Xcode · App Store Connect

Do App Store keyword research from Xcode

Ask Xcode what people type before they find apps like yours. MetaRun reads App Store autocomplete, checks where you rank in each storefront, tracks the keywords you pick, and lints the keyword field before you stage a change.

Start Free Trial See pricing →

Setup checked October 2026 against Apple: extending and customizing agents, giving external agents access to Xcode

01 · Uplink

Connect Xcode once

01 · Add the MetaRun plug-in

In Xcode 27, open Settings, Intelligence, Plug-ins. Choose Add Plug-in, then Add from URL, and paste:

https://github.com/metarun/metarun-skills

02 · Or with one click

Opens Xcode's plug-in sheet with the repository filled in.

xcode://agent-plugin-clone?repo=https%3A%2F%2Fgithub.com%2Fmetarun%2Fmetarun-skills

03 · Sign in

Install MetaRun from the list, then click Sign in next to it. MetaRun opens in your browser; pick read-only or read and change.

04 · Ask the coding assistant

Claude Agent, Codex and Gemini in Xcode all get MetaRun's tools and its six workflow skills.

Attach build 312 to version 2.4 and tell me what blocks submission.

02 · Briefing

What Xcode handles here

Apple doesn't publish search volume. The signals you do have are autocomplete suggestions, where you rank today, which apps hold the top spots, and, once enabled, Apple's own search impression reports for your app.

MetaRun turns those into tools. Xcode can research terms, track them, check ranks on demand, and write keyword fields that fit in 100 characters without repeating what your name already covers.

03 · Preflight

Before you start

Seed terms that describe your app.
The storefronts you care about.
For measured search data: an Admin key, once, to enable Apple's analytics reports.

04 · Execution

How it runs

01
Research
Xcode expands seed terms with autocomplete and checks who ranks for them.
02
Pick and track
Tracked keywords are checked on a schedule by MetaRun's rank Sentinel, which reports moves of five places or more and entries into the top ten.
03
Write the field
The agent drafts keywords and the lint checks them before the localization preview stages the change.
04
Measure
With search analytics enabled, Apple's own impression and conversion data shows whether the change moved anything.

05 · Session

An example session in Xcode

Before submitting 2.4, check our keywords against what we now rank for.

aso_suggest_keywordsAutocomplete for 'habit' in the US storefront.
aso_keyword_leadersThe apps holding the top five spots for each candidate.
aso_track_keywords15 terms tracked in the US and UK.
aso_lint_metadataKeyword field: two words repeat the subtitle.
apple_preview_set_version_localizationPreview: English (U.S.) keywords, 99 of 100 characters.
Xcode asks before running apple_apply_set_version_localization. You read the preview above and approve.
apple_apply_set_version_localizationApplied.

Illustrative: your apps, versions and numbers will differ. The tool names and their order are real.

06 · Tools

The MetaRun tools Xcode calls

Tool	What it does
aso_suggest_keywordsread	App Store autocomplete for a seed term in a storefront.
aso_check_rankread	Where the app ranks for a term right now.
aso_track_keywordsMetaRun	Track terms over time, per storefront.
aso_keyword_historyread	Rank history for a tracked term.
aso_keyword_leadersread	Which apps hold the top spots for a term.
aso_lint_metadataread	Rulebook check: wasted characters, repeats, limits.
aso_get_search_performanceread	Apple's measured search impressions and conversion, once reports are enabled.
aso_scan_rivalsMetaRun	What changed in competitors' listings since the last scan.

Each preview has an apply twin (the same name with apply instead of preview) that only runs with the confirm token from a fresh preview, and refuses if App Store Connect changed in between. MetaRun tools save to your MetaRun workspace only (studio projects, tracked keywords), never to Apple.

07 · Apple rules

What Apple enforces, and how MetaRun handles it

The keyword field is 100 characters

Commas count. Spaces after commas are wasted, and words in your name or subtitle are already indexed, so repeating them spends characters for nothing.

Ranks differ per storefront

A term can rank 4th in the US and 60th in the UK. MetaRun tracks and checks per storefront.

Search analytics take a day or two

Apple's analytics reports need a one-time request with an Admin key, and the first reports arrive one to two days later.

Extra languages add keyword room

Storefronts index more than one listing language. The US indexes nine besides English (U.S.), each with its own keyword field.

08 · Comms

What to ask Xcode

Ask Xcode: Before submitting 2.4, check our keywords against what we now rank for.
Ask Xcode: Enable search analytics so we get Apple's impression data.
Ask Xcode: Suggest keywords for the new widget feature.

09 · Safety

How Xcode asks before a change

Xcode asks before an agent uses a tool it hasn't been allowed. Tools you've allowed are listed in Settings, Intelligence, under Permissions, where you can remove them. Leave MetaRun's apply tools off that list so every App Store change asks first; reads and previews are safe to allow.

Apple key stays on MetaRun, encryptedPreview before every writeRecorded, revertible from history

10 · FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Does MetaRun show keyword search volume?

No, because Apple doesn't publish it and any number would be an estimate. MetaRun uses autocomplete, live ranks, who holds the top spots, and Apple's own impression data for your app once enabled.

How often are tracked keywords checked?

The rank Sentinel scans tracked keywords on a schedule and records findings such as moves of five or more places. Xcode can also check any term on demand.

Can Xcode change my keywords directly?

It stages the change through the same localization preview as any listing edit. You approve it, and it's in your history if you want it back.

How many keywords can I track?

25 on Starter, 200 on Pro, unlimited on Studio, and 10 during the 14-day trial.

How do I connect Xcode to App Store Connect?

In Xcode 27, add the plug-in from https://github.com/metarun/metarun-skills (Settings, Intelligence, Plug-ins, Add from URL) and click Sign in next to MetaRun. After that, ask for "aso keywords" in plain words and Xcode picks the MetaRun tools.

Does Xcode see my App Store Connect key?

No. Your App Store Connect API key stays envelope-encrypted on MetaRun's servers and is decrypted per request. Xcode holds a MetaRun token that you can revoke in Settings at any time.

More with Xcode

Xcode

Localize your listing

Name, subtitle, keywords and description in every App Store language, limits checked.

Open

Xcode

Reply to reviews

Triage App Store reviews, find the themes, and post replies you've approved.

Open

Xcode

Screenshots

Design, caption, translate and upload App Store screenshots from a prompt.