The app monitoring checklist: what you should track weekly

If you’ve ever tried to “monitor the market,” you probably did the same thing most of us do:

You open a few apps, scroll a bit, maybe screenshot something… and then a week later you can’t remember what changed.

The problem isn’t effort. The problem is you’re not taking the same snapshot every time.

This post is a simple weekly checklist you can use to monitor apps (yours and competitors) without turning it into a second job. You can do it in 15–30 minutes depending on how many apps you track.

First, decide what you’re monitoring for

Monitoring only works when it has a purpose. Otherwise it’s just doom-scrolling but for apps.

Most teams monitor for one of these reasons:

• “Did a competitor change something that’s working?”
• “Is someone about to outspend/outship us?”
• “Are we losing momentum (and why)?”
• “Is this niche heating up or cooling down?”

Keep one reason in mind while you monitor. It makes the signal obvious.

The weekly snapshot: what to record every time

You don’t need 50 metrics. You need the few that tell you when something meaningful shifted.

1) Status + availability (the “oh shit” check)

Start with the stuff that changes your whole interpretation.

• Is the app still published?
• Did it get suspended/removed?
• Is it available in the same countries as last time?

This matters more than people think. A competitor disappearing can explain keyword movement, chart movement, even your own sudden growth.

2) Update activity (the “they’re working” signal)

If an app updates more often than usual, something is happening: new features, experiments, bug fixes after a big release, or growth work.

Record:

• version number
• last updated date

You’re not trying to judge quality. You’re trying to see cadence.

3) Rating + review momentum (the “attention” signal)

Even when installs are unclear, review momentum usually tells you whether attention is rising.

Record:

• rating
• total ratings / total reviews (depending on store)
• change since last snapshot (“+X this week”)

If the rating drops after an update, that’s a story. If ratings accelerate without a major update, that’s also a story.

4) Store listing changes (the “conversion” signal)

When competitors change icons, screenshots, or description, they’re usually testing conversion or repositioning.

You don’t need to copy them. You need to notice what they’re emphasizing now.

Check:

• icon changed?
• first 1–3 screenshots changed?
• title/subtitle/short description changed?

Your note can be simple:

“New icon + screenshots now focus on speed, less on features.”

5) Keyword and discovery presence (the “where are they showing up?” signal)

This is the part most people do wrong. They try to track everything.

Instead, choose a small set:

• 5–15 keywords you care about (or that define the niche)
• 1–3 categories that matter

Then record whether the app is showing up consistently, and whether it feels like it’s moving up/down over time.

The goal isn’t perfect rank accuracy at first. The goal is pattern recognition.

6) Category/top chart visibility (the “growth push” signal)

If a competitor suddenly appears in top charts or climbs quickly in a category, that’s not random. Something changed: marketing spend, featuring, virality, or better conversion.

Record:

• category position if visible
• any sudden jump compared to last week

This is one of the fastest ways to catch a growth push early.

7) Timeline events (the “why did this happen?” signal)

This is the underrated part.

When something shifts (rating drop, review spike, chart jump), write the most likely timestamped cause:

• new version shipped
• screenshots changed
• pricing changed (if applicable)
• “big negative reviews started after version X”

Over time this becomes your cheat code. You stop guessing because you can see cause → effect.

How many apps should you track?

If you’re starting, track 10 apps max. Otherwise you won’t keep the habit.

A good list:

• 3 direct competitors
• 3 adjacent competitors
• 2 aspirational “big players”
• 2 weird outliers (because outliers teach you the most)

Once the process becomes automatic, expand.

The “one page” tracking template (simple on purpose)

Use a spreadsheet, Notion, whatever. Keep it dumb and consistent.

Two rules:

1. write facts, not opinions

2. one line per app is enough

What you do with the info (the part people skip)

Monitoring is useless if it doesn’t change what you do.

At the end of each weekly snapshot, pick one action:

• rewrite your short description because everyone is leaning into “speed”
• test a new first screenshot because competitors are selling the same benefit
• prioritize a bug fix because reviews are trending negative after updates
• explore a keyword cluster because a niche is clearly heating up

One action per week is how the monitoring turns into growth.

When manual monitoring stops working

If you’re tracking 5 apps, manual is fine.

If you’re tracking 50 apps across multiple countries, it becomes chaos.

That’s basically why we’re building Sentinel-ASO: a way to view app and developer history, spot changes quickly, and set alerts so you’re not doing the same checks over and over.

If you want early access, we’re offering a Founding Members deal: first 200 paying customers get 70% off their first payment (monthly or yearly). Signup here.