Table of contents
- Quick nav
How to Choose an App Store Category for ASO: Primary vs Secondary Category (and Google Play Tags)
Category is an underrated ASO field
Most ASO advice focuses on the name, subtitle and keyword field. Developers often pick a category without much thought at launch. Yet the category decides which charts you appear in and who you compete with, and it counts toward search relevance. Apple covers this in Categories and Discoverability and in its App Store search overview.
App Store: primary vs secondary category
Under App Information in App Store Connect, you can give your app two categories:
| Item | Primary category | Secondary category |
|---|---|---|
| Required? | Yes | Optional |
| Browsing and filters | Your app appears here when people browse or filter search results | Plays a smaller role |
| Apps vs Games tab | Determines which tab the app sits on | Does not |
| Search relevance | Apple lists name, subtitle, keywords and primary category as text relevance signals | No equivalent statement |
| Product page | Shows the primary category and its chart rank, if any | Usually not shown |
So the primary category is the one that drives exposure. The secondary category adds to it.
Picking the primary category: three questions
Apple's guidance comes down to three questions:
- What is the app's core purpose? The primary category should describe the main function, not a side feature.
- Where would users naturally look? Think about how your audience browses. Would they see a photo-sharing social app as Photo & Video or as Social Networking?
- Where do similar apps live? Users may already know which category to check for this kind of app.
For ASO, add one more lens: how crowded the charts are.
| Factor | How to check |
|---|---|
| Who leads the category | Open the free and paid charts. Are the top spots all big brands? |
| Can you realistically chart? | If the bar to rank is very high, a new app may never show up |
| Intent match | Showing up only helps if browsers in that category actually want your app |
| Review compliance | Apple states that choosing an inappropriate category violates the App Review Guidelines |
Don't pick an unrelated category to chase a chart. App Review may ask you to change it. Even if it gets through, the users it brings in won't match your product.
Using the secondary category well
Think of the secondary category as your second positioning:
- Pick the next most accurate fit. A habit tracker, for example, might use Productivity as primary and Health & Fitness as secondary.
- Don't repeat the primary category's meaning, and don't add a popular category that has nothing to do with your app.
- Apple notes that apps with Entertainment or Games as their primary or secondary category appear in the matching Screen Time allowance category. That matters if parents use controls.
Games: two subcategories
If your primary category is Games, you can choose up to two game subcategories (for example Puzzle and Strategy). Your game then appears in those subcategories' browse pages and charts. Look at what's already in each subcategory before you choose.
What changing categories costs
| Topic | What to know |
|---|---|
| When you can change it | Category is part of App Information. Changes generally go through review with your next version |
| Chart rankings | Your rank in the old category doesn't carry over. You build it again in the new one |
| Ratings and reviews | They stay with the app |
| Advice | Record your rankings and keyword performance first, then watch at least one full cycle after the switch |
Getting it right before launch is easiest. If you do need to switch, do it in a normal update and compare impressions and conversion before and after in App Store Connect Analytics.
Category and the keyword field
Because the primary category already counts toward relevance, don't repeat the category name in your keyword field. Spend those 100 bytes on real long-tail terms. The ASO keyword research guide explains the method.
Google Play: one category plus up to five tags
Google Play works differently:
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| App type | Choose App or Game first |
| Category | Pick one category |
| Tags | Add up to five tags in Play Console Store settings to describe your app's content and features |
| Changes | You can edit them in Store settings; changes are reviewed |
How to choose tags:
- Only pick tags that accurately describe core functionality. Google uses them to understand your app and relate it to similar apps.
- Favor tags that match your main search intent. You don't have to use all five.
- Keep tags consistent with your listing copy. See Google Play short and full descriptions.
Pre-launch checklist
- Primary category describes the core function
- You've reviewed the category's top charts and where competitors are listed
- Secondary category is the next-best fit, not a random popular one
- Games: one or two accurate subcategories selected
- Category name isn't repeated in the keyword field
- Google Play: one category and up to five accurate tags set
Summary
On the App Store, the primary category sets where you appear when people browse, decides whether you sit on the Apps or Games tab, and counts toward search relevance. Choose it based on core function, how users look for apps like yours, where competitors sit, and how crowded the charts are. The secondary category adds a second angle. Changing category means a new version and starting your rankings over. Google Play gives you one category plus up to five tags, and accurate tags beat a full set.