Capacitor Ios

capacitor-ios — web app → store-ready iOS app (phased super-skill)

The one skill for taking a web app to the App Store with Capacitor. It does not reinvent Capacitor knowledge — like /carmack, it detects the phase, loads only that phase's reference file, routes to the specialized skills/MCP that hold the detail, and enforces two non-negotiable gates.

Philosophy

1. Reuse, don't rewrite. For an existing site, Capacitor wraps it (~90% as-is). Expo = rewrite — only if the user explicitly wants a native-UI rewrite.
2. Two change-types, two ship-paths. Classify every change as web-layer or native-shell before touching anything (GATE 1). Getting this wrong = needless App Store resubmits or shipping a native change as if it were web.
3. Prove it runs before you gate; gate before you submit. Build + launch + screenshot on the Simulator (Phase D) → greenlight + privacy manifest (GATE 2) → only then /ios-ship.
4. Earn the right to be an app. A bare WebView wrapper is rejected (Apple 4.2). Native features (camera/geolocation/push) are what make it an app, not a bookmark.
5. Outward actions need approval + live verification. TestFlight, App Store submit, signing, OTA pushes — show the user exactly what will happen, verify against live state, get explicit chat approval.
6. Pull, don't guess. Load the relevant Capgo skill, fetch live docs via context7/sosumi, drive the CLI via the MCP. Never assert an Apple-policy fact from memory.

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⛓️ GATE 1 — Update-flow rule (MANDATORY — applies to every change request)

Classify the change FIRST and state which path you're taking:

| Change type | Examples | How users get it | Resubmit to App Store? | |---|---|---|---| | Web layer | HTML/CSS/JS, content, pages, client logic, copy, styling | Deploy to Workers (live URL) or push a Capgo OTA bundle → instant | NO | | Native shell | capacitor.config.*, native plugins, permissions / Info.plist, icon/splash, min iOS, native Swift, privacy manifest | New build → GATE 2 → /ios-ship | YES |

Why web-layer is OTA-legal: Apple permits downloading/running interpreted JS that doesn't change the app's primary purpose or add a storefront, via Apple's JS engine. Capgo OTA + a live-URL WebView both rely on this. Re-verify the current guideline at submission via the capgo-release-workflows skill + Apple's guidelines — never assert a guideline number from memory. Detail: [references/ota-updates.md](./references/ota-updates.md).

🚦 GATE 2 — Ship gate (MANDATORY — before ANY archive/submission)

This skill never submits on its own. Before handing to /ios-ship:

1. Build + smoke-test on Simulator (Phase D) — must launch and run, no crash in logs.
2. greenlight preflight . → must be GREENLIT (0 CRITICAL). Re-run until clean.
3. Privacy manifest — PrivacyInfo.xcprivacy present + correct (greenlight privacy .); Required-Reason API codes per Apple TN3183; no fabricated tracking/data-collection declarations.
4. Only when all green → /ios-ship for sign/archive/TestFlight/submit, with chat approval.

Detail: [references/build-test-gate.md](./references/build-test-gate.md).

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Phase routing — detect the phase, load ONLY that reference file

| Phase | Trigger / intent | Load | Pulls | |---|---|---|---| | A — Wrap | "make it an app", first-time setup, scaffold, point at the site | [references/wrap-and-native.md](./references/wrap-and-native.md) | webapp-to-capacitor skill · awesome-ionic-mcp · CocoaPods · Trapeze | | B — Native features | add camera / geolocation / push; clear Apple 4.2 | [references/wrap-and-native.md](./references/wrap-and-native.md) | capacitor-features/-ui skills · awesome-ionic-mcp | | C — OTA live updates | Capgo setup, "live updates", "update without App Store" | [references/ota-updates.md](./references/ota-updates.md) | capgo-release-workflows/capgo-cloud skills · Capgo CLI | | D — Build / test / gate | build, run on sim, screenshot, "does it work", pre-submit gate | [references/build-test-gate.md](./references/build-test-gate.md) | XcodeBuildMCP · /xcode-test · xcbeautify · greenlight | | E — Ship | sign, archive, TestFlight, submit, store listing | [references/ship-and-store.md](./references/ship-and-store.md) | /ios-ship · asc · app-store-screenshots · aso-audit | | F — Update loop | steady-state change after launch | [references/ota-updates.md](./references/ota-updates.md) + GATE 1 | classify → Workers/Capgo or rebuild | | (any) — exact tool/command | "what's installed", exact MCP tool name, CLI invocation | [references/tooling-map.md](./references/tooling-map.md) | verified inventory |

Default end-to-end run = A → B → C → D (+ GATE 2) → E → then F forever. For an existing site, the Capacitor-vs-Expo decision is settled: Capacitor (ref report ~/Downloads/capacitor-vs-expo-agent-tooling-2026-06-03.html).

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Tooling (summary — full inventory + exact commands in [references/tooling-map.md](./references/tooling-map.md))

• Skills: Capgo capacitor-skills (48, both agents) · /ios-ship (+ asc-*) · app-store-screenshots · aso-audit.
• MCP (✓ connected): xcodebuildmcp (build/run/screenshot/logs on sim, 63 tools) · awesome-ionic-mcp (Capacitor CLI + plugin docs) · context7 (live docs) · sosumi (Apple docs) · chrome-devtools (debug the web layer in the WebView).
• CLIs: pod (CocoaPods 1.16.2) · xcbeautify 3.2.1 · greenlight · asc · npx @capgo/cli (OTA) · npx @trapezedev/configure (YAML native config) · npx cap (Capacitor).
• Command: /xcode-test [scheme] — turn-key build→install→launch→screenshot→log-scan→human-verify loop on XcodeBuildMCP.

Hard rules

• No outward Apple/Capgo action without explicit chat approval — submit, TestFlight, signing change, OTA push. Show exactly what will happen first.
• Accounts are the user's — the agent never creates an Apple Developer or Capgo account. Prompt the user to sign in (asc auth login, Capgo) at the relevant phase.
• Ground-truth gate: before asserting an Apple/Capgo policy fact or taking an outward action, verify against a primary source fetched now (sosumi / capgo skill / context7), never a remembered value. Full standard: ~/.claude/skills/shared/ground-truth-standard.md.
• No-lie reporting: "built / runs / GREENLIT / submitted" must each cite the command + result that proves it (build exit + BUILD SUCCEEDED, greenlight output, asc confirmation). Don't report the state of your action; report the state of the world after it.

Quick start

> "Use capacitor-ios to wrap improvebayarea.com with photo + location reporting, set up Capgo live updates, build + test it on the simulator, and run the ship gate."

Run A→B→C→D(+GATE 2)→E. After launch, every change goes through GATE 1 first.

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: barkleesanders
• Source: barkleesanders/claude-code-starter
• License: MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.