App Store Connect setup (the manual parts)

Runs on: your browser (App Store Connect and your Apple Developer account).

App Store Connect (https://appstoreconnect.apple.com) is where your app’s store listing, builds, testers and sales live. Some setup can only be done in the web UI. This guide lists all of it, in the order you need it, and says which onebox skill takes over afterwards. You need it before the first TestFlight build, and before you create subscription products.

What it costs

Nothing extra. It comes with the Apple Developer Program (see apple-developer.md).

Where this guide says “the page for X”, it names the section; Apple moves buttons around, so look for that section rather than a specific button.

Steps

1. Register the bundle ID

The bundle ID (for example com.example.myapp) is permanent. Pick it now and put the same value in ios.bundleIdentifier in your app config.

• Automatic: the first eas build registers it for you, with the capabilities your app config declares.
• By hand: in https://developer.apple.com/account, open Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles, click Identifiers, then the add button (+). Choose App IDs, then App, enter a Description and an Explicit Bundle ID, tick the capabilities you use (Sign in with Apple, Push Notifications …), then Continue and Register.

Some capabilities cannot be set by EAS and must be ticked here by hand (see the pitfalls in ship-ios:expo-local-build).

2. Create the app record

The API cannot do this (POST /v1/apps answers 403).

1. In App Store Connect, open Apps and click the add button (+), then New App.
2. Fill in:
   • Platforms: iOS.
   • Name: the App Store name, up to 30 characters. It must be unique on the store. Your home screen name (expo.name) can be shorter.
   • Primary Language.
   • Bundle ID: pick the one from step 1.
   • SKU: any internal code you like, for example the bundle ID.
   • User Access: Full Access, unless you have a team and want to limit it.
3. Click Create. The app appears with the status Prepare for Submission.

Copy the numeric Apple ID of the app (on the app’s App Information page). Put it in eas.json at submit.production.ios.ascAppId, so eas submit needs no prompts. It is not a secret.

3. Agreements, tax and banking (only if you sell anything)

Needed for paid apps, in-app purchases and subscriptions. Only the Account Holder can do it.

1. Open Business at the top of App Store Connect.
2. On the Agreements tab, find Paid Apps and click View and Agree to Terms.
3. Add tax and banking information when asked.

Until the Paid Apps Agreement is active, products load empty in your app: the paywall shows no prices and no buy button, with no error.

4. Users and Access

• Invite teammates, and internal testers who are not on your team yet, in Users and Access.
• The App Store Connect API key is created here too (Integrations tab): follow app-store-connect-api-key.md.
• The In-App Purchase key for RevenueCat is created on the same Integrations page: see revenuecat.md.

5. TestFlight: internal group and testers

1. Open your app, then the TestFlight tab.
2. Click the add button (+) next to Internal Testing and name the group. Tick Enable automatic distribution if every new build should go to it.
3. Open the group, click Invite Testers, select people, click Add.

Internal testers must be users on your App Store Connect team (up to 100 per group). Anyone else is an external tester: make an external group, and the first build of each version needs Beta App Review.

6. Export compliance

Each build asks whether the app uses non-exempt encryption. Answer it once for all builds in the app config: ITSAppUsesNonExemptEncryption: false under ios.infoPlist (expo-app.md, step 3). The ios.config.usesNonExemptEncryption key does the same. The ship-ios:app-store-ready skill explains the answer. Without it, each build waits as “Missing Compliance” until you answer on its page.

7. Subscriptions and in-app purchases (if paid)

In your app, open the page for Subscriptions (or In-App Purchases): create a subscription group, then products with product IDs, durations and prices. The first subscription must be submitted together with an app version. Each product needs a review screenshot of your paywall.

8. The store listing and review information

On your app’s pages in App Store Connect:

• App Information: name, subtitle (30 characters), category, Content Rights, Age Rating (answer the questionnaire; the updated questions were due 2026-01-31).
• App Privacy: the privacy policy URL, and the data-collection answers (“nutrition labels”). Answer from what your code and SDKs really collect.
• Pricing and Availability: price (Free is fine) and countries.
• The version page (1.0 Prepare for Submission): screenshots, promotional text, description, keywords, support URL, marketing URL, the build, and App Review Information (contact details, a demo account or a note on how to sign in, and notes for the reviewer).
• EU trader status (Digital Services Act): declare whether you are a trader. Without it the app is not shown in the EU. Apple’s help page “Manage European Union Digital Services Act trader requirements” shows where.

9. Submit

On the version page, click the button to add it for review, then submit. Watch for messages in App Review (on your app’s pages) and your email.

What the onebox skills automate afterwards

Where the values go

• The app’s numeric Apple ID: eas.json → submit.production.ios.ascAppId.
• Nothing here is a secret. The API keys you make in step 4 are; see their guides.

Check it works

• The app shows in Apps with status Prepare for Submission.
• node <ship-ios>/skills/appstore-connect/scripts/asc.mjs apps lists it (once you have an API key).
• The ship-ios:app-store-ready skill’s report has no BLOCKED items.

Common errors

• “The bundle ID is not available” when creating the app: the ID is registered under a different team, or used by another app. Pick a new one.
• “The app name you entered is already being used.” App Store names are unique across the store. Add a word (“Myapp: Budget Planner”).
• Products show “Missing Metadata”. Normal until you attach a review screenshot and fill in localizations.
• The paywall shows no products. Paid Apps Agreement not active, product IDs do not match, or products not “Ready to Submit”.
• Build does not show up under TestFlight. It is still processing (5 to 30 minutes), or it failed and Apple emailed you why.

Wrong or out of date? Fix it on GitHub.