# Promoted in-app purchases as a pre-install merch shelf

> Promote the exact in-app purchases you want discovered on the App Store so buyers can see paid content, offers, or add-ons before they ever install the app.

- Canonical HTML: https://growth.iangoh.com/growth-ideas/promoted-in-app-purchases-as-preinstall-merch-shelf/
- Source: [developer.apple.com](https://developer.apple.com/app-store/promoting-in-app-purchases/)
- GrowthDex source hub: [Apple Developer](/sources/apple-developer-developer-apple-com/)
- Last checked: 2026-05-29
- Rarity: rare
- Budget: low
- Channels: App Store, Monetization, Mobile
- Stages: mobile monetization, discovery design, merchandising, store conversion


## Why this can grow

A lot of mobile teams force every buyer to start with the same generic product page, even when the real reason to install is a specific subscription, course, pack, or upgrade. Apple's promoted in-app purchases create a better route. The store can surface those items directly on the product page, in search results, and sometimes in editorial surfaces. That means the buyer reaches the commercial object sooner and the team can rotate the merch shelf when pricing, inventory, or launch priorities change.

## Ian's take

From scaling consumer platforms across MENA and Southeast Asia, my default is to distrust growth work that only looks good in a slide. My bias is to treat this as a small market test first. Make the audience narrow, make the promise concrete, and let the first real response decide whether it deserves more work. For conversion, I would strip the test down to one promise, one proof point, and one next step. Confusion kills good demand. For this tactic, I would watch one clear growth signal before putting more time or budget behind it.

## Action plan

1. Define one narrow startup segment where promoted in-app purchases as a pre-install merch shelf can create a measurable lift.
2. Turn the tactic into one offer, page, campaign, or workflow for the App Store and Monetization channel.
3. Use the evidence from developer.apple.com to set the first version of the message, format, and audience.
4. Launch a small test for 7 to 14 days with one success metric: one measurable growth signal.
5. Review the result, keep the winning message, remove weak variants, and turn the learning into a repeatable growth playbook.

## Source-backed example

Apple's promoted in-app purchases guidance says teams can choose up to 20 in-app purchases to show on the product page, and those promoted purchases can also appear in search results and may be featured on the Today, Games, and Apps tabs.

## Adjacent tactics in the same lane

- [App Store product page optimization before global rollout](/growth-ideas/app-store-product-page-optimization-before-global-rollout/) - same source, 2 shared channels
- [Pre-order page optimization before mobile launch](/growth-ideas/pre-order-page-optimization-before-mobile-launch/) - same source, 1 shared channel
- [Deep-linked custom product pages into the right app destination](/growth-ideas/deep-linked-custom-product-pages-into-the-right-app-destination/) - same source, 1 shared channel
- [In-app event warm-up and highlight loop](/growth-ideas/in-app-event-warmup-highlight-loop/) - same source

## Read GrowthDex essays

Browse the plain-English essay index at [GrowthDex Blog](/blog/).

## Related GrowthDex essays

- [The App Store surface should know who it is for](/blog/the-app-store-surface-should-know-who-it-is-for/) - mobile growth, brand trust, retention

## Advisory

If you want help turning this into a working growth system, Ian Goh offers advisory at https://iangoh.com/advisory.