Guide · 8 min read
App Store Featuring Submission Timing: The 8-Week Checklist by Placement Type (2026)
The App Store features fewer than 100 apps per week across the Today tab, category pages, and curated collections — and nominations go through a form inside App Store Connect that most developers never open. The form has three distinct submission types, each routed to a different editorial team, and each placement has its own asset requirements and lead-time window. Most last-minute nominations are automatically ineligible. Here is exactly what to prepare, when to submit it, and how to structure each nomination type for the placement you are actually targeting.
App Store Featuring Nominations Form: 3 Types That Route to Different Editorial Teams
The Featuring Nominations form in App Store Connect has three nomination categories — App Launch, App Enhancements, and New Content — and selecting the wrong one routes your submission to the wrong editorial team. App Launch covers new apps going to production for the first time. App Enhancements covers major feature releases and version updates. New Content covers live additions like In-App Events, new subscription tiers, or seasonal content. A product update submitted as App Launch is filtered out before any editor reads it.
The form is only visible to Account Holder, Admin, App Manager, and Marketing roles — Developer-only roles cannot see the nomination section in App Store Connect at all. If a Developer-only collaborator has been handling your App Store metadata, that account cannot submit nominations; the submission needs to come from an account with one of the four eligible roles. The nomination types and criteria are the operational side of featuring; the companion guide on what Apple’s editorial team actually looks for covers the selection criteria in detail.
Each nomination form asks for a short pitch (200–300 words), key feature highlights, and release timing. The pitch is the only part that gets personalized editorial attention before assets are reviewed — treat it as a cover letter, not a feature list. One specific story angle (the developer’s background, the problem that existed before the app, a user group the app serves unusually well) outperforms a benefits rundown every time.
App Store Featuring Lead Time: 8–12 Weeks Is the Practical Minimum for Today Tab
Apple’s official guidance says to submit at least 3 weeks before your target date — but developers who consistently land Today tab placements report 8–12 weeks as the effective minimum for those high-visibility placements. The 3-week window catches the New Content queue; it rarely reaches Today tab editorial consideration, which runs on a calendar built out months in advance.
The practical breakdown by placement: Today tab (App of the Day / Story) — submit 8–12 weeks ahead. Category pages and chart editorial — submit 4–6 weeks ahead. New Content and In-App Events — submit 2–4 weeks ahead, and time your nomination to land alongside the event itself. Apple’s editorial team schedules Today tab features by theme — “back to school,” “fitness new year,” “creativity tools” — and apps that align with a seasonal theme get considered in the corresponding planning window.
The single most actionable timing rule: if you have a major version update or feature ship coming, nominate it the same day you submit the app update for review — not after it goes live. Nominations tied to an active or pending update are evaluated in context of what is about to ship; nominations submitted after a version has been live for months rarely receive Today tab consideration regardless of quality.
Today Tab Featuring: App of the Day Asset Requirements
App of the Day placements require the most preparation — Apple’s editorial team will follow up with asset requests if your app advances past initial screening, but having materials ready before they ask shortens the selection timeline significantly. The assets they consistently request: high-resolution screenshots at current specifications (see the App Store screenshot size requirements for the current 6.9-inch 1320×2868 px primary), a 1024×500 feature banner, an app preview video (30 seconds, no voiceover), and editorial access to a fully featured version of the app for editors to test.
The editorial writeup Apple may request is separate from your App Store description. It runs 150–200 words in a human narrative voice — the developer’s story or the problem the app was built to solve — and is used verbatim or lightly edited on the Today tab card. Apps without a compelling story angle rarely receive App of the Day; the format requires a narrative, not a feature list. Published Today tab stories read like magazine profiles, not product landing pages — calibrate to that tone before submitting.
One often-missed requirement: your App Store product page must be complete before any editorial team will advance a nomination. That means all available screenshot slots filled for the required device sizes, a preview video if your app has motion to show, and your short description and long description both present and accurate. A nomination from an app with empty screenshot slots signals the developer is unprepared for the scrutiny that comes with a public editorial feature.
Category Pages and Collections: Lighter Assets, But Seasonal Timing Closes Early
Category page placements and curated collections require less bespoke editorial preparation than Today tab, but they run on a fixed seasonal calendar and submission windows close earlier than most developers expect. For Q4 holiday collections, the effective submission window closes by mid-September — Apple’s editorial team builds holiday collection lists 6–8 weeks before the feature window opens. Missing this window means the best-case outcome is a January placement, not a December one.
The same pattern applies to every major editorial season: back-to-school collections (submit by early July), fitness and habit categories at the New Year (submit by early November), spring productivity pushes (submit by late January). Category page placements are more algorithmic than Today tab but still editor-curated — an incomplete product page or a nomination submitted after the planning window still results in a skip, regardless of the app’s quality.
Category pages also serve as the proving ground for Today tab consideration. Apps that receive a category page placement and perform well — install volume, review velocity, Day-30 retention — move into the consideration set for higher-visibility placements in the next cycle. If Today tab is your goal, a category page nomination 3–4 months out is a realistic first step, not a consolation prize. The App Store Connect analytics guide covers which metrics signal to Apple that an app is performing well enough to merit escalating featuring.
2026 Asset Library: Pre-Approve Creative Before Apple Asks for It
Apple launched the Asset Library in App Store Connect in 2026 — a centralized place to upload and pre-approve product page headers, search result creatives, and feature graphics before they are needed for a product page update or an editorial placement. The practical value for featuring is significant: if Apple’s editorial team selects your app and your assets are already approved in the library, they can use them immediately without a back-and-forth approval cycle that delays the placement slot.
Product page headers (the new banner format introduced in 2026) are now used in some editorial placements, not just paid App Store ads. An app with a well-produced header asset pre-approved in the Asset Library is easier for an editorial team to feature than one they must manually request assets for. The Asset Library accepts assets independently of an app version submission, so creative can be approved weeks before a version update goes live. The full guide to 2026 App Store asset formats covers the specifications for each new creative type, including the header dimensions.
The practical prep sequence: upload and get approval for your product page header and search result creatives in Asset Library, then submit your featuring nomination, then submit your app version for review. The nomination lands in editorial review with assets already cleared — which removes the most common source of delay between editorial selection and a live feature window.
5 Pre-Submission Checks That Determine Whether Your Nomination Gets Read
Apple’s editorial team filters nominations before human review, and apps that trip these five signals rarely advance. 1. Recent update: the app must have a release within the last 60 days, or a pending update in review, at the time of nomination. Apps with no activity in six months are filtered before any editor reads the pitch. 2. Product page completeness: all required screenshot slots filled for the primary device size, a current preview video if motion is relevant, and an accurate short description. 3. Accessibility: VoiceOver navigation works end-to-end and the app supports Dynamic Type without layout breaking — Apple’s engineers test this before a feature goes live, and apps that fail accessibility checks do not get featured regardless of design quality.
4. Localization: at least one non-English locale supported signals the app is built to scale. Even a single Spanish or Portuguese localization lifts the perceived maturity of a submission. Full App Store localization across the top 5 markets is ideal, but even one additional locale puts an app in a different consideration bucket than English-only. 5. An active or upcoming In-App Event: nominations timed to coincide with a scheduled In-App Event receive higher editorial priority because Apple has an incentive to surface events on the store — events drive engagement signals that benefit the App Store’s own metrics. The In-App Events ASO guide covers how event metadata affects both search placement and featuring consideration simultaneously.
One more signal that is often overlooked: your listing’s review quality and response rate. An app with 4.7 stars and 2,000 reviews in the relevant category is a safer editorial pick than a technically impressive app with 30 ratings. If you are targeting a major featuring window 8–12 weeks out, the time to accelerate review acquisition is now — the review prompt timing guide covers the specific trigger points that lift 5-star rate without violating guidelines.
Submit the nomination, then build for the version of Apple that says yes
The apps that get featured are not always the most technically complex — they are the ones that are ready when Apple looks. A complete product page, approved assets in the Asset Library, a recent update, and a nomination submitted 8–12 weeks ahead of your target window puts you in the realistic consideration set. Most indie apps are never in that set because they missed the timing window or skipped the nomination form entirely.
Use AppsTemple to build the screenshots and banner assets that editorial teams want to see, then submit your nomination and keep shipping. The featuring window you are nominating for is not the last one.
Build your featuring assets in the editor →
Frequently asked questions
how far in advance should i submit for app store featuring
Submit at least 8–12 weeks before your target window for Today tab consideration, 4–6 weeks for category page placements, and 2–4 weeks for In-App Event or New Content nominations. Apple’s official guidance says 3 weeks minimum, but that window primarily catches New Content nominations — Today tab placements require lead time because editorial calendars are built out months in advance.
what is the app store featuring nominations form
The Featuring Nominations form lives in App Store Connect under your app’s page. It has three submission types: App Launch, App Enhancements, and New Content. It is only visible to Account Holder, Admin, App Manager, and Marketing roles — Developer-only accounts cannot see or submit nominations. The form asks for a short pitch, feature highlights, and the timing of your target release or update.
can a new app with zero reviews get featured on the app store
Yes — App Launch nominations specifically target new apps going to production for the first time, and Apple has featured first-launch apps on the Today tab. However, a new app without reviews, an incomplete product page, or no preview video is unlikely to advance past initial screening. Before submitting, fill all screenshot slots, submit a preview video if your app has motion worth showing, and ensure VoiceOver navigation works end-to-end. Apple tests apps before featuring them and accessibility failures are disqualifying.
what assets should i prepare before submitting an app store featuring nomination
At minimum: full screenshot sets for all required device sizes, a 1024×500 feature banner, a 30-second app preview video, and a 150–200 word editorial writeup in a narrative voice (developer story or problem angle, not feature list). For 2026, also upload a product page header to the Asset Library in App Store Connect so assets are pre-approved if Apple selects your app. The <a href='/screenshot-sizes'>App Store screenshot size guide</a> covers current required dimensions for each device class.
does timing an in-app event help with app store featuring consideration
Yes — nominations timed to coincide with an active or upcoming In-App Event receive higher editorial priority. Apple has an incentive to surface events on the store because events drive engagement signals that benefit the App Store’s own metrics. Scheduling a meaningful In-App Event — a challenge, a new content drop, a seasonal mode — and submitting your featuring nomination in the same window is one of the most reliable ways to improve consideration odds for category pages and collections.