", which it treats as duplicates.
Skip generic terms and filler words. Apple advises avoiding terms that are too broad for your app or category, such as "app" or "game", and filler words such as "the" and "to".
Do not list the same word twice. Duplicates add nothing.
Avoid special characters such as # or @ unless they are part of your brand identity.
Do not use names of other apps or companies. Apple's App Store search guidance lists competing app names among the things not to include, and says improper use of keywords is a common reason for App Store rejections. Apple's App Store Connect reference says names of other apps or companies are not allowed. Separately, Apple's App Review Guidelines (2.3.7) say not to pack metadata with trademarked terms, popular app names, pricing information or other irrelevant phrases, and say Apple may modify inappropriate keywords at any time.
Each keyword should be longer than two characters, according to the description in Apple's App Store Connect reference.

A worked example (hypothetical)

To make the counting concrete, imagine a made-up budgeting app called Penny Pilot. The name and the example are invented for illustration only; they are not a real product.

App name: Penny Pilot (11 characters)
Subtitle: Budget Planner & Tracker (24 characters)
Primary category: Finance

The words "penny", "pilot", "budget", "planner", "tracker" and "finance" are already covered by the name, subtitle and category, so they stay out of the keyword list. Here is a candidate list for the remaining space:

expense,saving,bills,money,spending,cash flow,net worth,paycheck

That string is 64 characters, counting every comma and the single space inside each of the two-word phrases "cash flow" and "net worth". There are 36 characters left, so you could add more terms:

expense,saving,bills,money,spending,cash flow,net worth,paycheck,allowance

That version is 74 characters. Now compare the same list written with a space after every comma:

expense, saving, bills, money, spending, cash flow, net worth, paycheck

It looks easier to read, but it is 71 characters instead of 64, because each of the seven extra spaces uses one character of the 100 available (and it goes against Apple's instruction to separate terms with commas and no spaces). Over a full list, those wasted characters are room for another keyword or two.

Common mistakes

Putting spaces after commas. It makes the list neater to read but costs characters and goes against Apple's formatting guidance.

Repeating the app name. Because Apple says the app is already searchable by name and company name, adding them again spends characters for nothing.

Listing both singular and plural. Apple advises against plurals of words you have already included, so if you include "saving", do not add "savings" as well.

Filling the field with generic words. Apple advises avoiding generic terms that are too broad for your app or category. Specific, relevant terms are the better use of a limited budget.

Adding competitor names. Apple lists competing app names among the things not to include, and says improper use of keywords is a common reason for App Store rejections.

Stuffing the field to the last character. Using all 100 characters is fine if every term is relevant. Padding the list with loosely related words just to reach the limit is not a goal worth chasing.

A simple process for building your list

Write down what the app does in plain words a user would type into the search bar. Think about tasks and problems, not feature names.
Cross out anything already in your name, subtitle or category. Those are covered.
Remove duplicates and plurals so only one form of each word remains.
Join the survivors with commas and no spaces, keeping spaces only inside genuine multi-word phrases.
Check the length and trim the least relevant term if the list is over 100.
Review the list when the app changes. A new feature can justify a new term, and a term that no longer describes the app should go.

Keep a record of each version of the list and the date you changed it. Search results are influenced by many factors beyond text, so a changed list alone will not tell you what moved your ranking, but a written history makes it far easier to review your decisions later.

How this compares with Google Play

Google's Play Console Help does not list a separate keyword field like the one described above. It lists an app name (30 characters), a short description (80 characters) and a full description (4,000 characters). It also warns that repetitive or irrelevant use of keywords in the app name, description or promotional description can result in an app being suspended on Google Play. The practical result is that the discipline Apple requires of the keyword field, which is to write only relevant words and never to repeat them, is a good habit for every store listing you write.

Frequently asked questions

Do spaces count toward the 100-character limit? Apple states the limit as 100 characters in total, and its own example includes a space inside the phrase "Real Estate". A space is a character, so a space you type uses part of the budget. App Store Connect is the final authority on whether a list fits.

Should I put a space after each comma? No. Apple says terms should be separated by commas and no spaces.

Can I use a space inside a keyword? Yes, when the keyword is a phrase of several words, as in Apple's "Real Estate" example.

Should I repeat my app name in the keyword field? No. Apple notes that the app is already searchable by app name and company name.

Does promotional text help with search? Apple says promotional text does not affect your app's search ranking and should not be used to display keywords.

Sources

Apple Developer, "App Store search" (search results are based on text relevance and user behavior; keywords limited to 100 characters, separated by commas with no spaces; do not repeat words; avoid plurals, generic terms, filler words, special characters and competing app names; improper keyword use is a common reason for rejection; name and subtitle appear in search results; promotional text does not affect ranking): https://developer.apple.com/app-store/search/
Apple Developer, "Product page" guidance (name and subtitle length, keywords advice, promotional text): https://developer.apple.com/app-store/product-page/
Apple Developer, App Store Connect Help, "Platform version information" (keywords: each greater than two characters, up to 100 bytes of content, do not duplicate app name or company name, names of other apps or companies are not allowed): https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/reference/app-information/platform-version-information
Apple Developer, App Review Guidelines, 2.3.7 (trademarked terms, popular app names, pricing information, irrelevant phrases; Apple may modify inappropriate keywords): https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/
Google Play Console Help, store listing character limits and keyword repetition warning (suspension): https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/9859152