appstore-release-mcp

appstore-release-mcp

An MCP server that drives the full App Store release cycle for iOS and macOS apps: version bump → archive + TestFlight upload → metadata → review submission → status.

What makes it different: existing App Store Connect MCP servers wrap the REST API — metadata, TestFlight management, analytics. None of them can do the one step the REST API doesn't support: getting a binary onto Apple's servers. This server is a release pilot, not an API browser, and gives you two ways to do that:

• Direct ASC REST API (ES256 JWT, zero-dependency signing via node:crypto) for status, builds, metadata, and review submission
• asc_upload_build — your existing fastlane lane archives, signs, and uploads, run as an async job with log polling (a real archive takes 5–15 minutes — no MCP timeout can hold that)
• asc_upload_ipa — already have a signed .ipa? (from eas build, a CI pipeline, a manual Xcode archive) Upload it directly via xcrun altool — no fastlane, no local archive step, nothing to configure beyond the ASC API key you already have
• Local version bumping across project.pbxproj (and project.yml for xcodegen projects)

Requirements

• macOS with Xcode command line tools (xcrun altool — used by asc_upload_ipa)
• fastlane with a lane that builds and uploads (e.g. beta) — only needed for asc_upload_build; skip it entirely if you're only using asc_upload_ipa
• An App Store Connect API key (.p8)

Setup

1. Generate an ASC API key (once): App Store Connect → Users and Access → Integrations → App Store Connect API → Team Keys → Generate (role: App Manager). Download the .p8 — Apple lets you download it exactly once. Keep it in ~/.appstoreconnect/private_keys/.

2. Register with Claude Code:

claude mcp add appstore \
  -e APPLE_KEY_ID=XXXXXXXXXX \
  -e APPLE_ISSUER_ID=xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx \
  -e ASC_KEY_PATH=$HOME/.appstoreconnect/private_keys/AuthKey_XXXXXXXXXX.p8 \
  -e APPLE_TEAM_ID=XXXXXXXXXX \
  -e ASC_BUNDLE_ID=com.example.myapp \
  -e ASC_PROJECT_DIR=/path/to/your/xcode/project \
  -- npx appstore-release-mcp

For a macOS app whose Fastfile uses platform :mac, add -e ASC_PLATFORM=MAC_OS -e ASC_FASTLANE_PLATFORM=mac.

3. Verify: ask the agent to run asc_doctor. All checks should be ✓.

Tools

Tool	What it does
asc_doctor	Verify config, creds, fastlane/xcodebuild/altool, app record — run first
asc_app_status	Versions + review states + recent builds in one call
asc_list_builds	Build processing states (wait for VALID after upload)
asc_bump_version	Bump build number / set marketing version in local project files
asc_upload_build	Run your fastlane upload lane as an async job — returns job ID immediately
asc_upload_ipa	Upload an already-built .ipa via xcrun altool — async job, no fastlane needed
asc_job_status	Poll a job started by asc_upload_build or asc_upload_ipa; status + log tail
asc_update_metadata	Description / keywords / what's-new / promo text via REST
asc_submit_review	Attach build + create review submission + submit

Release walkthrough

Building locally with fastlane:

asc_doctor                                   # toolchain healthy?
asc_bump_version {marketing_version: "1.1.0"}
asc_upload_build                             # → job id
asc_job_status {job_id}                      # poll until succeeded
asc_list_builds                              # wait for processingState VALID
asc_update_metadata {whats_new: "...", create_version: "1.1.0"}
asc_submit_review {build_id}                 # point of no return
asc_app_status                               # WAITING_FOR_REVIEW

Already have a signed .ipa (EAS Build, CI, manual archive) — no fastlane needed:

asc_doctor
asc_upload_ipa {ipa_path: "./build/app.ipa"} # → job id
asc_job_status {job_id}                      # poll until succeeded
asc_list_builds                              # wait for processingState VALID
asc_update_metadata {whats_new: "...", create_version: "1.1.0"}
asc_submit_review {build_id}
asc_app_status

Environment variables

Credential names deliberately match fastlane's app_store_connect_api_key, so one credential set serves both.

Var	Required	Notes
APPLE_KEY_ID	yes	ASC API key ID
APPLE_ISSUER_ID	yes	ASC issuer ID
APPLE_KEY_CONTENT / ASC_KEY_PATH	one of	base64-encoded .p8 / path to .p8 file
APPLE_TEAM_ID	for asc_upload_build	Apple Developer team ID (not needed for asc_upload_ipa)
ASC_BUNDLE_ID	yes	your app's bundle identifier
ASC_PROJECT_DIR	recommended	Xcode project root where fastlane runs (default: cwd)
ASC_PLATFORM	no	IOS (default), MAC_OS, TV_OS, VISION_OS
ASC_FASTLANE_LANE	no	upload lane name (default: beta)
ASC_FASTLANE_PLATFORM	no	fastlane platform prefix, e.g. mac or ios
ASC_UPLOAD_CMD	no	full override, e.g. bundle exec fastlane ios beta

Notes

• Build jobs are children of the server process; if the MCP client disconnects mid-build the job dies. Logs persist in ~/.appstore-mcp/jobs/ either way.
• asc_submit_review is the point of no return for a release — the tool description tells agents to confirm with a human first.

License

MIT