Google Play Metadata Policy Overview
Google Play Console enforces strict automated and human moderation policies designed to prevent misleading claims, spammy keyword stuffing, and low-quality store listings.
5 Critical Prohibitions in Google Play Metadata
1. No Emojis or Repeated Punctuation in Titles
Google Play explicitly forbids emojis (π₯, π, βοΈ) and repeated special characters (!!!, ???) in the App Title, Developer Name, and Short Description.
2. No Promotional or Pricing Claims
Words indicating store performance, ranking, or pricing are blocked:
- β
Best Water Sort - β
#1 Puzzle Game - β
Free Video Editor - β
Download Now - Top App
3. Capitalization & ALL CAPS Rule
Titles cannot be written in all-caps unless the brand name is a registered trademark (e.g., NASA, FIFA, BMW).
- β
BEST COLOR SORT PUZZLE - β
Color Sort: Water Puzzle
4. Short Description Length Optimization
The short description allows up to 80 characters and is heavily indexed for keywords by Google's search algorithms.
Studios frequently make the mistake of copying their 30-character iOS Subtitle, leaving 50+ high-value indexing characters completely unused.
5. Instant Verification with Larko
Test your Google Play listing with Larko Policy Guard to detect banned keywords, missing feature graphics (1024x500), and character length mismatches.
80-Character Short Description Indexing
Google's Natural Language Processing (NLP) algorithm assigns substantial relevance weighting to the Short Description (80 characters).
- Bad (Copied 30-char iOS subtitle):
Relaxing brain puzzle game(27 chars, 53 unused) - Good (Full 80-char semantic coverage):
Relaxing brain puzzle game with color sorting liquid challenges & logic levels(79 chars)
Full Description Keyword Density
| Section | Character Allowance | Indexing Behavior | Best Practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| App Title | 30 characters | Highest weight | Brand + Primary high-volume keyword |
| Short Description | 80 characters | High weight | Secondary keywords + core value prop |
| Full Description | 4,000 characters | Heavy body search | Natural 2β3% keyword frequency with bullet points |
| Feature Graphic | 1024 Γ 500 px | Visual conversion | Clean branding, zero text clutter, no device frames |
Play Store Compliance Checklist
- Verify Title length β€ 30 characters with zero emojis.
- Confirm Title contains no pricing words (
Free,Sale,Best,#1,Top). - Maximize Short Description to 70β80 characters.
- Structure Full Description with clear feature headers and bullet lists.
- Upload a high-resolution 1024x500 Feature Graphic.
