How previews hold the product page

The spec, exactly#

Previews run as short portrait videos with tight limits on count, length and file size, and each preview needs a poster frame that sells the tap when video does not play. Check current limits in Apple own App Store Connect guidance before exporting, since specs shift and rejections waste weeks. Export masters at high resolution with clean sound beds, then compress delivery files without smudging interface text.

Place previews in the page order with our product pages guide, and start from the Apple Ads hub for the full family view.

The poster frame sells first#

The poster frame is the still image shoppers see before playback, and on slow connections it may be all they ever see, so design it as a complete pitch: product in action, one benefit line, no clutter. Never ship an auto generated frame without review, because frozen motion blur and mid transition faces undersell the product. Treat the poster with the same care as the opening screenshot, since both compete for the same first glance.

Coordinate poster and screenshot one so the page opens as a sequence rather than a collision. The screenshots guide sets the frame order, and icon and subtitle craft keeps the top of the page coherent.

One story per preview#

Each preview should tell a single story with a visible arc: situation, action inside the product, outcome on screen, all within the opening seconds. Packing five features into one cut produces a catalogue, not a story, and catalogues do not hold thumbs. Show real interface footage rather than dramatised mock ups wherever possible, because shoppers punish the gap between preview polish and product reality with fast uninstalls.

Map each preview to one audience or use case, then mirror that mapping in custom pages. Our CPP setup guide builds the pages, and the discovery and brand split decides which stories each audience should see.

Sound on, designed muted#

Previews autoplay muted, so captions and on screen motion must carry the story alone, with music and voiceover as enhancement for viewers who unmute. Burn in short captions for the key beats, keep them clear of interface chrome, and never let the payoff live in audio only. Test every cut muted on a phone before shipping: if the muted version confuses, the sound bed merely decorates confusion.

Localise captions per market with native writers, since translated wordplay rarely lands. Pair the work with localised keyword thinking so search terms and preview language match.

Previews inside tests and ads#

Product page optimisation tests icon, screenshots and previews only, so previews are one of three levers available for controlled experiments against the default page. Test poster frames and opening beats before reworking whole cuts, because small changes at the opening move results more than polish at the close. Ad variations can point at custom pages carrying distinct previews per audience, as Apple own ad variation docs describe.

Read the method in the PPO testing guide before spending traffic on experiments.

Refresh without reshoots#

Build previews as modular masters so openings, proof beats and closings can be recut without fresh shoots: three openings per story, swappable proof sections, one consistent close. Refresh openings quarterly and retire cuts that show dated interfaces, since stale footage reads as an unmaintained product. Archive project files with performance notes attached so winning beats return in later seasons.

When previews stall despite steady spend, ask our team for a creative review that reads posters, openings and sound together.

Frequently asked questions#