What are App Store Analytics: Pre Orders?
Apple allows app developers to sell pre-order apps, i.e., apps available for purchase up to 90 days before their official release date.
When an iOS user purchases a pre-order app, Apple will log their information. When the release day arrives, Apple will automatically charge the iOS user’s account and load the app to the user’s device.
By selling pre-order apps, developers can build anticipation for their offerings and help ensure release day is a big success. With App Store Connect, app developers and marketers can analyze their pre-order apps to view sales, usage, and download metrics. For example, you’d be able to learn how many iOS users downloaded your app as a pre-order vs. how many downloaded it as a standard app.
To access this information, log in to your App Store Connect account and navigate to the “Sales and Trends” report. Then select a date range and preview pre-order information. Please note, that pre-order data is only available for Apps in the Apple App Store, not App Clips.