Entering your app's name

Your app's name plays an important role in how customers find and perceive your app in the Windows Store.

Each name that you reserve must be unique throughout the entire Store, not just in a particular language. If your app supports more than one language, you can reserve additional names for the app to use in other languages (unless you want to use the same name for all languages).

Note  For tips on choosing a name for your app, see What to name your app.

You can reserve your app name well before you submit (or even build) your app. We recommend doing that as soon as you can, so that no one else uses the name.

When you submit your app to the Windows Store, the Package/Properties/DisplayName value must match the name that you reserved for your app in the Dashboard. See Where your app's name appears for more info about the different places where your app's name is entered in your package, and how it appears.

Before you can submit your app to the Windows Store, your app must also define the Name attribute of the Package/Identity element in the app manifest. This must be the package identity name that the Windows Store created for your app. Windows uses this value to identify your app, but doesn't display it to customers. Microsoft Visual Studio fills in that attribute when it creates your app's package for the Windows Store. For more info about the app manifest, see App package requirements.

Entering your app's name

1. Go to your Windows Store Dashboard.

2. Click Submit an app.

3. Click App name.

4. In the App name text box, enter the name that you want to use.

   Note  Be sure to enter the name exactly as you want it to appear. Double-check your spelling, capitalization, etc.

5. Click Reserve app name.

   Note  If this name you entered is already reserved or in use by another developer, you'll see an error message and won't be able to reserve that name.

Note  Make sure that you use your reserved app name as the DisplayName in your app's manifest.

If you are entering additional names for different language versions of the app, follow the steps below.

To reserve an app name in another language

Note   If you are updating an existing app to add support for additional languages, you must fill out a new Description page for each new language. You may also want to add new markets by going to the Selling details page from the release summary page.

1. From the app's Name page, click Reserve another name.
2. In the text box, enter the name that you want to use in another language, and then click Reserve name.

   Note  If this name you entered is already reserved or in use by another developer, you'll see an error message and won't be able to reserve that name.

3. Repeat step 2 if you want to enter names for additional languages.
4. After you have reserved the names you need, click Save to return to the release summary page.

To rename an app that has already been published

1. Since the app is In market, you will need to create a new release for the app. From the App details page, click Create new release.
2. From the Name page, click Reserve another name.

3. In the text box, enter the new name for your app, and click Reserve name.

   Note  If this name you entered is already reserved or in use by another developer, you'll see an error message and won't be able to reserve that name.

4. Click Save to return to the release summary page.
5. After you have reserved the new name, you'll need to update your app and submit the updated version it to the Windows Store.
   1. Change the Package/Properties/DisplayName element in the app manifest.
   2. Build your app with the new info and upload the new package(s).
   3. Submit the updated app for certification. Make sure that you've changed any mention of the app's name in its Description page and anywhere else the name might be mentioned.

      Note  If the only thing you're changing in this release is the app's name, mention that in your Notes to testers.

6. After the new release of your app has passed certification, you can go back to the Name page and delete the old name that you no longer use.

Related topics

What to name your app

Build date: 6/20/2013