First published on tychelabs.net .

Rejected under guideline 4.3 as spam or a copycat? Here is what 4.3(a) and 4.3(b) actually say, and the seven questions that decide whether to reply, appeal or rebuild.

Guideline 4.3 is the rejection that feels most personal. Other rejections say your app has a bug or a missing link. This one says your app should not exist in its current form, because the App Store already has enough like it. It is also one of the hardest to respond to well, because the right move depends on which half of the guideline you were rejected under and on how different your app really is.

We have not been rejected under 4.3 ourselves, so this guide does not have a war story.…