Metadata rejection (App Review)

• Placeholder content or dead links. Guideline 2.1(a) says submissions should be final, with working URLs and no placeholder text or empty websites.
• Metadata that does not match the app. Guideline 2.3 says description, screenshots, previews and privacy information must reflect the app's core experience and be kept up to date.
• Generic notes. Guideline 2.3.1(a) says new features must be described with specificity in Notes for Review, and generic descriptions will be rejected.
• Packed names or keywords. Guideline 2.3.7 asks for a unique name and says not to pack metadata with trademarked terms, popular app names, pricing information or irrelevant phrases. Prohibited keyword content includes competing app names and irrelevant terms. See keyword stuffing.

Apple also states that it may modify inappropriate keywords at any time or take other steps to prevent abuse. A listing can be changed by Apple without a rejection.

Apple says that if an app is repeatedly rejected for the same guideline violation, review takes longer. Fix the root cause before you resubmit.

1. Read the cited guideline number.
2. Find every place the problem occurs, in all locales, not only the one named.
3. Change the text, image or link.
4. Add a clear explanation to the review notes.
5. Resubmit and check the status in App Store Connect.

A hypothetical habit tracker is rejected because its English subtitle names a rival app. The team removes the name, then checks the German and French subtitles, where the same name was translated into the text.

Review the App Review Guidelines and stay inside the limits in the metadata limits reference.