Apple has quietly rolled out a major update that gives developers and marketers more control over how their apps appear in App Store search. You can now assign keywords to Custom Product Pages (CPPs), allowing these tailored pages to appear in organic search results for the first time.
Previously, CPPs were mainly used in external campaigns or as landing pages for Apple Search Ads. Now, they can play a direct role in your organic App Store Optimisation (ASO) strategy.
What are Custom Product Pages?
Custom Product Pages are alternate versions of your default App Store listing. You can create up to 35 different pages, each featuring unique screenshots, promotional copy, and app previews. This allows you to showcase specific features, seasonal content, or user personas without changing your default listing.
For example, Apple demonstrates how CPPs can showcase varied app activities to target distinct user groups by tailoring the visuals and messaging. Each Custom Product Page is assigned a unique URL, making them easy to share across platforms.
Before this update, CPPs were only used through ASA, Meta or other advertising placements. That has now changed.
What’s changed?
With the new update, developers can now assign keywords, selected from the backend keywords of the latest approved app version, to specific Custom Product Pages within App Store Connect. Once these pages are live and approved, they can appear in organic search results when users search for the assigned terms.
This change introduces a new way to align search intent with tailored messaging and creative assets. Rather than showing the same default product page for every search, developers can now surface different versions of their app listing depending on what the user is looking for.
Below, you can see that McDonald’s UK can now pick from their backend keywords and match them up to a corresponding CPP:
Key functionality and limitations
While the update adds a new dimension to search visibility, there are some important technical and strategic considerations:
- Geographic and language constraints: Currently, this feature is only available in the U.S. and U.K. App Store and requires the user’s device language to be set to English (U.S.) or English (U.K.). CPPs won’t be triggered in search results in other stores or languages, even if the metadata is in English.
- Metadata dependencies: Keywords must be chosen from the latest approved version’s metadata; developers cannot create new keywords solely for CPPs. If the app is updated and a new version is approved, previous keyword selections disappear and need to be reassigned manually.
- Keyword logic: A CPP will appear in search only when the search query contains more keywords from the CPP than from the default product page. This has implications for long-tail keyword strategies and how metadata is structured across pages.
- Ad prioritisation: If the same keyword is targeted by both an Apple Search Ads (ASA) campaign and a CPP, the ASA version will take precedence in search results.
- Analytics integration: App Store Connect now includes analytics for CPPs in search, allowing teams to monitor performance and compare the impact of different page variants.
- 35 Custom Product Pages limitation: As before, developers can utilise up to 35 independent listings. This number has not changed, even with the new functionality of keywords added to CPPs. Therefore, consider carefully what your remaining available product pages should be used for.
Why this matters for ASO and user acquisition
This feature breaks the long-standing limitation of showing only a single set of creative assets in organic search. Now, developers can test different messaging strategies for different keywords and user intents, all within the same app listing.
It also opens up new opportunities for experimentation. Marketers can now test variations of copy and visuals in organic search, identify what performs best, and then carry those insights into paid campaigns with greater confidence. CPP analytics allow for performance tracking at a granular level, making it easier to optimise across the entire funnel.
Moreover, it enables a more personalised approach to discovery. Users searching for a specific feature or use case can now be shown a version of the app that speaks directly to their needs, improving both engagement and conversion rates.
What developers should do now
To make the most of keyword targeting for Custom Product Pages, developers should begin by reviewing their current keyword strategy. It’s essential to ensure that the most relevant and high-impact terms are included in the metadata of the latest approved app version, as these are the only keywords available for assignment to CPPs.
Next, developers should create Custom Product Pages that align closely with the intent behind each keyword. This means tailoring visuals, copy, and messaging to speak directly to what users are searching for, whether that’s a specific feature, use case, or user type.
When assigning keywords, it’s important to do so thoughtfully. Apple advises using distinct keywords for each Custom Product Page to maximise relevance and avoid overlap between pages. This targeted approach increases the chances of surfacing the most appropriate CPP for each search query.
Finally, teams should actively monitor the new CPP analytics available in App Store Connect. These insights will reveal which pages are driving search traffic and conversions, helping developers refine their strategy over time and identify which variations are performing best in organic search.
Looking ahead
Although the rollout is currently limited to the U.S. and U.K., Apple will likely expand support to additional localisations and geographies over time. The current implementation appears to be a foundation for broader functionality in the future.
For now, this is a valuable tool for developers focused on the U.S. and U.K. markets and looking to refine their App Store presence. It’s an early-stage opportunity with clear strategic benefits, and those who begin experimenting now will be better positioned when the feature evolves further.
Want help integrating keyword-targeted Custom Product Pages into your ASO strategy? Get in touch with our team to discover how we can support your app’s growth.
