Featuring Nomination

Featuring Nomination Generator

Generate a compelling App Store featuring nomination ready for submission, including all required fields, narrative pitch, and strategic timing.

When This Skill Activates

Use this skill when the user:

• Asks to "get featured" or "submit for App Store featuring"
• Mentions "featuring nomination" or "editorial feature"
• Wants help with "App Store editorial" pitch
• Is preparing a major launch or update and wants visibility
• Asks about "Today tab" or "Apps We Love"

How App Store Featuring Works

Apple's editorial team hand-picks apps for featuring based on:

• Quality: Design, performance, and polish
• Innovation: Novel use of Apple technologies
• Relevance: Timely content or seasonal alignment
• Story: Compelling developer or user narrative

Featuring Placements

Submission Timeline

• Submit 6-8 weeks before desired featuring date
• Apple reviews and plans editorial calendar in advance
• Seasonal features are planned months ahead
• No guarantee of featuring — but quality nominations increase odds significantly

Configuration Questions

Ask user via AskUserQuestion:

1. Reason for nomination?

• New app launch
• Major update with new features
• Seasonal relevance (holiday, back-to-school, etc.)
• Apple technology showcase (new API adoption)
• Milestone (anniversary, user count, award)

2. Apple technologies used? (multi-select)

• SwiftUI
• WidgetKit / Live Activities
• App Intents / Shortcuts
• Apple Intelligence / Foundation Models
• ARKit / RealityKit
• HealthKit / ActivityKit
• SharePlay
• StoreKit 2
• Apple Watch complications
• visionOS support
• Other (specify)

3. Target featuring date?

• Within 2 weeks (too late for editorial, but can try)
• 4-6 weeks from now (ideal timing)
• 8+ weeks from now (best chance for planning)
• Seasonal window (specify season)

Generation Process

Step 1: Gather App Details

Collect comprehensive information:

• App name, description, and category
• What's new in this version (if update)
• Apple technologies used with specific details
• Developer story (indie, team, background)
• User impact stories or metrics
• Visual design highlights
• Accessibility features
• Privacy stance

Step 2: Identify Featuring Angles

Read nomination-template.md for the angle selection framework.

Strong angles by category:

• Accessibility: Apps that serve underserved communities
• Health: Mental health, physical wellness, therapy tools
• Education: Learning innovation, kids' safety
• Sustainability: Environmental impact, eco-friendly
• Creativity: Novel creative tools or expression
• Apple Tech: Deep integration with latest Apple APIs
• Cultural: Apps celebrating cultural moments or diversity

Step 3: Generate Nomination

Produce the complete nomination document.

Output Format

Read nomination-template.md and fill all fields.

# App Store Featuring Nomination

## App Information
| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| App Name | [Name] |
| Developer | [Developer/Company Name] |
| App Store URL | [URL] |
| Category | [Primary Category] |
| Platforms | [iOS / macOS / watchOS / visionOS] |
| App Store Connect Contact | [Email] |

## Nomination Reason
[One of: New Launch / Major Update / Seasonal / Technology / Milestone]

## Desired Featuring Window
[Date range, aligned with launch or seasonal opportunity]

## App Overview (2-3 sentences)
[Compelling summary of what the app does and why it matters]

## What Makes This App Special (3-5 bullet points)
- [Unique value proposition]
- [Design or UX innovation]
- [Technical excellence]
- [User impact]
- [Cultural or social significance]

## Apple Technology Integration
| Technology | How It's Used |
|-----------|--------------|
| [SwiftUI] | [Specific usage details] |
| [WidgetKit] | [Specific usage details] |
| [etc.] | [etc.] |

## Developer Story (2-3 sentences)
[Personal or team narrative that makes the app relatable]

## User Impact
[Metrics, testimonials, or stories showing real-world impact]

## Design Highlights
[What makes the visual design noteworthy — animations, interactions, aesthetics]

## Accessibility Features
[VoiceOver support, Dynamic Type, color accessibility, etc.]

## Privacy Commitment
[How the app respects user privacy — on-device processing, minimal data collection, etc.]

## Media Kit
[Links to: screenshots, app preview video, press kit, developer photos]

## Social Proof (optional)
[Press mentions, awards, notable reviews, download milestones]

References

• nomination-template.md — Detailed nomination form and angle framework
• Related: app-store/marketing-strategy — Featuring as part of broader strategy
• Related: app-store/app-description-writer — Compelling app copy
• Related: generators/in-app-events — Pair featuring with events
• Apple: Nominate your app for featuring

Featuring Nomination Template & Guide

The Complete Nomination Form

Submit via: Apple Developer — Promote Your App

Required Fields

1. Contact Information

• First name
• Last name
• Email address (must be associated with Apple Developer account)
• Apple Developer Team ID

2. App Information

• App name
• App Store URL (or TestFlight link for pre-launch)
• App category
• Supported platforms and devices

3. Event/Occasion

• What's the occasion for this nomination?
• Specific date for launch, update, or event
• Is this associated with a cultural moment or season?

4. App Description

• 2-3 sentences describing what makes your app unique
• Focus on the user benefit, not technical features

5. Apple Technologies

• List specific Apple frameworks and APIs used
• Be detailed: "Uses HealthKit to sync workout data with Apple Health" not just "Uses HealthKit"

6. Supporting Materials

• Links to press coverage
• App preview video
• High-resolution screenshots
• Developer story or blog post

---

Angle Selection Framework

The "Why Now?" Question

Apple features apps for a reason. Your nomination must answer: "Why should Apple feature this app right now?"

Strong Angles (in order of editorial preference)

1. Apple Technology Showcase Best for: Apps demonstrating new iOS/macOS features at or near WWDC/launch

"Our app is one of the first to adopt [new Apple API], showing how [technology] can transform [user experience]. We've integrated [specific feature] to deliver [specific benefit]."

Timing: 2-4 weeks after new OS release or WWDC

2. Cultural Moment Best for: Apps aligned with cultural events, awareness months, or societal trends

"[App Name] celebrates [cultural moment] by [specific feature/content]. During [month/period], users can [specific action] that promotes [positive outcome]."

Timing: 4-6 weeks before the cultural moment

3. Seasonal Relevance Best for: Apps with natural seasonal fit

4. Accessibility & Inclusion Best for: Apps with strong accessibility features or serving underserved communities

"[App Name] makes [activity] accessible to [underserved group] through [specific feature]. With [accessibility feature], users who [challenge] can now [empowered action]."

Apple strongly values accessibility — this is always a relevant angle.

5. Developer Story Best for: Indie developers with a compelling personal narrative

"As a [personal context], I built [App Name] to solve [problem I personally experienced]. What started as [origin] has grown to help [X users] [achieve outcome]."

6. User Impact Best for: Apps with measurable positive outcomes

"Users of [App Name] have [specific measurable outcome] — [X metric]. [Testimonial or user story that illustrates impact]."

7. Major Update Best for: Significant new versions with substantial improvements

"Version [X] of [App Name] introduces [major feature], completely reimagining how users [core activity]. Built with [Apple technologies], this update represents [scope of change]."

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Writing the Pitch

The 30-Second Rule

Apple editors review hundreds of nominations. Your pitch must communicate value in the first 30 seconds of reading.

Structure

1. Hook (1 sentence): What makes this app remarkable? 2. Value (1-2 sentences): What do users get? 3. Why Now (1 sentence): Why feature it at this specific time? 4. Apple Angle (1 sentence): How does it showcase Apple's platform?

Example Pitches

Speech Therapy App:

"Blow Quest transforms speech therapy into a game that kids actually want to play — using the iPhone microphone to detect breath patterns and guide children through therapeutic exercises. With over 5,000 families using it daily and endorsements from pediatric SLPs, it's making professional-grade therapy accessible to anyone with an iPhone. Our latest update adds Apple Watch integration for parents to track daily practice streaks. We'd love to be featured during Better Hearing & Speech Month (May)."

Meditation Watch App:

"ChantFlow brings ancient chanting meditation to the modern wrist — the only Apple Watch app that uses haptic guidance to lead users through timed mantra sessions without looking at a screen. Built entirely with SwiftUI and using the new WidgetKit complications for meditation streak tracking, it showcases what focused Apple Watch design can achieve. Perfect for a mindfulness feature around Mental Health Awareness Month."

Productivity App:

"TaskFlow reimagines task management for neurodivergent users — with time-blindness compensation, dopamine-friendly completion animations, and adaptive due dates that learn your actual completion patterns. Built with Core ML for on-device pattern recognition and supporting Apple Intelligence for smart task suggestions, it's productivity software that works with your brain, not against it. Ideal for a back-to-school feature highlighting inclusive design."

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Common Mistakes to Avoid

DON'T:

• Generic descriptions: "The best productivity app" → Be specific about what's unique
• Feature lists: "Supports dark mode, widgets, and Siri" → Explain how they create value
• Unsupported claims: "The #1 app for..." → Only if you have data to back it up
• Desperation: "We really need this feature" → Focus on app quality, not business needs
• Too technical: "Uses MVVM architecture with Combine pipelines" → Editors aren't developers
• Vague timing: "We'd like to be featured sometime" → Give specific dates and reasons

DO:

• Be specific and concise
• Lead with user impact
• Show, don't tell (include screenshots, video)
• Connect to a timely moment
• Highlight Apple technology usage with specifics
• Include social proof (reviews, press, metrics)
• Make it easy for the editor to say yes

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Post-Nomination Checklist

After submitting, prepare for potential featuring:

• [ ] App is crash-free and performs well on all supported devices
• [ ] Latest version is approved and ready for release
• [ ] App Store assets (screenshots, previews) are high quality and current
• [ ] Server infrastructure can handle 10-50x normal traffic
• [ ] Customer support is prepared for increased volume
• [ ] In-App Events are configured for the featuring window
• [ ] Analytics are set up to measure featuring impact
• [ ] Press kit is available at a public URL