# App store featured Human Guide

## What This Is For
Provides expert guidance for guidance for Apple's App Store editorial process and featuring strategy. It gives the agent a clearer input/output frame for app store featured: what context to ask for, what decisions to make, and what usable artifact to return.

Use this as a human-readable version of the App store featured agent skill. It is meant for marketers, operators, founders, and other non-coders who want the workflow without reading agent-specific implementation instructions.

## When To Use This
- Use this when you need a repeatable process for app store featured.
- Use this when the task needs judgment, examples, constraints, or a clear output format rather than a one-off prompt.
- Use this when you want to hand an AI assistant enough context to produce a usable marketing artifact.

## When Not To Use This
- Do not use this when you only need a quick factual answer.
- Do not use this when the work depends on private data you cannot share with the assistant.
- Do not use this as a replacement for legal, compliance, financial, or medical review.

## What You Need Before Starting
- The goal or business outcome you want.
- The audience, customer segment, or market context.
- Any source material the assistant should respect, such as notes, briefs, examples, URLs, or brand guidance.
- Constraints such as tone, length, channel, deadline, region, or approval requirements.
- A clear definition of what a good final answer should look like.

## Step-By-Step Workflow
1. State the job clearly: "Use the App store featured guide to help me with..."
2. Add context: audience, goal, offer, channel, source material, and constraints.
3. Ask the assistant to identify missing inputs before producing the final output.
4. Have the assistant follow the skill-specific guidance below.
5. Review the result against the final checklist and ask for revisions where needed.

## Skill-Specific Guidance
- Check for `app-marketing-context.md` — read it for context
- Ask for the **App ID** (to assess current state)
- Ask: **Has the app been featured before?**
- Ask: **Any upcoming updates or launches?** (timing matters)
- Ask: **Does the app use latest Apple technologies?** (SwiftUI, WidgetKit, etc.)
- [ ] Follows Apple Human Interface Guidelines
- [ ] Clean, modern UI (no cluttered screens)
- [ ] Consistent design language throughout
- [ ] Beautiful app icon (simple, distinctive)
- [ ] High-quality screenshots (all 10 slots)
- [ ] App preview video (if applicable)
- [ ] iPad optimization (if applicable)

## Decision Points And Nuance
The original skill emphasizes: Initial Assessment, Understanding Apple's Editorial Process, What Apple Looks For, Types of Featuring, Featuring Optimization Checklist, Design Excellence, Apple Technology Adoption, Quality Signals, Content & Story, How to Pitch Apple.

Use these questions to steer the work:
- What is the intended audience or buyer?
- What source material must be preserved?
- What should the assistant optimize for: clarity, persuasion, accuracy, speed, creativity, or conversion?
- What examples represent the desired quality bar?
- What should the assistant avoid?

## Common Mistakes
- `review-management` — Rating must be 4.5+ before pitching

## Copy-And-Paste Prompt
```text
Use the App store featured human guide.

My goal:
[Describe the business outcome]

Audience:
[Describe who this is for]

Context and source material:
[Paste notes, examples, links, or existing copy]

Constraints:
[Tone, length, channel, timeline, must-include items, must-avoid items]

Before producing the final output, ask me for any missing information that would materially improve the result.
```

## Final Checklist
- [ ] The output matches the original goal.
- [ ] The audience and context are reflected in the answer.
- [ ] Important constraints and source material were preserved.
- [ ] The assistant made the relevant decisions explicit.
- [ ] The final artifact is ready to use, review, or hand to the next person.

## Source
This guide was generated from the eronred/aso-skills skill entry for `app-store-featured`.

## Source Skill Notes
These notes preserve the nuance from the original skill. Use them as supporting reference when the workflow above feels too generic.

# App Store Featured Strategy

You are an expert in Apple's App Store editorial process and featuring strategy. Your goal is to help the user maximize their chances of getting featured on the App Store.

## Initial Assessment

1. Check for `app-marketing-context.md` — read it for context
2. Ask for the **App ID** (to assess current state)
3. Ask: **Has the app been featured before?**
4. Ask: **Any upcoming updates or launches?** (timing matters)
5. Ask: **Does the app use latest Apple technologies?** (SwiftUI, WidgetKit, etc.)

## Understanding Apple's Editorial Process

### What Apple Looks For

Apple's editorial team manually curates featured content. They prioritize:

| Factor | Weight | Details |
|--------|--------|---------|
| **Design quality** | Very High | Clean, intuitive, Apple-like design language |
| **Apple tech adoption** | Very High | SwiftUI, WidgetKit, Live Activities, visionOS |
| **Unique value** | High | Does something no other app does |
| **Story** | High | Compelling founder/developer story |
| **Timeliness** | High | Relevant to current events, seasons, Apple launches |
| **Rating** | Medium | 4.5+ stars strongly preferred |
| **Stability** | Medium | No crashes, good performance |
| **Accessibility** | Medium | VoiceOver, Dynamic Type, color contrast |
| **Privacy** | Medium | App Tracking Transparency, minimal data collection |

### Types of Featuring

| Placement | Visibility | How to Get It |
|-----------|-----------|---------------|
| **App of the Day** | Highest — Today tab hero | Exceptional design + story + timing |
| **Game of the Day** | Highest — Today tab hero | Outstanding gameplay + Apple tech |
| **Today Tab Story** | Very High — Editorial article | Unique angle, compelling narrative |
| **Apps We Love** | High — Curated collection | Quality + category relevance |
| **Category Feature** | Medium — Category page banner | Strong in specific category |
| **Search Feature** | Medium — Search result highlight | Relevance + quality |
| **In-App Events** | Medium — Today tab + search | Active events with good content |

## Featuring Optimization Checklist

### Design Excellence

- [ ] Follows Apple Human Interface Guidelines
- [ ] Clean, modern UI (no cluttered screens)
- [ ] Consistent design language throughout
- [ ] Beautiful app icon (simple, distinctive)
- [ ] High-quality screenshots (all 10 slots)
- [ ] App preview video (if applicable)
- [ ] Dark mode support
- [ ] iPad optimization (if applicable)

### Apple Technology Adoption

- [ ] **SwiftUI** — Apple strongly favors SwiftUI apps
- [ ] **WidgetKit** — Home screen and Lock Screen widgets
- [ ] **Live Activities** — Dynamic Island and Lock Screen
- [ ] **App Intents / Shortcuts** — Siri integration
- [ ] **SharePlay** — If social/collaborative features exist
- [ ] **StoreKit 2** — Modern subscription management
- [ ] **App Clips** — If applicable
- [ ] **visionOS** — Apple Vision Pro support (highest priority in 2025-2026)
- [ ] **Apple Intelligence** — AI features using Apple's frameworks

### Quality Signals

- [ ] Rating 4.5+ stars
- [ ] Regular updates (at least monthly)
- [ ] No critical bugs or crashes
- [ ] Fast launch time (< 2 seconds)
- [ ] Accessibility support (VoiceOver, Dynamic Type)
- [ ] Privacy nutrition labels accurate
- [ ] App Tracking Transparency implemented properly

### Content & Story

- [ ] Compelling "What's New" for each update