appuploader-cli command-line tool

Let AI handle every step
of your App Store release

appuploader-cli covers every step of iOS app submission, and it is built for AI agents and CI pipelines. Certificates, provisioning profiles, app records, IPA upload, metadata, screenshots, App Review and TestFlight are each one command.

No Mac and no Xcode. Runs on Windows, Linux and macOS
One release runs the whole pipeline and resumes where it failed
Ships a skill file for Claude Code, Codex and other AI agents

Free Download Command-line Tutorial

~/MyApp

appuploader-cli release
[1/14] preflight: ok
[2/14] bundle: skipped
[3/14] certs: reused
[4/14] profiles: reused
[5/14] app: skipped
[6/14] version: ok
[7/14] upload: ok
[8/14] metadata: ok
[9/14] screenshots: ok
[10/14] build-wait: ok
[11/14] compliance: ok
[12/14] review-info: ok
[13/14] submit: ok
[14/14] testflight: ok
release finished; release type is MANUAL: once App Review approves it, publish it yourself with `appuploader-cli version publish 1.4.0`

Three ways to use it, one set of commands

Hand it to an AI agent, plug it into CI, or run it yourself. Accounts and data are shared with the AppUploader app, so an account you signed in there works on the command line too.

Install the skill file and release in plain language

One command writes a skill file for your AI agent. It covers the usage rules, exit codes and retry policy, common workflows and the full command index, so the agent knows how to call the tool safely.

skill --install user installs it for Claude Code in every project
skill --install project installs it for the current project only
skill --format agents writes instructions for Codex and other agents
Regenerate it after upgrading so it always matches the tool version

Release the IPA in the build folder as 1.4.0. Do a dry run first and show me.

Sure. I'll check the account and config, then dry-run the pipeline. Both steps are read-only and change nothing.

Commands the agent runs

appuploader-cli skill --install user
appuploader-cli doctor --for-release --json
appuploader-cli release --dry-run --json
# after you approve the dry run
appuploader-cli release --json --yes

Works with GitHub Actions, Jenkins and GitLab CI

In CI, sign in with an Apple ID and an app-specific password. Two-factor authentication never comes up and every feature works. Credentials are read only from environment variables, and the project config holds no secrets, so it is safe to commit.

With the Apple ID and app-specific password variables set, there is no need to run login first
In --json mode every step prints one JSON line for your pipeline to parse
Failures return stable exit codes that tell you whether to retry
Linux, Windows and macOS runners all work

.github/workflows/release.yml

jobs:
  release:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      # install AppUploader; appuploader-cli is in its install folder
      # your existing build steps produce the IPA
      - name: Release to the App Store
        env:
          APPUPLOADER_APPLE_ID: ${{ secrets.APPLE_ID }}
          APPUPLOADER_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.APP_SPECIFIC_PASSWORD }}
        run: appuploader-cli release --json --yes

Up and running in five minutes

Generate an appuploader.yaml in your app project. It describes the app, its signing assets, the version and where the metadata lives. Then three commands check, rehearse and release.

init --from-app exports your live metadata so you can keep it in git
--dry-run is read-only and reports what each step would do
Every command has --help with examples

Terminal

# 1. Sign in with your Apple ID and an app-specific password, no two-factor prompt
APPLE_PW='xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx' appuploader-cli login --apple-id dev@example.com --password-env APPLE_PW

# 2. Generate the project config in your app folder and edit it
appuploader-cli init --bundle-id com.example.app --name "My App"

# 3. Check, dry-run, release
appuploader-cli doctor --for-release
appuploader-cli release --dry-run
appuploader-cli release

Guardrails built for AI

Letting an AI work on your developer account is risky if it misreads results, breaks things on a rerun or deletes something by accident. appuploader-cli is designed to prevent all three.

Results are easy to read

Every command supports --json with a fixed structure. Errors carry stable codes and exit codes. Progress goes to stderr and results go to stdout.

Safe to run twice

Every create is idempotent. If something already exists the result says created: false instead of failing, so two runs end the same as one.

No secrets on the command line

There are no plain-text password flags. Credentials come from environment variables, the project config or a signed-in account, so they never land in shell history or AI transcripts.

Destructive actions need consent

Deleting, revoking and withdrawing require --yes outside a terminal, so an agent cannot remove a certificate or pull a submission without you knowing.

You decide when to publish

The pipeline stops at App Review. Publishing an approved version is your own step, needs the exact version number and asks once more before it runs.

Failures say what to do next

A failed result says whether it can be retried and includes the next command to copy and run. The agent does not have to guess.

One release runs the whole submission

Progress is saved after every step. If a run fails, run the same command again and it picks up at the failed step.

preflightbundlecertsprofilesappversionuploadmetadatascreenshotscustom-pagesbuild-waitcompliancereview-infogamecenteriappricingprivacysubmittestflight

Dashed steps run only when the project config includes them

Failures are easy to recover from

Every step is repeatable: existing records are skipped, valid certificates are reused and uploaded builds are not uploaded again
--dry-run rehearses the whole pipeline without writing anything
--from, --to, --skip and --only trim the steps to run
Steps an API Key cannot do, such as creating the app, pricing and privacy labels, switch to the Apple ID account you name

A failure in --json mode

{"event":"step","step":"upload","status":"failed",
 "retryable":true,
 "next_action":"appuploader-cli release --from upload"}
{"event":"result","ok":false,"failed_step":"upload"}

Everything it can do

Every part of an iOS release, from signing to App Review, has a command. Here they are by task.

Signing

Works with a free Apple ID

bundleBundle IDs and capabilities, adds what is missing
certIssues certificates, reuses valid ones
deviceTest devices, with bulk import
profileProvisioning profiles, rebuilt when expired
signingPrepares every signing asset from the config

Apps and versions

Your App Store Connect records

appView and create apps
versionCreate versions, publish manually
buildUpload IPAs and wait for processing
metadataImport and export metadata, with AI translation
app ratingsCustomer ratings and reviews

Assets and product pages

Up to date with Apple's new asset library

screenshotScreenshots sorted by pixel size
previewApp preview videos
assetAsset library, upload once and reuse
custom-pageCustom product pages
page-testProduct page A/B tests

Review and distribution

Submit, withdraw, TestFlight

reviewSubmit, withdraw and fill in review info
testflightDistribute builds, manage groups and testers
build complianceAnswer export compliance
game-centerSync leaderboards and their localized names

In-app purchases, pricing, privacy

Needed before the first submission

iapIn-app purchases, pricing and metadata
pricingApp price and availability
privacyPrivacy labels
agreementView and accept Apple agreements

Accounts and tooling

Three account types, one config

loginApp-specific password, API Key or free Apple ID
api-key createIssue yourself an API Key with an Apple ID
initand doctorGenerate config, read-only health check
skillGenerate the AI skill file
account and teamSwitch between accounts and teams

Run appuploader-cli <command> --help for every flag and example.

Ready for Apple's new asset library

Since October 2026, Apple's asset library replaces screenshot sets grouped by device. The items below can only be done through the asset library, and appuploader-cli supports all of them.

Upload an image once, place it on any page and language

iPhone Duo screenshots and previews: detected by pixel size on upload
Header and search result artwork: creative assets on the product page and in search, from iOS 27
Custom product pages: start from the current version's page and submit them with the version
Product page tests: A/B test icons and screenshots with a traffic split
Files with the same name and size are reused, and wrong sizes are rejected before anything is written

From April 2027, Apple requires iPhone Duo screenshots for every submission. AppUploader already supports them.

Asset library

# Apple's live sizes and limits
appuploader-cli asset specs --type screenshot --group IPHONE_DUO_PROFILE

# replace the Duo screenshots for a language with this folder
appuploader-cli asset place --locale en-US ./duo/

# new custom product page from the current version, with header art
appuploader-cli custom-page create "Spring" --from-version
appuploader-cli custom-page place Spring --locale en-US --type header header.png

# product page test on 30% of traffic
appuploader-cli page-test create "Icon test" --traffic 30 --treatment B

FAQ

Where is appuploader-cli? Do I download it separately?

No separate download. It ships with the AppUploader app:

On macOS it is AppUploader.app/Contents/Resources/appuploader-cli. On Windows it is appuploader-cli.exe next to the app. On Linux it is appuploader-cli next to the app.

Which AI agents does it support?

Claude Code can install the skill file directly. For Codex and other agents that read AGENTS.md, append the output of skill --format agents. Any agent that runs terminal commands can follow the skill file's rules and call it with --json --yes.

What about two-factor authentication?

In a terminal it prompts for the code. Scripts and agents can pass --2fa-code, or use --2fa-from-file so the login process waits for another process to write the code.

Is it paid?

appuploader-cli is part of AppUploader and uses your AppUploader license. No separate license is needed. See pricing.

How should I sign in?

Use your Apple ID with an app-specific password. It never triggers two-factor authentication, every feature works, and it can be revoked on its own at any time.

To generate one, sign in to account.apple.com with your Apple ID, open "App-Specific Passwords" under "Sign-In and Security" and generate one. It is shown only once, so save it right away.

What if release fails halfway?

Run the next command shown in the output, which is usually release --from plus the failed step. Finished steps are skipped or reused, so nothing is created or uploaded twice.

Let AI ship your next version

Download AppUploader. appuploader-cli is already in the install folder.

Free Download Command-line Tutorial

Let AI handle every stepof your App Store release

Three ways to use it, one set of commands

Install the skill file and release in plain language

Works with GitHub Actions, Jenkins and GitLab CI

Up and running in five minutes

Guardrails built for AI

Results are easy to read

Safe to run twice

No secrets on the command line

Destructive actions need consent

You decide when to publish

Failures say what to do next

One release runs the whole submission

Failures are easy to recover from

Everything it can do

Signing

Apps and versions

Assets and product pages

Review and distribution

In-app purchases, pricing, privacy

Accounts and tooling

Ready for Apple's new asset library

Upload an image once, place it on any page and language

FAQ

Let AI ship your next version

Let AI handle every step
of your App Store release