/app-namer

name: app-namer
description: Turn an app idea into validated, App-Store-ready name candidates. Use when the user says "name my app", "what should I call it", "app name ideas", "help me name this app", "is this name available", or needs to pick a brandable, ownable name before reserving it in App Store Connect.
allowed-tools: [Read, Write, WebSearch, WebFetch, AskUserQuestion]
last_verified: 2026-07-16
review_by: 2027-06-22

App Namer Skill

Takes an app idea or one-liner and produces a ranked shortlist of 5-8 **validated** name candidates — not random brainstorming. Each candidate is generated from a naming archetype, paired with a subtitle, checked against App Store display rules, and run through an availability gauntlet (App Store Connect name, trademark, domain, handle) before it's recommended.

The output is a name you can reserve in App Store Connect today, with the keyword work already aligned to feed the `app-store/keyword-optimizer` skill.

When This Skill Activates

Use this skill when the user:

• Has an app idea but no name ("what should I call it?")
• Wants name ideas or a naming brainstorm for a specific app
• Needs to know if a name is available / safe to use
• Is about to create the app record in App Store Connect and needs to reserve a name
• Wants to rename an existing app and needs ownable, ASO-smart options
• Picked an idea from `idea-generator` and needs the name before writing the PRD

**No app idea yet?** Run `product/idea-generator` first, then come back with the chosen idea.

**Already have a locked name and just want ASO?** Skip this skill — go to `app-store/keyword-optimizer`.

Reference Files

Before generating names, load both reference files:

| File | Purpose | |------|---------| | **naming-strategies.md** | The 3 archetypes, naming techniques, App Store display mechanics (30-char limit, home-screen truncation, name/subtitle interplay), good/bad examples | | **validation-checklist.md** | The knockout gauntlet — App Store Connect name availability, trademark sanity check, domain/.app, social handles, linguistic safety |

What This Skill Does

Idea/positioning
   ↓  elicit
Naming brief (what it does, who it's for, personality, scope ceiling)
   ↓  generate across archetypes
20-40 raw candidates (branded / descriptive / hybrid)
   ↓  filter (pronounce, spell, truncate, confusability)
8-12 survivors
   ↓  pair with subtitle + score
Ranked candidates with name + subtitle + display preview
   ↓  validate (ASC name / trademark / domain / handle)
5-8 validated candidates
   ↓
Recommendation + "reserve now" action

The Naming Process

Step 1: Build the Naming Brief

If the user hasn't given enough context, gather it with AskUserQuestion. You need:

| Field | Why it matters | |-------|----------------| | **One-liner** | What the app does in one sentence — drives descriptive/hybrid candidates | | **Target user** | Tone calibration (pro tool vs. playful consumer app) | | **Personality** | Serious, playful, minimal, premium, technical? Sets the archetype mix | | **Category** | App Store category — affects trademark class and competitor naming norms | | **Scope ceiling** | Will it stay single-purpose or grow? A too-descriptive name boxes you in | | **Existing brand** | Company/developer name, existing app family to stay consistent with |

If the user gives a one-liner and nothing else, infer sensible defaults, **state your assumptions**, and proceed — don't block on a full questionnaire.

Step 2: Generate Across Archetypes

Generate 20-40 raw candidates spread across the three archetypes (see **naming-strategies.md** for each technique and examples):

1. **Branded / invented** — coined, ownable, zero literal meaning (Spotify, Halide, Bevel, Bear) 2. **Descriptive** — says what it does, carries a keyword (Sleep Cycle, PDF Expert, Pocket Casts) 3. **Hybrid / suggestive** — a real or twisted word that evokes the benefit (Streaks, Overcast, Carrot Weather, Drafts)

Aim for roughly **40% hybrid, 30% branded, 30% descriptive** for a typical indie app — hybrid names tend to win because they're ownable *and* memorable, with the descriptive keyword pushed into the subtitle.

Use the techniques in **naming-strategies.md**: real words, compounds, portmanteaus, prefix/suffix, dropped vowels, foreign words, metaphors.

Step 3: Filter Hard and Fast

Kill any candidate that fails a basic filter before spending effort scoring it:

• ❌ Can't be pronounced correctly on first read
• ❌ Can't be spelled correctly after hearing it once (the "radio test")
• ❌ (iOS) Doesn't read cleanly when truncated to ~12 characters on the Home Screen — relaxes for Mac apps (see naming-strategies.md)
• ❌ Confusable with a major existing app (Notes, Notion, Things, etc.)
• ❌ Purely generic/descriptive with no distinctiveness (un-trademarkable)
• ❌ Produces an ugly bundle ID or has awkward casing

Target 8-12 survivors going into scoring.

Step 4: Pair With a Subtitle

For each survivor, write the `Name — Subtitle` pairing the way it appears on the App Store. This is where the ASO strategy lives:

[Brand Name] — [Descriptive keyword phrase]

Halide — Pro Camera
Streaks — Habit Tracker
Bear — Markdown Notes

The **name** carries the brand; the **subtitle** carries the searchable keywords. This means a branded/hybrid name doesn't need to be descriptive — the subtitle does that job. Both are 30-char fields and both are indexed. (See `app-store/keyword-optimizer` for full keyword allocation.)

Step 5: Score Each Candidate

Score each candidate 1-10 on six dimensions:

| Dimension | WEAK (1-3) | STRONG (4-7) | EXCELLENT (8-10) | |-----------|------------|--------------|------------------| | **Memorability** | Forgettable, generic | Distinctive | Sticky, instantly recalled | | **Clarity/Fit** | Misleading or opaque | Evokes the benefit (with subtitle) | Name+subtitle = instant understanding | | **Availability** | Name & domain taken, TM conflict | Domain workar