Categories and subcategories for MSIX app

Listing your app in the right primary category, subcategory and an optional secondary category helps customers find your app and understand more about it. Secondary category has the same list of categories as the Primary category.

You must choose the categories that best describe your app. You can optionally choose a subcategory, if available and choose an optional secondary category. If you're not sure which category to use, or you can't find one that seems to be an exact fit, choose the one that you think customers are most likely to look at when trying to find apps like yours.

If you choose Games for your category, you are required to select at least one subcategory (called genre for games). You can choose up to 3 genres as appropriate for your game. Note that in order to publish a game to customers on Xbox, you must enable the Xbox Live Creators Program or go through the concept approval process.

Important

If you publish the app in the Games category, you won't be able to pick a different category in a new submission; it must continue to be published in the Games category (although you can change the genre selections in a new submission). Likewise, you can't choose the Games category when updating an app that you previously published in a different category. For apps which are not games, you must choose one category, optionally choose from any subcategories that are available and can optionally choose a secondary category. You can't select more than one subcategory or secondary category for apps which are not in the Games category. Only some categories have subcategories, and you can only use a subcategory if it belongs to the category you selected.

To change the category or subcategory of an app that's already in the Store (except for changing from Games to another category or vice versa), create a new submission and select the new category or subcategory.

Categories and subcategories

The Microsoft Store organizes apps into the following categories and subcategories.

Category	Subcategory	Description	Examples
Books + reference	E-reader Fiction Nonfiction Reference	Apps which provide interactive ways to access content which is generally printed form	e-reader, book reader, comics, novels
Business	Accounting + finance Collaboration CRM Data + analytics File management Inventory + logistics Legal + HR Project management Remote desktop Sales + marketing Time + expenses	Apps which help a business to run smoothly, track work items and/or offer means to collaborate, share or edit	Document reader/scanner/editor, email management, job search resources, remote desktop
Developer tools	Database Design tools Development kits Networking Reference + training Servers Utilities Web hosting	Apps which help the developer community with the platform/tools to create and manage apps, web applications	coding, debugging, testing, source code management
Education	Books + reference Early learning Instructional tools Language Study aids	Apps which help the user to learn a new skill or topic	alphabets, arithmetic, language learning, exam preparation, study-aids
Entertainment	(None)	Apps which entertain and/or provide information through audio, visual or other content types	Streaming movies and videos, live sports, movie/concert ticket booking, theatre
Food + dining	(None)	Apps which provide instructions or suggestions on preparation, consumption and/or review of food or drinks	cooking guide, recipes, restaurants
Government + politics	(None)	Apps which help with accessing government services or provide information on what’s happening in the field of politics	politics news, government services
Health + fitness	(None)	Apps which are related to healthy living, recreational activities, tracking fitness	tracking workout, yoga, running, cycling, diet, nutrition plan, weight loss
Kids + family	Books + reference Entertainment Hobbies + toys Sports + activities Travel	Apps which help kids to learn something new in an interactive way, manages family safety and schedules	interactive stories, playbooks, family safety
Lifestyle	Automotive DIY Home + garden Relationships Special interest Style + fashion	Apps which help the user to pursue their special interests, hobbies	DIY, fashion, hobbies
Medical	(None)	Apps which are focused on health information management or health records of patients	symptom references, diseases, medical journals, health reference materials, health record keeping, health tracking
Multimedia design	Illustration + graphic design Music production Photo + video production	Apps which provide tools for creating or editing graphics, art, design	image editing, painting tools, sketchbooks, 3D modelling, fine arts
Music	(None)	Apps for listening, recording, creating, or performing music, music videos	Apps for listening, recording, creating, or performing music, music videos
Navigation + maps	(None)	Apps which help user to navigate to a particular location from their present location	driving navigation, Atlases, terrain maps, find nearby restaurants and gas stations, public transportation
News + weather	News Weather	Apps which provide information on what is happening around the world in politics, sports, business, entertainment etc. or show weather forecast in different regions	newspaper, magazines
Personal finance	Banking + investments Budgeting + taxes	Apps which help individuals keep track of their finances	internet banking, mobile banking, tax filling, bill reminders
Personalization	Ringtones + sounds Themes Wallpaper + lock screens	Apps which allow user to personalize their devices by changing sound settings, backgrounds, or themes	ringtones, wallpaper, home/lock screen, themes
Photo + video	(None)	Apps which help user in capturing, editing, and sharing photos or videos	camera, photo/video editing, storing, sharing, special effects
Productivity	(None)	Apps which help user to complete a particular task more efficiently	calendar management, task management, password management, note-taking, data viewing and sorting
Security	PC protection Personal security	Apps which help user to keep their content more secure on their devices or secure their information and identity while browsing	Antivirus, VPN, Security tools
Shopping	(None)	Apps which assist the user to purchase goods with intuitive shopping experience	online shopping, price comparison, coupons, product reviews
Social	(None)	Apps which help user interact and connect with other people by means of text, photos, videos, voice	text/voice messaging, video communication, dating, photo/video sharing, social media platforms
Sports	(None)	Apps which provide information on upcoming sport events, live scores, statistics etc.	live scores, statistics, ticket booking, reports, news
Travel	City guides Hotels	Apps which help user in planning their travel, stay and exploration at a particular location	vacation planning, flight booking, taxi/cab booking, hotel booking, city guides
Utilities + tools	Backup + manage File managers	Apps which assist user in solving problems or completing specific tasks	file manager, calculators, barcode scanner, measurement, remote controls, file backup, cloud storage, file conversion, PDF editor

Following are the available genres for Games category:

Genre	Description
Action + adventure	Games with story-driven plot and combat gameplay mechanics
Card + board	Games which are played with standardized rules involving cards or boards as the primary items
Casino	Games which allow players to play gambling games online
Classics	Games based on the famous old classic games like brick blocks, fruit snake etc.
Educational	Games that are related to learning new skill or a topic in an interactive way
Family + kids	Games which are more interactive in nature and focused on kids
Fighting	Games which allow user to experience combat battles
Multi-Player Online Battle Arena	Games where the players use weapons with defined range to fight against each other
Music	Games related to guessing music, interaction-based music
Other	Games which do not fall into any of the here mentioned genres
Platformer	Games which are 2-dimensional where player can control character's walk, jump
Puzzle + trivia	Games which challenge the problem-solving capabilities of the user
Racing + flying	Games which allow user to compete against other opponents in a similar machinery
Role playing	Games which allow the user to cast themselves as a character which evolves throughout the game
Shooter	Games with a focus on defeating enemies using gun-like weapons
Simulation	Games which let user imitate a real-world process
Sports	Games which imitate the traditional physical sports
Strategy	Games which require thorough planning and thinking to achieve victory
Tools	Apps which allow users to interact with the game without launching the actual game software
Word	Games related to guessing words based on puzzles/riddles