app-store-release

App Store Release

The solo-developer pipeline for shipping an iOS app to the App Store: build → archive → validate → upload → TestFlight → metadata → submit → post-review. Three pipeline shapes — pick one before touching anything:

• Bare-bones (xcrun altool + ASC web UI) — no tooling beyond Xcode. Best for the first submission and TestFlight-only flows on native / Flutter / RN / Capacitor. Often shorter than fastlane setup for a single ship.
• Fastlane — own-your-pipeline, runs locally or in CI. Best once you're shipping repeat releases and want screenshot/metadata automation and 2FA-free CI.
• EAS Build + Submit — Expo's hosted pipeline. Best for Expo and bare-RN-on-EAS projects. Collapses Phases 1–4 into two CLI commands.

Framework-aware build routing collapses every project to one Xcode workspace (or a remote EAS build) before Phase 2; everything after that is framework-agnostic.

Scope and siblings. This skill owns the mechanical release act. For the deep pre-upload guideline-compliance audit (Sign in with Apple, account deletion, ATT, usage strings, IAP rules), use the app-review-preflight skill first — it catches rejections while they're cheap. For keyword research, listing copywriting, and store-screenshot design, use app-store-optimization. For icon generation / validation, use app-icons. This skill cross-references those but does not duplicate them; it keeps only the slices that are mechanically part of pushing a binary live (the ASC REST upload protocols, device-size enums, age-rating field discovery, and a post-rejection response loop).

Kernel: 12 axioms

Full axiom text (war stories, exact error strings, OP cross-references): kernel-axioms. The headlines:

1. Apple changes the rules constantly — the live ASC UI / guidelines / Xcode release notes are the source of truth, never this skill.
2. The .xcarchive is the choke point — after a Distribution-signed archive with dSYMs, every framework's pipeline is identical.
3. Signing failures masquerade as build failures — read the exact log error; cloud signing breaks on the second archive (OP-4 → OP-6).
4. Build wrappers hide the truth — find the raw xcodebuild/altool/EAS-dashboard error before retrying anything.
5. Validate before upload, every time — --validate-app catches ITMS errors in ~30s vs a 5–30 min processing round-trip.
6. TestFlight is the only honest validation — a build proves itself by installing and launching on a real device.
7. First-time submission ≠ update — route the mode before doing any work.
8. Privacy manifest is load-bearing — PrivacyInfo.xcprivacy + signed SDK manifests, verified at validation time (references/PRIVACY-MANIFEST.md).
9. Rejections cite a guideline number for a reason — read the cited clause verbatim, fix, scan for repeats, then reply (references/REJECTIONS.md).
10. ASC's REST API is an undocumented discovery surface — PATCH-and-read-errors beats trusting last year's schema (OP-17/18/20/26).
11. TestFlight is not independent of version state — an approved version closes its train; bump before every post-release upload (ITMS-90062/90186, OP-30).
12. ASC credentials are radioactive — never print/commit the .p8/JWT; every mutating ASC call needs explicit user confirmation (references/ASC-API.md).

Mode router (read before processing)

First-submission strategy: fill metadata/screenshots/age-rating/review-info once in the ASC web UI (faster than a Deliverfile from scratch); adopt fastlane after the first ship.

Pick exactly one. Each routes to a different subset of phases.

Mode	Trigger	Phases run
first-submission	App not yet in ASC, never released	0 → 8 (full)
update	Existing app, new build/version	0 → 8, skip ASC record creation + agreements + age rating in 6
testflight-only	Internal beta, no Store release this cycle	0 → 5, stop
metadata-only	Description / screenshots / keywords / privacy change only	6 → 7, skip 0–5
resubmission-after-rejection	Apple rejected the previous build	start at references/REJECTIONS.md, then resume from the earliest affected phase
xcode-version-rebuild	New Xcode/SDK forces re-archive (annual iOS bump)	0 → 8 + Xcode-compat audit at Phase 0

Framework router (Phase 1 only)

Each framework collapses to a buildable Xcode workspace or a remote EAS build. After Phase 1, every later phase is framework-agnostic.

Framework	Pipeline	Pre-Xcode step	Workspace path
Native (Swift/SwiftUI/UIKit)	fastlane / altool	bundle exec pod install if a Podfile exists; for XcodeGen repos xcodegen generate first (OP-39)	MyApp.xcworkspace (or .xcodeproj if no Pods, or generated from project.yml)
React Native (bare, no EAS)	fastlane	cd ios && bundle exec pod install	ios/MyApp.xcworkspace
Expo (managed)	EAS	eas build --platform=ios --profile=production	n/a (cloud build)
Expo (bare) / RN with EAS	EAS (recommended) or fastlane	eas build or npx expo prebuild && cd ios && pod install	n/a or ios/<App>.xcworkspace
Flutter	fastlane / altool	flutter build ios --release --no-codesign	ios/Runner.xcworkspace
Capacitor	fastlane	npx cap sync ios	ios/App/App.xcworkspace

Detection: if app.config.js / app.json has an expo: key, or eas.json exists at project root, treat it as an Expo project and prefer EAS unless you have a strong reason for fastlane (custom CI runners, air-gapped builds). Otherwise default to bare-bones for the first submission and graduate to fastlane when repeat-release pain justifies it.

→ See references/FRAMEWORK-BUILDS.md for per-framework command sequences; references/EAS-SUBMISSION.md for the full EAS pipeline.

Quick start

Copy-paste command sequences for all three paths live in quick-start: A. bare-bones (4 commands — build, IPA-content verify, altool validate, upload — plus the ASC web-UI pass and the VALID poll), B. fastlane (fastlane init, the minimal release lane, the per-framework one-liners), C. EAS (eas build + eas submit with the ascAppId pre-flight), and the one-time ASC API key setup (where to generate, .p8 storage convention, Key ID vs Issuer ID 401 trap, App Manager vs Admin role).

Automation coverage

Know the CLI-vs-web-UI boundary before you start — don't hunt for a fastlane action that doesn't exist. Builds, signing sync, build-number bumps, upload, metadata, screenshots, and the review submit recur via fastlane/EAS; Developer Program enrollment, Agreements/Tax/Banking, first app-record creation (no public POST /v1/apps — OP-42), privacy nutrition labels, export compliance, and age rating are one-time web-UI items (Phase 0). Full per-step fastlane/EAS table + the web-UI-only list + Xcode Cloud / macOS pointers: PRE-FLIGHT — Automation coverage, plus the one-time setup walkthrough in the same file.

Pipeline

Each phase has a hard gate; do not proceed without the listed evidence.

Phase 0 — Pre-flight

Gate: every checklist item verified in ASC / the Apple Developer portal — program membership paid, agreements/tax/banking, ASC record, bundle-ID consistency, ITSAppUsesNonExemptEncryption (OP-24), version strictly above the latest approved train (OP-30); plus per-path items (local Distribution cert in the keychain — OP-4, profile, ASC key for fastlane; eas whoami + ascAppId for EAS). Full per-path checklists: PRE-FLIGHT — Phase 0 gate checklists; also references/FASTLANE-SETUP.md, references/EAS-SUBMISSION.md.

Phase 1 — Framework build

Gate: Xcode opens the workspace and builds the Release scheme without errors. Plus: app icon and launch screen are not framework defaults.

Apply the framework router. Fail fast on dependency-install errors before touching Xcode — they're cheaper to diagnose than archive failures.

Critical placeholder-asset check (the silent App Review rejection trap):

• App icon: flutter create / RN / Capacitor scaffolds ship default placeholder icons that pass binary validation but get rejected at App Review under Guideline 4.0 (OP-1). Visually inspect the 1024×1024 source before Phase 2. Verify size + no-alpha with sips -g pixelWidth -g pixelHeight -g hasAlpha <icon> (OP-46). If it's the framework default, regenerate (see the app-icons skill, or flutter_launcher_icons).
• Launch screen: verify LaunchScreen.storyboard is customized — default storyboards reference a 68-byte placeholder (OP-2). If hand-writing a storyboard for Xcode 26, stay in the legacy format or Xcode's IB compiler may throw an internal error (OP-7).

→ references/FRAMEWORK-BUILDS.md.

Phase 2 — Archive (fastlane gym / xcodebuild / eas build)

Gate: valid .xcarchive with embedded dSYMs at a known path, Distribution-signed (fastlane/altool); or FINISHED build with a downloadable IPA URL (EAS).

fastlane gym \
  --workspace ios/MyApp.xcworkspace \
  --scheme MyApp --configuration Release \
  --export_method app-store \
  --output_directory build --include_symbols true

EAS path: eas build --platform=ios --profile=production --non-interactive --no-wait, then poll eas build:view <id> --json until status=FINISHED (5–10 min).

→ references/GYM-AND-ARCHIVE.md for ExportOptions.plist templates (use method: app-store-connect — OP-38), manual-signing variants, and the two-stage archive/export signing model (OP-40). For native/XcodeGen, put signing in project.yml, never the .xcodeproj (OP-39).

Phase 3 — Validate

Gate: validation returns success; all ITMS errors resolved.

xcrun altool --validate-app -f build/MyApp.ipa -t ios \
  --apiKey <KEY_ID> --apiIssuer <ISSUER_ID>

gym runs validation by default. Common failures: missing privacy manifest, missing usage descriptions, encryption-export gaps, wrong provisioning profile, deprecated APIs. → references/PRIVACY-MANIFEST.md, references/ITMS-ERRORS.md.

Phase 4 — Upload (fastlane pilot / xcrun altool / eas submit)

Gate: build appears in ASC → TestFlight → Builds, processing complete (~5–30 min).

# fastlane
fastlane pilot upload --ipa build/MyApp.ipa \
  --skip_waiting_for_build_processing false --skip_submission true
# EAS
eas submit --platform=ios --latest --non-interactive

Use the ASC API key over Apple-ID + app-specific-password (required in CI). EAS surfaces Apple-side errors only at the submission URL (OP-29).

⚠ Version-train constraint: the version in this build must be higher than the latest approved App Store version — TestFlight-only included (ITMS-90062 + ITMS-90186, OP-30). Bump before re-uploading after an approval.

→ references/PILOT-AND-TESTFLIGHT.md (fastlane + altool), references/EAS-SUBMISSION.md.

Phase 5 — TestFlight verification

Gate: build installs and launches on at least one real device via TestFlight.

• Internal testing (≤100 testers, no review) — use first.
• External testing (≤10K, Beta App Review for the first build of a version) — only when needed.
• Verify launch, primary flow, no immediate crash. Crash reports: ASC → TestFlight → Crashes.

→ references/PILOT-AND-TESTFLIGHT.md.

Phase 6 — Metadata

Gate: all required ASC fields populated.

For keyword research, listing copywriting, and store-screenshot design, use the app-store-optimization skill — that's where the ASO craft lives. This phase covers only the mechanics of getting the fields and assets into ASC.

Three paths — pick once and stick with it: A fastlane deliver (committed source of truth, repeat releases / CI), B ASC REST API direct (JWT script — mind the 3-step screenshot protocol OP-22, annual age-rating expansion OP-17/18, the APP_IPHONE_67 device-size enum OP-21), C ASC web UI (recommended first submission; sole authoritative privacy-label + age-rating questionnaire). EAS builds are garbage-collected after 30 days (OP-32) — don't sit on metadata. Per-path detail + the full required-field list (name/subtitle/keywords limits, screenshots, privacy labels, copyright): DELIVER-AND-METADATA — Phase 6.

Phase 7 — Submit for Review

Gate: submission accepted; state moves PREPARE_FOR_SUBMISSION → WAITING_FOR_REVIEW. Note: a build showing "Ready to Submit" in TestFlight is not "Submitted" — the review submission is a separate action (OP-13).

Attach demo-account credentials, review notes, and the phased/manual release choices, then submit via fastlane deliver --submit_for_review true or the ASC REST 3-call sequence — the submit is a PATCH … {submitted:true}, not an actions/submit (OP-47), and a stale UNRESOLVED_ISSUES submission must be cancelled first (OP-48). Exact commands + REST calls + post-submit state verification: DELIVER-AND-METADATA — Phase 7 and references/ASC-REST-RESOURCES.md.

This is the irreversible action. ALWAYS require explicit user authorization before firing the final submit — never submit programmatically without confirmation (axiom 12).

Phase 8 — Post-review

Gate: approved + released, OR rejection handled and resubmission queued.

On rejection, references/REJECTIONS.md is the entry point: read the cited guideline verbatim, reproduce locally against the exact build the reviewer saw, fix the root cause, scan for the same pattern elsewhere, then resubmit. Do all four before replying.

References

• kernel-axioms.md — the 12 operating axioms in full (war stories, exact error strings, OP cross-references).

• quick-start.md — copy-paste bare-bones / fastlane / EAS command sequences + one-time ASC API key setup.

• PRE-FLIGHT.md — Apple Developer / ASC setup, certs, provisioning, bundle-ID hygiene, credential sanity-check, CLI-vs-web-UI automation coverage.

• FRAMEWORK-BUILDS.md — Native / RN / Expo / Flutter / Capacitor pre-iOS-build steps + dependency-install errors.

• FASTLANE-SETUP.md — Bundler-managed install, Appfile, lane structure, recommended lanes.

• EAS-SUBMISSION.md — EAS Build + Submit for Expo: config, polling, error reading, fastlane migration.

• MATCH-AND-SIGNING.md — fastlane match, cert storage/sync, manual-signing fallback, common signing errors.

• GYM-AND-ARCHIVE.md — gym config, ExportOptions.plist templates, raw xcodebuild archive/-exportArchive.

• PILOT-AND-TESTFLIGHT.md — pilot/altool upload, JWT minting, the 3-state poll loop, tester groups, Beta App Review, version-train semantics, ASC state verification.

• DELIVER-AND-METADATA.md — deliver layout, screenshot capture (3 paths) + upload/reorder/replace protocols, age-rating, the submit (PATCH {submitted:true}), phased-release curve, idempotent diff-before-write, ASC enum/limit reference.

• PRIVACY-MANIFEST.md — PrivacyInfo.xcprivacy, required-reason APIs + reason codes, the enumerated "commonly used SDK" list, the iOS-26/Xcode-26 SDK floor-version table, third-party SDK signatures.

• ITMS-ERRORS.md — Catalog of common ITMS-XXXXX errors/warnings (incl. 90475, 90348, the iOS-17 split permission keys, non-ITMS archive errors) with cause / fix / prevention.

• ASC-API.md — Secrets-hygiene model, ~/.asc_secrets, the safe JWT client, the 401/403 troubleshooting table, OpenAPI-template script, asc-mcp + the asc community CLI.

• ASC-REST-RESOURCES.md — ongoing-management REST: customer reviews + AI summaries, gzip-TSV sales/finance reports, in-app-events/custom-product-pages/app-clips, recovering a stuck submission.

• MACOS-DISTRIBUTION.md — MAS .pkg (cert pools, embed profile, SwiftPM 409, actool 90546/90236), Developer-ID notarization (hardened runtime, notarytool, staple+re-zip, broken-trust repair), SwiftPM .app packaging, Sparkle appcast.

• XCODE-CLOUD.md — Apple-native CI: the three ci_scripts/, the CI_* env table, the two release scripts (WhatToTest, version↔tag), workflows, troubleshooting, the compute-hour cost model.

• REJECTIONS.md — App Review Guideline routing (2.1 / 4.0 / 4.3 / 5.1.1 / 3.1.1 …), the four-step response loop, fix-time/strategy/seasonal tables, named-AI consent, Resolution Center templates, appeals.

• OPERATOR-PATTERNS.md — Session-mined gotchas in OP-N format (OP-1 … OP-63). Placeholder-icon traps, cloud-signing fragility, ASC API quirks, screenshot upload protocol, age-rating discovery, EAS traps, zero-fastlane Flutter flow, XcodeGen/native-Swift signing, the correct submit endpoint (OP-47), cancel-stale-submission (OP-48), server-authoritative build numbers (OP-61), extension 90348, locale crash, and more.

  Reading order by project type:

  • Any first submission: OP-1, OP-4, OP-7, OP-17, OP-22, OP-47, axiom 12 + ASC-API.md
  • Flutter / altool zero-fastlane: OP-34, OP-35, OP-36, OP-37, OP-38, OP-46, OP-52, OP-60
  • Expo / EAS: OP-28, OP-29, OP-30, OP-31, OP-32, OP-33
  • Native Swift / XcodeGen: OP-39 → OP-46, OP-54, OP-55, OP-57, OP-61, OP-62
  • Resubmit after rejection: OP-47, OP-48, OP-49 + REJECTIONS.md
  • macOS / Xcode Cloud: MACOS-DISTRIBUTION.md, XCODE-CLOUD.md