Shipkit Submit

You drive App Store submissions end to end using asc, the App Store Connect CLI (https://github.com/rorkai/App-Store-Connect-CLI). Prefer read-only checks first; every mutating asc command requires --confirm — always show the user what will run before confirming.

> Official references (vendored verbatim from the asc skill family): before running any flow below, read the matching document in this skill's references/ directory — [asc-cli-usage.md](references/asc-cli-usage.md) for CLI conventions, [asc-release-flow.md](references/asc-release-flow.md) for the readiness-first release flow and first-time submission blockers, and [asc-submission-health.md](references/asc-submission-health.md) for the full pre-submission checklist and error recovery. They are authoritative; this SKILL.md is the quick orchestration path. If richer asc-* skills are installed in this environment (asc-metadata-sync, asc-id-resolver, asc-xcode-build, …), consult them too.

0. Install & authenticate

# Check
asc --version || brew install asc          # or: curl -fsSL https://asccli.sh/install | bash

# Authenticate (API key from https://appstoreconnect.apple.com/access/integrations/api)
asc auth login --name "MyApp" --key-id "KEY_ID" --issuer-id "ISSUER_ID" --private-key ./AuthKey.p8
asc auth status --validate

Env-var fallback for CI: ASC_KEY_ID, ASC_ISSUER_ID, ASC_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH. ASC_APP_ID sets a default app.

CLI conventions: discover commands with --help at every level; use explicit long flags; --paginate for full listings; output is JSON when piped (--output table for humans).

1. Resolve IDs

asc apps list --output table                 # find APP_ID
asc versions list --app "APP_ID"             # find/verify version
asc builds list --app "APP_ID" --limit 5     # find latest BUILD_ID and processingState

If no build exists yet, build and upload first (Xcode projects):

asc xcode version edit --build-number "NN"   # bump if needed
# archive/export via xcodebuild, then:
asc builds upload --app "APP_ID" --file ./App.ipa

Wait until the build's processingState is VALID before submitting.

2. Sync metadata & screenshots

If /shipkit-aso produced metadata//*.txt and /shipkit-screenshots produced screenshots/final/:

asc metadata pull --app "APP_ID"                          # inspect current state first
asc localizations list --version "VERSION_ID"             # check required fields per locale
# apply description/keywords/whatsNew/etc. via asc metadata / localizations commands (see --help)
asc screenshots upload --app "APP_ID" --version "1.2.3" --dir ./screenshots/final

3. Preflight (never skip)

asc submit preflight --app "APP_ID" --version "1.2.3" --platform IOS   # fastest high-signal check
asc validate --app "APP_ID" --version "1.2.3" --platform IOS --output table  # deeper audit
# if the app sells digital goods:
asc validate iap --app "APP_ID" --output table
asc validate subscriptions --app "APP_ID" --output table

Triage blockers into three buckets and tell the user which is which:

• API-fixable: build validity/attachment, metadata, screenshots, review details, content rights, encryption, IAP/subscription readiness.
• Web-session-fixable (experimental asc web ...): first availability bootstrap, first-review subscription attach, App Privacy publish.
• Manual: first-time IAP selection on the version page in App Store Connect.

Common first-time fixes:

# Content rights (required for every submission)
asc apps content-rights edit --app "APP_ID" --uses-third-party-content=false

# Encryption: if build has usesNonExemptEncryption=true and app only uses HTTPS/TLS,
# prefer setting ITSAppUsesNonExemptEncryption=NO and rebuilding:
asc encryption declarations exempt-declare --plist "./Info.plist"

# Review details (contact + reviewer notes / demo account)
asc review details-create --version-id "VERSION_ID" \
  --contact-first-name "…" --contact-last-name "…" \
  --contact-email "…" --contact-phone "…" --notes "How to reach the paid features…"

# First-time availability bootstrap (experimental web session)
asc web apps availability create --app "APP_ID" --territory "USA,GBR" --available-in-new-territories true

# First-review subscription attach
asc web review subscriptions attach-group --app "APP_ID" --group-id "GROUP_ID" --confirm

# App Privacy (public API can't verify publish state)
asc web privacy pull/plan/apply/publish …   # or confirm manually at
# https://appstoreconnect.apple.com/apps/APP_ID/appPrivacy

4. Stage, dry-run, submit

# Prepare everything with a manual checkpoint before submission:
asc release stage --app "APP_ID" --version "1.2.3" --build "BUILD_ID" \
  --metadata-dir "./metadata" --confirm

# Rehearse the full pipeline:
asc release run --app "APP_ID" --version "1.2.3" --build "BUILD_ID" \
  --metadata-dir "./metadata" --dry-run --output table

# When clean — ask the user for explicit go-ahead, then:
asc release run --app "APP_ID" --version "1.2.3" --build "BUILD_ID" \
  --metadata-dir "./metadata" --confirm

Submitting for review is outward-facing and hard to reverse — always get the user's explicit confirmation immediately before the final --confirm run.

If extra review items must ride along (e.g. Game Center versions), use the explicit flow instead:

asc review submissions-create --app "APP_ID" --platform IOS
asc review items-add --submission "SUBMISSION_ID" --item-type appStoreVersions --item-id "VERSION_ID"
asc review submissions-submit --id "SUBMISSION_ID" --confirm

5. Monitor / recover

asc submit status --version-id "VERSION_ID"
asc review submissions-list --app "APP_ID" --paginate
asc submit cancel --id "SUBMISSION_ID" --confirm     # fix and re-submit

TestFlight shortcut when the user just wants a beta out: asc publish testflight.

Readiness checklist (report before submitting)

Build VALID + attached · metadata/localizations complete · screenshots per locale · content rights set · encryption resolved · review details present · availability exists · privacy policy URL set (required with IAP/subs) · IAP/subs validated and attached · App Privacy published. Platform variants: --platform MAC_OS | TV_OS | VISION_OS.

Source & license

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

• Author: Mehrozsheikh
• Source: Mehrozsheikh/shipkit-app-automation
• License: MIT

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