Minimum Keyword Length for App Store Keywords

The rule applies per keyword, as separated by commas, not to the whole field. A phrase with a space, such as "real estate", counts as one keyword.

Apple states the rule in characters. Its pages do not explain how it treats languages where one character is a whole word, such as many Chinese and Japanese terms. If you localize into those languages, test a short term in a draft and see whether App Store Connect accepts it; do not rely on assumption. Remember too that such terms use more of the 100-byte limit per character.

Apple already advises avoiding filler words like "the" and "to", and generic terms like "app" or "game", so most short terms you would drop for relevance are also the ones below the minimum. A valid but wasteful three-letter word still uses bytes, so ask whether it earns its place.

• Adding two-letter abbreviations to squeeze in extra terms.
• Putting spaces after commas, which wastes bytes; see spaces after commas.
• Listing a competitor's name; see competitor names in keywords.

Run your finished list through the keyword field checker, and read the keyword field guide for how to pick the words.