# Guideline 2.1 - App Completeness: Placeholder Content Still Present

**Guideline:** 2.1 · **Store:** Apple App Store · **Severity:** low · **Fix difficulty:** easy · **Typical turnaround:** 1-2 hours

Canonical URL: https://appstorereject.com/rejections/apple/2/guideline-21-app-completeness-placeholder-content-still-present

## Description

Apple is rejecting your app because it still contains placeholder content such as 'Lorem ipsum' text, template imagery, default profile photos with developer instructions, or empty sections with 'Coming Soon' labels. This signals to Apple that the app is not ready for distribution. This rejection is almost always automated or semi-automated -- Apple's review tooling flags common placeholder patterns like 'Lorem ipsum', 'TODO', 'Coming soon', and stock template imagery. It can also be triggered by sections of the app that are clearly unfinished, even if they don't use literal placeholder text. The fastest compliant path is a thorough content audit. Developers often miss placeholder content in edge-case screens like empty states, onboarding flows, settings pages, and error messages. If a feature genuinely isn't ready, it's better to remove it entirely than to ship it with placeholder content.

## Common variations

- App contains placeholder or filler text
- App includes Lorem ipsum or default template content
- App contains sections marked as Coming Soon or Under Construction
- App includes default imagery or stock photos that appear to be placeholders
- App did not appear to have gone through the full development cycle

## Example rejection email

```
Guideline 2.1 - Performance - App Completeness

Your app or its content did not appear to have gone through the full development cycle. Specifically, the app contains placeholder content including default text and imagery in several screens.

Please see the attached screenshots for details.

Next Steps:
Please revise the app to ensure all content is final and ready for users. If a feature is not ready, please remove it from the app and submit it in a future update when it is complete.
```

## Resolution steps

## Quick Assessment
- **Risk level:** Low
- **Resolution path:** Fix & Resubmit
- **Typical turnaround:** 1-2 hours

## The Fix

1. **Search your codebase** -- Run a project-wide search for: 'Lorem ipsum', 'TODO', 'FIXME', 'Coming soon', 'Under construction', 'placeholder', 'sample', 'test data', and any template-specific strings from your starter template.

2. **Audit every screen** -- Walk through every screen in the app systematically, including: onboarding, empty states, error messages, settings, profile screens, and any feature behind a paywall or authentication.

3. **Replace with real content** -- Every string, image, and icon must be final production content. If you don't have real content yet, use appropriate defaults (e.g., a generic avatar instead of 'profile_placeholder.png').

4. **Remove unfinished features** -- If a section isn't ready, remove the navigation entry point entirely. Don't hide it behind a 'Coming Soon' banner.

5. **Check App Store Connect metadata** -- Placeholder content in your description, keywords, or What's New text will also trigger this rejection.

## Prevention
- Use a 'submission checklist' that includes a full content audit
- Set up a lint rule or CI check that flags common placeholder strings
- Have someone who didn't build the app walk through every screen before submission

## Before / after examples

**Before:** Settings screen with 'About Us' section showing 'Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet...' and a 'Premium Features' section showing 'Coming Soon!'
**After:** Settings screen with real company description in 'About Us' and the 'Premium Features' entry removed entirely until the feature is ready
**Why it works:** Apple would rather you ship fewer features than ship unfinished ones. Remove any section that isn't production-ready.

## Common questions

**How long does this typically take to fix?**

Typical turnaround is 1-2 hours (difficulty: easy). After resubmission, most re-reviews complete within 24-48 hours.

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*Machine-readable source: https://api.appstorereject.com/api/rejections/detail?slug=guideline-21-app-completeness-placeholder-content-still-present*