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Store Listing Preview Checklist: Catch Truncation Before You Ship
Why finishing screenshots is not the same as finishing the listing
You can ship beautiful device frames and still fail the first scroll of the store page:
- Title or subtitle truncates on the product card—your keyword lives in the clipped half.
- Screenshot order tells the wrong story—settings first, value prop third.
- Icon, rating, category, and copy fight each other when they finally share one viewport.
That is why we built /en/tools/store-preview (Store Listing Preview): fill name, subtitle, developer, category, and rating; upload an icon plus up to eight screenshots; toggle App Store or Google Play styling; watch a live full-page mock; export a PNG. Everything stays in the browser. It is an unofficial mock—not a real store page and not trademark-licensed.
Use this article as the pre-publish pass we run ourselves: character limits first, then the mock for “above the fold.”
Three tools people confuse
| Tool | Job | Not the job |
|---|---|---|
| Device mockup / framed screenshots | Frame a single UI shot | Full listing chrome (title, ratings, description) |
| Feature Graphic maker | Play’s required 1024×500 banner | App Store product-page structure |
| Store Listing Preview | Whole-page feel: icon + title row + screenshot strip + description | Pixel-perfect official UI or live ranking |
If you still mix up which file goes in which slot, start with screenshots vs feature graphic vs app preview.
Character limits you should stress-test in the mock
The mock’s best trick is forcing real copy into a realistic width. Current field caps (App Store Connect / Play Console):
| Field | App Store | Google Play |
|---|---|---|
| App name / title | 30 characters | 30 characters |
| Subtitle / short description | Subtitle 30 | Short description 80 |
| Phone screenshots | Up to 10; at least 1 to submit | Up to 8; at least 2 across device types to publish |
Decisions we actually make when editing a listing:
- Name = readable brand + category, not a 30-character keyword dump—clipped search cards look worse than a shorter clean title.
- Subtitle sells the outcome; on Play, avoid “Best / #1 / Download now” style claims discouraged in Google’s preview-asset guidance.
- Count in
/en/tools/aso-char-count, then paste into/en/tools/store-preview—the counter answers “over limit?”, the mock answers “ugly when clipped?”.
Five-minute preview workflow
- Open
/en/tools/store-previewand pick App Store or Google Play. - Enter the exact name, subtitle (or short description), developer, category, and rating you plan to submit—skip “Test App” placeholders.
- Upload your icon and 3–5 final screenshots in shipping order.
- Check the first screen: value prop + proof shot visible? Opening lines of the description empty fluff?
- Export PNG for design review. That PNG is not an uploadable store asset.
If sizes are still wrong, run batch multi-size export or screenshot compliance check. The required iPhone screenshot slot remains Dynamic Island (medium display) at 1206×2622 or 1179×2556—do not treat optional 6.9″ or Duo sizes as currently required (see Apple’s screenshot specifications dated today).
Pre-publish checklist
- Name and subtitle are fully readable in the mock; keywords are not hiding in the ellipsis
- First screenshot answers “what does this app do for me?” within three seconds
- Icon stays legible on both light and dark mock backgrounds
- You exported both App Store and Play style PNGs when you ship both stores
- Feature Graphic colors do not clash with the Play screenshot strip
- Compliance check already cleared alpha / wrong dimensions
- You remember: mock ≠ live store; Connect / Console preview still wins
First-screen bar for each store style
App Store style: Do icon, name/subtitle, Get button, and rating feel balanced? Does the screenshot strip tease a weak second frame before anyone swipes?
Play style: Does the short description explain the category before the fold? If you have a Feature Graphic, does its focal color fight the first screenshot?
It is normal to keep two copy sets: Apple’s 30-character subtitle is one benefit line; Play’s 80-character short description can add a half-sentence of context. When you toggle styles in the mock, do not reuse the subtitle field as the short description.
Mistakes we keep seeing
Uploading the mock PNG as a “preview image.” Stores want slot-specific assets, not a full-page collage.
App Store copy pasted into Play. Eighty-character short description, 1024×500 feature graphic, and a YouTube preview URL are different jobs.
Fake 5.0 stars “for the mock.” Fine for internal comps; never ship forged ratings in ads or public decks.
Huge marketing headlines on screenshots that repeat the title. First screen becomes noise.
How this differs from competitor tool pages
Sleek, AppMockup, and StorePreviewer also mock listings. We are not racing for pixel-perfect chrome. We care about a closed loop on one site: character counter → listing mock → compliance check → batch export, a clear unofficial disclaimer, and a truncation checklist you can tick.
What “good enough” looks like in a review meeting
Pass the PNG around and ask only three questions: (1) Can someone who never used the app say what it does from the first screen? (2) Is any keyword or benefit stuck behind an ellipsis? (3) Would you swipe the screenshot strip? If the answer to (3) is “maybe,” reorder before you touch Connect. Ten minutes in Store Listing Preview usually beats another hour polishing a single frame that never appears above the fold.
After the mock looks right, refine conversion with the five-frame storytelling template or why the first screenshot matters.