In this guide
TestFlight has two kinds of text: the test information for your app, and the What to Test note for each build. Both are read by people who know nothing about your week. Write them so a stranger can start in under a minute.
What Apple's pages say
- Beta App Description is required. Apple's page describes it as a description of your beta version.
- Feedback Email is where testers can contact you through TestFlight; it is also the reply-to address in invitation emails.
- External testing goes through TestFlight App Review, and the first build you submit requires a full review (Apple's external-testers page).
- When you add a build to an external group, a What to Test dialog asks what you want testers to focus on.
- Test information is edited in App Store Connect on the TestFlight tab under Test Information, and needs the Account Holder, Admin or App Manager role.
The Apple pages linked below do not state character limits or list every review field; check the current page before you rely on a length.
Write the What to Test note
Use four short parts:
- What changed in this build. One or two lines.
- What to try. Three to five concrete tasks, not "test everything".
- What to ignore. Known bugs and unfinished screens.
- How to report. Where to send feedback and what details help (device, steps, screenshot).
Fill-in text (example)
Build 12 (example): new onboarding and a reworked settings screen. Please try: 1) create an account, 2) finish onboarding without skipping, 3) change the notification setting and restart the app. Known: the profile photo upload is not finished yet. Report: use the TestFlight feedback option or write to our feedback address. Please tell us your iPhone model and what you tapped before the problem.
Test information for reviewers
External builds go through TestFlight App Review, so make it easy for a reviewer to follow:
- Describe the app in plain words.
- If a login is needed, provide a working demo account. Apple's general App Review information page says demo account sign-in details must not expire; for the exact TestFlight fields, check Apple's current TestFlight pages.
- Keep the description honest: say what the app does today, not what is planned.
Common mistakes
- "Please test." It gives no direction and gets vague feedback.
- Same text for every build. Testers stop reading it.
- Hiding known bugs. You get ten reports of the same thing.
- A feedback email that nobody reads. Testers notice when no one replies.
Use the same wording everywhere
Whichever channel you use to collect feedback, reuse the focus wording from your What to Test note, so that each answer maps to a question you asked.
Related: TestFlight setup, plan TestFlight groups, version vs build number. Hub: iOS app testing. Story: TestFlight feedback before App Review.
See how AppReviewX works and ask for focused, private feedback.