# FAQ

Find answers to common questions about the App Store Manager.

***

## Getting Started

### Which stores are supported?

App Store Manager supports both major app stores:

| Store                       | Features                                                  |
| --------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Apple App Store Connect** | Metadata, screenshots, app previews, Custom Product Pages |
| **Google Play Console**     | Metadata, screenshots, app icons, feature graphics        |

### What can I upload with App Store Manager?

| Content Type         | iOS | Android              |
| -------------------- | --- | -------------------- |
| Title & descriptions | Yes | Yes                  |
| Keywords             | Yes | —                    |
| Screenshots          | Yes | Yes                  |
| App preview videos   | Yes | — (YouTube URL only) |
| App icons            | —   | Yes                  |
| Feature graphics     | —   | Yes                  |
| Release notes        | —   | Yes                  |
| Custom Product Pages | Yes | —                    |

### Do I need a developer account?

Yes. You need:

* **Apple Developer Program** membership for App Store Connect
* **Google Play Developer** account for Google Play Console

The app must already exist in the store (draft or published state).

### What is a Store Listing?

A Store Listing (formerly called "package") is a container for your metadata and screenshots. You can create multiple store listings for:

* Regular operation
* Seasonal campaigns (Christmas, Summer, etc.)
* A/B testing different messaging
* Archiving previous versions

***

## Store Access & Credentials

### How do I set up App Store Connect access?

1. Go to [App Store Connect](https://appstoreconnect.apple.com) → Users and Access → Keys
2. Generate an API key with **App Manager** role
3. Download the `.p8` key file
4. Note your **Issuer ID** and **Key ID**
5. Enter these in App Store Manager under Credentials

{% hint style="warning" %}
Keep your API key secure. It provides full access to your App Store Connect account.
{% endhint %}

See [App Store Connect access](https://docs.appstoremanager.net/documents/access/app-store-connect-access) for detailed instructions.

### How do I set up Google Play Console access?

1. Go to [Google Cloud Console](https://console.cloud.google.com)
2. Create a Service Account
3. Download the JSON key file
4. In Google Play Console, grant the service account these permissions:
   * View app information
   * Edit and delete draft apps
   * Manage store presence
5. Upload the JSON key in App Store Manager

See [Google Play Console access](https://docs.appstoremanager.net/documents/access/google-play-console-access) for detailed instructions.

### Can I use multiple credentials?

Yes. You can assign different credentials to different apps. This is useful if you:

* Manage apps for multiple clients
* Have separate developer accounts for different apps
* Work with a team where credentials are managed per-project

### Are my credentials stored securely?

Yes. API keys and credentials are encrypted and stored securely. They are only used for API communication with the stores and are never shared.

### Is two-factor authentication supported?

App Store Connect no longer uses username/password authentication. API key authentication (which App Store Manager uses) is separate from your Apple ID login and doesn't require 2FA interaction.

### Can I use multiple Apple Developer teams?

Yes. If your Apple ID is associated with multiple teams, you can create separate apps in App Store Manager and assign different API keys for each team.

***

## Screenshots & Assets

### How does the Screenshot Manager work?

The Screenshot Manager uses drag & drop with **Smart Recognition**:

1. Drop files or folders into the manager
2. The engine automatically detects:
   * **Language** from folder names (e.g., `en-US`, `german`, `deutsch`)
   * **Slot position** from filenames (e.g., `1.png`, `en-US_3_1290x2796.png`)
   * **Device size** from actual image dimensions

### What screenshot dimensions are supported?

**iOS (App Store Connect):**

| Device         | Portrait    | Landscape   |
| -------------- | ----------- | ----------- |
| iPhone 6.9"    | 1320 × 2868 | 2868 × 1320 |
| iPhone 6.7"    | 1290 × 2796 | 2796 × 1290 |
| iPhone 6.5"    | 1242 × 2688 | 2688 × 1242 |
| iPhone 5.5"    | 1242 × 2208 | 2208 × 1242 |
| iPad Pro 13"   | 2064 × 2752 | 2752 × 2064 |
| iPad Pro 12.9" | 2048 × 2732 | 2732 × 2048 |

**Android (Google Play):**

| Asset           | Requirements             |
| --------------- | ------------------------ |
| Phone/Tablet    | Min 320px, max 3840px    |
| App Icon        | 512 × 512 px, 32-bit PNG |
| Feature Graphic | 1024 × 500 px            |

### How many screenshots can I upload?

| Store   | Minimum      | Maximum       |
| ------- | ------------ | ------------- |
| iOS     | 3 per device | 10 per device |
| Android | 2 per device | 8 per device  |

### Can I replace individual screenshots?

Yes. The Screenshot Manager uses position-based replacement. Uploading to Position 4 only affects that slot — all others remain unchanged.

### What image formats are supported?

* PNG (recommended)
* JPEG/JPG
* For Google Play icons: 32-bit PNG required

### How long do uploaded assets stay in App Store Manager?

Assets are stored for **180 days** on Basic and Premium plans before automatic deletion. This does not affect your live store listings.

***

## App Previews (Videos)

### Can I upload app preview videos?

Yes, for **iOS only**. App Store Manager supports bulk upload of app preview videos to App Store Connect with the same drag & drop workflow as screenshots.

**Requirements:**

* Duration: 15–30 seconds
* Max file size: 500 MB
* Formats: `.mov`, `.m4v`, `.mp4`
* Max 3 previews per device size per locale

### What about Google Play videos?

Google Play uses YouTube URLs for promo videos, which must be set directly in the Google Play Console. App Store Manager does not transfer video URLs to Google Play.

***

## Metadata & Translations

### How does automatic translation work?

1. Enter your content in one language
2. Click **Translate**
3. Select source and target languages
4. Review and adopt translations

Translations use:

* **Microsoft Azure** (Basic plan)
* **DeepL** (Premium plan) — neural network-based, higher quality

### How many languages are supported?

* **App Store Connect:** 50 languages
* **Google Play Console:** 87 languages

See [Supported languages](https://docs.appstoremanager.net/documents/edit-translate-and-upload/supported-languages) for the full list.

### Will translations exceed character limits?

Translations may be longer or shorter than the original. The App Store Manager:

* Shows character count for each field
* Marks fields that exceed limits with **!** icon
* Provides a **Retranslate** function to iteratively shorten content

{% hint style="info" %}
Shorten your source text, then retranslate — the target will also be shorter.
{% endhint %}

### What are the character limits?

**iOS:**

| Field            | Limit |
| ---------------- | ----- |
| Name             | 30    |
| Subtitle         | 30    |
| Keywords         | 100   |
| Promotional Text | 170   |
| Description      | 4000  |

**Android:**

| Field             | Limit |
| ----------------- | ----- |
| Title             | 30    |
| Short Description | 80    |
| Full Description  | 4000  |

### Can I import translations from Phrase or Lokalise?

Yes. Export translations from your localization platform, format them as App Store Manager Excel/JSON templates, and import. See:

* [Import to Phrase](https://docs.appstoremanager.net/documents/phrase-and-lokalise/import-app-store-metadata-to-phrase)
* [Import to Lokalise](https://docs.appstoremanager.net/documents/phrase-and-lokalise/import-app-store-metadata-to-lokalise)

***

## Upload & Publishing

### Does uploading immediately publish my changes?

**Android:** Changes may go live after Google's review, depending on your settings.

**iOS:** Changes are staged in App Store Connect. You must manually submit for review in App Store Connect for changes to go live.

### Will empty fields overwrite store data?

No. Only fields with content are transferred. Empty fields in App Store Manager do not overwrite existing store data.

### What release tracks are supported for Android?

* Production
* Beta
* Alpha
* Internal testing

### Can I upload to apps that aren't published yet?

Yes. Apps in draft state are supported. For Android, select the appropriate release track (internal, alpha, beta).

### How long does an upload take?

* **Metadata only:** A few minutes
* **Full upload (all screenshots, all languages):** Up to 1 hour

Business customers receive prioritized processing.

### What if an error occurs during upload?

1. Check the error message in the activity log
2. Common issues:
   * Missing required fields (Android: title, short description, description)
   * Text exceeds character limit
   * Invalid credentials or expired API key
   * Screenshot dimensions don't match requirements
3. Fix the issue and retry

***

## Custom Product Pages (iOS)

### What are Custom Product Pages?

Custom Product Pages (CPPs) are alternate versions of your App Store listing. Use them to:

* Target different audiences
* A/B test messaging
* Create campaign-specific landing pages
* Highlight different features

### How many CPPs can I create?

App Store Connect supports up to **35 Custom Product Pages** per app.

### What can I customize in a CPP?

* Promotional text
* Screenshots
* App previews

The app name, icon, and description remain the same as your default listing.

### Can I submit CPPs for review from App Store Manager?

Yes. When you upload a CPP, you can check the option to submit directly for Apple review.

### Which plan includes CPP support?

Custom Product Pages are available for **Premium Plan** subscribers.

***

## Team Management

### Can multiple users work on the same account?

Yes. Team Management (v4.0.0+) allows you to:

* Invite team members
* Assign roles (Viewer, Editor, Admin)
* Lock store listings to prevent conflicts
* Track changes with audit logs

### What user roles are available?

| Role       | Permissions                                       |
| ---------- | ------------------------------------------------- |
| **Viewer** | Read-only access                                  |
| **Editor** | Edit metadata and screenshots                     |
| **Admin**  | Full access including uploads and team management |

### How does locking work?

When editing a store listing, you can lock it to prevent other team members from making conflicting changes. Unlock when finished.

***

## Subscriptions & Billing

### What plans are available?

| Plan         | Key Features                                                        |
| ------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Tiny**     | Android Release Notes only                                          |
| **Basic**    | Metadata, screenshots, translations                                 |
| **Premium**  | Everything + Custom Product Pages, App Previews, DeepL translations |
| **Business** | Priority processing, custom integrations                            |

### Do translations have limits?

Yes. Each plan includes a monthly character allowance for translations:

* **Basic:** 1,000,000 characters
* **Premium:** Higher limits

Characters reset monthly.

### Can I change my plan?

Yes. Upgrade or downgrade anytime through the subscription settings.

***

## Troubleshooting

### My screenshots aren't being recognized

Check that:

* Image dimensions exactly match supported sizes
* Folder names use recognizable locale codes (e.g., `en-US`, `de-DE`, `german`)
* Filenames include position numbers (e.g., `1.png`, `2.png`)

Unrecognized files appear in "Uncategorized" where you can manually assign them.

### Upload fails with "permission denied"

Your API credentials may lack required permissions:

**Google Play:** Ensure service account has:

* View app information
* Edit and delete draft apps
* Manage store presence

**App Store Connect:** Ensure API key has **App Manager** role.

### Translations are too long

Use the **Retranslate** function:

1. Shorten your source text
2. Retranslate to target languages
3. Repeat until within limits

### App not found when searching

* Verify the app is published (draft apps won't appear in search)
* Check spelling and platform selection
* For unpublished apps, add manually using the package name/bundle ID

### Changes not appearing in the store

**iOS:** Changes are staged. Submit for review in App Store Connect.

**Android:** Check if your app is under review. Changes may take time to propagate after approval.

***

## File Templates

### Where can I download the file templates?

All official templates are available on the [File Templates](https://docs.appstoremanager.net/documents/import-and-export/file-templates) page:

| Template Type              | Formats     |
| -------------------------- | ----------- |
| Metadata (Android)         | JSON, Excel |
| Metadata (iOS)             | JSON, Excel |
| Custom Product Pages (iOS) | JSON        |
| Screenshots (Android)      | ZIP         |
| Screenshots (iOS)          | ZIP         |

### What is the CPP template for?

The `iosCppTemplate.json` is specifically for **Custom Product Pages** in App Store Connect. Use it to import or export promotional texts for your CPPs.

### Can I modify the template structure?

The file structure must remain intact for imports to work. You can:

* Leave fields blank or omit them entirely
* Change the order of languages
* Remove languages you don't need

Custom file formats are available for Business customers.

***

## Still Need Help?

* Check the [detailed walkthrough](https://docs.appstoremanager.net/documents/readme/how-to-work-with-the-app-store-manager)
* Review the [changelog](https://docs.appstoremanager.net/app-store-manager/changelog) for recent updates
* [Contact us](https://www.iwantanelephant.com/contact/) for direct support