App Store Release Planner

Use when the user asks whether an app can be submitted now or wants to prepare/submit an App Store version.

Answer Order

1. Ready now or not.
2. Blocking issues.
3. Public API fixes vs experimental web-session/manual fixes.
4. Next exact command.

Resolve APP_ID, version, VERSION_ID, and BUILD_ID; ensure asc auth login or ASC_*; use canonical ./metadata when staging.

Main Path

asc validate --app "APP_ID" --version "1.2.3" --platform IOS --output table
asc validate --app "APP_ID" --version "1.2.3" --platform IOS --strict --output table
asc validate iap --app "APP_ID" --output table
asc validate subscriptions --app "APP_ID" --output table

Stage without submit:

asc release stage --app "APP_ID" --version "1.2.3" --build "BUILD_ID" \
  --metadata-dir "./metadata/version/1.2.3" --dry-run --output table
asc release stage --app "APP_ID" --version "1.2.3" --build "BUILD_ID" \
  --metadata-dir "./metadata/version/1.2.3" --confirm

Use --copy-metadata-from "1.2.2" instead of --metadata-dir when carrying metadata forward.

Submit prepared version:

asc review submit --app "APP_ID" --version "1.2.3" --build "BUILD_ID" --dry-run --output table
asc review submit --app "APP_ID" --version "1.2.3" --build "BUILD_ID" --confirm

High-level upload/submit:

asc publish appstore --app "APP_ID" --ipa "./App.ipa" --version "1.2.3" --submit --dry-run --output table
asc publish appstore --app "APP_ID" --ipa "./App.ipa" --version "1.2.3" --submit --confirm

Monitor/cancel:

asc status --app "APP_ID"
asc submit status --version-id "VERSION_ID"
asc submit status --id "SUBMISSION_ID"
asc submit cancel --id "SUBMISSION_ID" --confirm

First-Submission Blockers

• Availability missing: check asc pricing availability view --app "APP_ID". Bootstrap with asc web apps availability create ..., then use public asc pricing availability edit ....
• Subscriptions ready but not attached to first review: run asc validate subscriptions; inspect/attach with asc web review subscriptions list, attach-group, or attach; later reviews use asc subscriptions review submit.
• IAP review readiness: asc validate iap; upload screenshots with asc iap review-screenshots create; submit with asc iap submit; web-only first-version gap can use asc web review iaps attach --confirm.
• Game Center: create app-version records and add component versions through explicit review submission items before submit.
• App Privacy: public API cannot fully prove publish state; use asc web privacy pull/plan/apply/publish or manual App Store Connect confirmation.
• Review details: inspect asc review details-for-version; create/update with asc review details-create or details-update. Only set demo account fields when review truly needs them.

Call out all asc web ... commands as experimental web-session escape hatches.

Ready Checklist

Ready means validation has no blockers; stage/submit dry-run is correct; build is VALID and attached; metadata, screenshots, app info, content rights, encryption, age rating, and review details are complete; availability exists; digital goods and Game Center review items are handled; App Privacy is confirmed/published.

Do Not Use

Do not use legacy submit-preflight, submit-create, or release-run shortcuts. Use asc validate, asc release stage, asc review submit, asc publish appstore --submit, asc status, and asc submit status.