Pre-orders (App Store)

When you offer a pre-order, a limited version of your product page is published. Apple states that pre-orders are discoverable in search results, and on the Today, Games and Apps tabs if the app is actively featured. You can release in specific regions and set a different date for each region, so pre-orders also work for bringing an existing app into new regions.

• You configure pre-orders in App Store Connect, in the Pricing and Availability section of My Apps.
• For each pre-order you select an expected release date and the regions.
• A brand-new app can release 2 to 180 days after the pre-order is published.
• An existing app entering a new region can release 2 to 365 days after.
• You can publish the pre-order after the app has been submitted and reviewed by App Review.
• Guideline 2.1(a) applies: submissions for pre-order should be final versions with all necessary metadata and working URLs, with placeholders removed.

Because the pre-order page can appear in search, your app name, subtitle, screenshots and keywords matter before you launch. The page is a first listing that has to convert without ratings.

The page shows an expected release date. If the date might change, avoid featuring it in marketing. People who pre-order are not notified by Apple of date changes or if you remove the pre-order.

A hypothetical habit tracker publishes a pre-order 60 days before launch in the United States. It uses the time to collect impressions and test its listing text.

Prepare the listing with the title and subtitle guide and track it in App Store Connect.