App Store rejection: Guideline 2.3 accurate metadata, and how to fix it

What App Store Guideline 2.3 says

Apple's Guideline 2.3 (Accurate Metadata) says customers should know what they are getting, so all your app metadata, including privacy information, description, screenshots, and previews, should accurately reflect the app's core experience and stay up to date with new versions.

The subpoints add specifics. 2.3.1 says do not include hidden, dormant, or undocumented features, and do not market the app in a misleading way, such as promoting content or services it does not actually offer. 2.3.3 says screenshots should show the app in use, not merely the title art, login page, or splash screen. 2.3.7 says to choose a unique app name and accurate keywords, and not to pack metadata with trademarked terms, popular app names, pricing information, or irrelevant phrases just to game the system, and that app names are limited to 30 characters. 2.3.8 says metadata should be appropriate for all audiences and adhere to a 4+ age rating, and that your app name and icons should be similar to avoid confusion.

The full text is on the App Store Review Guidelines page.

Why apps get rejected under 2.3

Common triggers:

• Screenshots that show only a splash screen or login page, or that depict features the app does not actually include.
• A description that promotes content or services the app does not offer.
• Hidden or undocumented features that were not described in the App Review notes.
• Keywords stuffed with competitor names, trademarks, pricing, or unrelated terms.
• An app name over 30 characters, or an icon that differs from the name in a way that creates confusion.
• A category or age rating that does not match the app's actual content.

Apple frames 2.3 around honesty with customers. If the store listing oversells or misrepresents the app, the listing is rejected even when the app itself works.

How to fix it

1. Match screenshots to the real app. Use screenshots that show the app in actual use, on the current device sizes, and do not depict features the app lacks. See the screenshot size requirements before you export them.
2. Make the description accurate. Describe what the app does, remove claims about content or services it does not provide, and keep it current with the latest version.
3. Document every feature. Make sure all features are reachable and described, and explain new features specifically in the App Review notes rather than with generic text.
4. Clean up keywords. Remove trademarks, competitor and popular app names, pricing, and unrelated terms. Keep the app name within 30 characters and keep keywords relevant.
5. Fix category and age rating. Choose the most accurate category and answer the age rating questions honestly so the listing matches the content.

Submitted is not approved. The reviewer compares your listing against the running app, so the fix is to make them match.

How AppFlight helps

AppFlight includes marketing autopilot for app icon, screenshots, mockups, and ASO, which helps you produce listing assets that reflect the app you built, and a command center that keeps you close to the live app, so your metadata can match what users actually see. When Apple returns a 2.3 rejection, AppFlight reads the rejection reason, works on the fix, and resubmits, for example by adjusting metadata so it matches the app or documenting a feature for review. Because 2.3 is about the listing rather than the binary, the practical fix is often updating screenshots, description, or keywords. AppFlight does not guarantee approval. Apple reviews every app and every resubmission, and the metadata still has to be honest.