App Store metric · Verified 2026-10-12
App Store Search versus Browse
Distinguish intent-driven search exposure from editorial and navigational browse exposure.
In brief
Search includes views and downloads from App Store search, including ads in search results. Browse covers discovery elsewhere in the store, such as Today, Games, and Apps surfaces.
The platform definition
The two sources represent different contexts and can have very different conversion patterns.
The common misread
A change in Search does not automatically prove a keyword change worked; paid search, brand demand, seasonality, and ranking movement may overlap.
The decision it can support
Compare source trends with release dates and marketing activity. Treat source changes as evidence to investigate, not a causal verdict.
Read the number with territory, device, source, product version, and enough time context. A metric can describe an outcome without identifying its cause.
Primary sources
Rules and interfaces move. Recheck these sources before submission-sensitive work.