asc signing setup
Use this skill when you need to create or renew signing assets for iOS/macOS apps.
Preconditions
- Auth is configured (
asc auth loginorASC_*env vars). - You know the bundle identifier and target platform.
- You have a CSR file for certificate creation, or you will let
asc certificates create --generate-csrcreate one.
Workflow
- Create or find the bundle ID:
asc bundle-ids list --paginateasc bundle-ids create --identifier "com.example.app" --name "Example" --platform IOS
- Configure bundle ID capabilities:
asc bundle-ids capabilities list --bundle "BUNDLE_ID"asc bundle-ids capabilities add --bundle "BUNDLE_ID" --capability ICLOUD- Add capability settings when required:
--settings '[{"key":"ICLOUD_VERSION","options":[{"key":"XCODE_6","enabled":true}]}]'
- For the Developer Portal-only
PRIVATE_CLOUD_COMPUTEcapability, use a user-owned web session and the Developer Portal Bundle ID resource ID:asc web bundle-ids capabilities enable --bundle-id "BUNDLE_RESOURCE_ID" --capability PRIVATE_CLOUD_COMPUTE --confirm- This capability is not available through the public App Store Connect
capability enum. If the cached session cannot access Developer Portal,
clear its scoped cache, then log in again with the same binary:
asc web auth logout --apple-id "user@example.com"asc web auth login --apple-id "user@example.com"
- For App Groups, the public API can enable
APP_GROUPSbut cannot create or associate App Group resources. Use an Account Holder or Admin web session:asc web app-groups list --paginate --output tableasc web app-groups create --name "Example Shared" --identifier "group.com.example.app.shared" --confirmasc web app-groups assign --group "GROUP_RESOURCE_ID" --bundle-id "BUNDLE_RESOURCE_ID" --confirm- Resolve the opaque group ID with
asc web app-groups listand the opaque Bundle ID resource ID withasc bundle-ids list. A changed assignment invalidates provisioning profiles containing that App ID, so regenerate affected profiles before the next signed build.
- Create a signing certificate:
asc certificates list --certificate-type IOS_DISTRIBUTIONasc certificates create --certificate-type IOS_DISTRIBUTION --csr "./cert.csr"- Or generate a key and CSR inline:
asc certificates create --certificate-type IOS_DISTRIBUTION --generate-csr --key-out "./signing/dist.key" --csr-out "./signing/dist.csr"
- For Wallet passes, create the Pass Type ID first, then create its certificate:
asc pass-type-ids create --identifier "pass.com.example" --name "Example Pass"asc certificates create --certificate-type PASS_TYPE_ID --pass-type-id "PASS_TYPE_ID" --csr "./pass.csr"asc pass-type-ids certificates list --pass-type-id "PASS_TYPE_ID" --paginate
- Create a provisioning profile:
asc profiles create --name "AppStore Profile" --profile-type IOS_APP_STORE --bundle "BUNDLE_ID" --certificate "CERT_ID"- Include devices for development/ad-hoc:
asc profiles create --name "Dev Profile" --profile-type IOS_APP_DEVELOPMENT --bundle "BUNDLE_ID" --certificate "CERT_ID" --device "DEVICE_ID"
- Download the profile:
asc profiles download --id "PROFILE_ID" --output "./profiles/AppStore.mobileprovision"
- Inspect and install the downloaded profile locally when needed:
asc profiles inspect --path "./profiles/AppStore.mobileprovision" --output tableasc profiles inspect --path "./profiles/AppStore.mobileprovision" --entitlements --output markdownasc profiles local install --path "./profiles/AppStore.mobileprovision"asc profiles local list --output table- On macOS, the default directory follows the active Xcode: Xcode 16 or newer uses
~/Library/Developer/Xcode/UserData/Provisioning Profiles; Xcode 15 or older uses~/Library/MobileDevice/Provisioning Profiles. Hosts without a full active Xcode fall back to the legacy directory and print a note to stderr. - Pass
--install-dirwhen automation must target a fixed directory.
Rotation and cleanup
- Revoke old certificates:
asc certificates revoke --id "CERT_ID" --confirm
- Audit remote provisioning profiles before deleting or rotating:
asc profiles list --profile-state ACTIVE,INVALID --paginate --output json- Apple
profileStateis not a complete expiration signal: some profiles can have a pastexpirationDatewhile still reportingACTIVE. For true expired-profile audits, compareexpirationDateagainst the current date instead of relying only onINVALID.
- Delete old profiles:
asc profiles delete --id "PROFILE_ID" --confirm
- Clean local Xcode provisioning profiles:
asc profiles local clean --expired --dry-runasc profiles local clean --expired --confirm- Check the resolved directory in the dry-run output before confirming, or pin it with
--install-dir.
Shared team storage with asc signing sync
Use this when you want a lightweight, non-interactive alternative to fastlane match for encrypted git-backed certificate/profile storage.
# Protect secret inputs before use
chmod 600 "./signing-sync-password" "./distribution.p12" "./distribution-p12-password"
# Push a usable private identity with its matching certificate and profile
asc signing sync push \
--bundle-id "com.example.app" \
--profile-type IOS_APP_ADHOC \
--repo "git@github.com:team/certs.git" \
--password-file "./signing-sync-password" \
--identity "./distribution.p12" \
--identity-password-file "./distribution-p12-password" \
--output json
# Pull and decrypt them into a local directory
asc signing sync pull \
--repo "git@github.com:team/certs.git" \
--password-file "./signing-sync-password" \
--output-dir "./signing" \
--output json
Notes:
- App Store Connect never returns a private key. Supply the local PKCS#12 with
--identity, or use--private-keywith--identity-sha256to select its matching App Store Connect certificate. A multi-identity PKCS#12 also needs--identity-sha256. - Prefer
--password-file;ASC_SIGNING_SYNC_PASSWORDis the non-file fallback.--passwordandASC_MATCH_PASSWORDare deprecated during 4.x and will be rejected in 5.0.0. - Certificate/profile-only sync remains supported but reports
identityPresent: false; it is not a usable signing identity by itself. pullreports private identities insensitiveFilesand writes them mode0600. Importing or using the pulled identity remains a separate explicit step.- Private identity sync rejects
MAC_APP_DIRECTandMAC_CATALYST_APP_DIRECT; certificate/profile-only sync remains available.
Reconcile ad hoc devices and profiles
Use the experimental reconcile workflow for deterministic, additive changes derived from an Xcode archive and a protected desired-devices file:
asc signing reconcile plan \
--archive-path ".asc/artifacts/App.xcarchive" \
--devices-file ".asc/distribution/devices.json" \
--output json
asc signing reconcile apply \
--plan ".asc/distribution/signing/plan.json" \
--confirm \
--output json
Planning performs no mutation and may return ready: false. Apply can register
missing devices, create safe baseline App IDs, and create successor ad hoc
profiles; it never deletes or patches resources, enables capabilities, or
creates certificates. Review the plan before --confirm. Use the
asc-ad-hoc-distribution skill when these signing effects should be bound into
an end-to-end distribution plan hash.
Run one command with an ephemeral identity
On macOS, avoid persistent login-keychain and profile changes by wrapping the child command:
asc signing run \
--identity "./signing/App.p12" \
--identity-password-file "./signing/App-password" \
--profile "./signing/App.mobileprovision" \
--receipt ".asc/distribution/signing-run.json" \
-- xcodebuild -exportArchive \
-archivePath ".asc/artifacts/App.xcarchive" \
-exportPath ".asc/artifacts/release-testing" \
-exportOptionsPlist ".asc/ExportOptions.release-testing.plist"
The command runs directly without a shell, preserves the child's exit code, uses an isolated temporary keychain, and cleans up its temporary profile. It does not print success data, so the child owns stdout. Never pass identity passwords inline.
Notes
- Always check
--helpfor the exact enum values (certificate types, profile types). - Use
--paginatefor large accounts. --certificateaccepts comma-separated IDs when multiple certificates are required.- Device management uses
asc devicescommands (UDID required). asc profiles inspectandasc profiles local ...operate on local disk state, not App Store Connect API resources.