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axiom-asc-mcp

Use when automating App Store Connect via MCP — submit builds, manage TestFlight, respond to reviews, triage feedback programmatically

personAuthor: jakexiaohubgithub
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App Store Connect MCP Integration

Core principle: When asc-mcp is configured, you can manage the entire App Store Connect workflow without leaving Claude Code — submit builds, distribute to TestFlight, respond to reviews, and monitor metrics programmatically.

Setup

Install

brew install mint
mint install zelentsov-dev/asc-mcp@1.4.0

Create API Key

  1. Open App Store Connect → Users and Access → Integrations → API
  2. Generate key with Admin or App Manager role
  3. Download the .p8 file (one-time download — save it securely)
  4. Note the Key ID and Issuer ID

Add to Claude Code

claude mcp add asc-mcp \
  -e ASC_KEY_ID=YOUR_KEY_ID \
  -e ASC_ISSUER_ID=YOUR_ISSUER_ID \
  -e ASC_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH=/path/to/AuthKey.p8 \
  -- ~/.mint/bin/asc-mcp

Verify

Ask Claude to call company_current. If it returns your team name, you're connected.

Worker Filtering

asc-mcp has 25 workers (~208 tools). Loading all of them wastes context. Use --workers to load only what you need.

Presets

| Preset | Workers | Tools | Use Case | |--------|---------|-------|----------| | TestFlight | apps,builds,beta_groups,beta_testers | ~34 | Beta distribution | | Release | apps,builds,versions,reviews | ~40 | App Store submission | | Monetization | apps,iap,subscriptions,offer_codes,pricing | ~55 | IAP and subscriptions | | Full | (default, all workers) | ~208 | Everything |

To use a preset, add --workers when registering the server:

claude mcp add asc-mcp \
  -e ASC_KEY_ID=... \
  -e ASC_ISSUER_ID=... \
  -e ASC_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH=... \
  -- ~/.mint/bin/asc-mcp --workers apps,builds,versions,reviews

Note: company and auth workers always load regardless of --workers. When builds is enabled, build_processing and build_beta are included automatically.

Worker Selection Decision Tree

digraph workers {
    "What are you doing?" [shape=diamond];
    "TestFlight preset" [shape=box, label="--workers apps,builds,\nbeta_groups,beta_testers"];
    "Release preset" [shape=box, label="--workers apps,builds,\nversions,reviews"];
    "Monetization preset" [shape=box, label="--workers apps,iap,\nsubscriptions,offer_codes,pricing"];
    "Full (no flag)" [shape=box, label="No --workers flag\n(all 208 tools)"];

    "What are you doing?" -> "TestFlight preset" [label="distributing beta builds"];
    "What are you doing?" -> "Release preset" [label="submitting to App Store"];
    "What are you doing?" -> "Monetization preset" [label="managing IAP/subscriptions"];
    "What are you doing?" -> "Full (no flag)" [label="multiple tasks or unsure"];
}

Workflow: Release Pipeline

Submit a new version to the App Store.

1. apps_search(query: "MyApp")           → get app ID
2. builds_list(appId, limit: 5)          → find latest processed build
3. app_versions_create(appId, platform: "IOS", versionString: "2.1.0")
4. app_versions_attach_build(versionId, buildId)
5. app_versions_set_review_details(versionId, { contactEmail, notes, ... })
6. app_versions_submit_for_review(versionId)
7. (After approval) app_versions_create_phased_release(versionId)

Before step 3: Version string must not already exist. Check with app_versions_list.

Before step 4: Build must be in VALID processing state. Check with builds_get_processing_state.

Before step 6: Version must be in PREPARE_FOR_SUBMISSION state. Attaching a build and setting review details are prerequisites.

Workflow: TestFlight Distribution

Distribute a build to beta testers.

1. apps_search(query: "MyApp")           → get app ID
2. builds_list(appId, limit: 5)          → find latest build
3. builds_set_beta_localization(buildId, locale: "en-US", whatsNew: "Bug fixes")
4. beta_groups_list(appId)               → find or create group
   OR beta_groups_create(appId, name: "Internal Testers", isInternal: true)
5. beta_groups_add_builds(groupId, [buildId])
6. builds_send_beta_notification(buildId) → notify testers (optional)

Tip: Internal testers (up to 100) get builds immediately. External testers (up to 10,000) require Beta App Review for the first build of each version.

Workflow: Review Management

Monitor and respond to App Store reviews.

1. apps_search(query: "MyApp")           → get app ID
2. reviews_list(appId, sort: "-createdDate", limit: 20)
   OR reviews_list(appId, filterRating: "1,2")  → negative reviews only
3. reviews_stats(appId)                  → rating distribution summary
4. reviews_create_response(reviewId, responseBody: "Thank you for...")

Response guidelines:

  • Respond to negative reviews within 24-48 hours
  • Be professional and offer specific help
  • Updating a response replaces the previous one (users see "Developer Response")

Workflow: Feedback Triage

Correlate TestFlight feedback with build diagnostics.

1. builds_list(appId, limit: 10)         → recent builds
2. builds_get_beta_testers(buildId)      → who tested this build
3. metrics_build_diagnostics(buildId)    → crash signatures for this build
4. metrics_get_diagnostic_logs(signatureId) → individual crash logs

Limitation: TestFlight text feedback and screenshots are NOT available via the App Store Connect API. Use Xcode Organizer or the ASC web dashboard for feedback content.

Workflow: Multi-Company

Switch between App Store Connect teams.

1. company_list                          → see configured accounts
2. company_switch(companyId: "client-a") → switch active account
3. (All subsequent calls use client-a's credentials)

Multi-Company Setup

Add to ~/.config/asc-mcp/companies.json:

{
  "companies": [
    {
      "id": "my-company",
      "name": "My Company",
      "key_id": "KEY_ID_1",
      "issuer_id": "ISSUER_1",
      "key_path": "/Users/you/.keys/AuthKey1.p8"
    },
    {
      "id": "client-a",
      "name": "Client A",
      "key_id": "KEY_ID_2",
      "issuer_id": "ISSUER_2",
      "key_path": "/Users/you/.keys/AuthKey2.p8"
    }
  ]
}

Or use numbered environment variables: ASC_COMPANY_1_NAME, ASC_COMPANY_1_KEY_ID, etc.

Key Tool Quick Reference

Apps & Builds

| Tool | Parameters | Returns | |------|-----------|---------| | apps_search | query | App ID, name, bundleId, platform | | apps_list | limit | All apps in account | | builds_list | appId, limit, sort | Build number, version, processing state | | builds_find_by_number | appId, buildNumber | Specific build details | | builds_get_processing_state | buildId | PROCESSING, VALID, INVALID, etc. | | builds_check_readiness | buildId | Whether build is ready for distribution |

Versions & Submission

| Tool | Parameters | Returns | |------|-----------|---------| | app_versions_create | appId, platform, versionString | New version in PREPARE_FOR_SUBMISSION | | app_versions_attach_build | versionId, buildId | Attached build | | app_versions_set_review_details | versionId, contactEmail, notes, etc. | Review details | | app_versions_submit_for_review | versionId | Submitted for review | | app_versions_cancel_review | versionId | Cancelled review | | app_versions_release | versionId | Manual release | | app_versions_create_phased_release | versionId | 7-day phased rollout |

TestFlight

| Tool | Parameters | Returns | |------|-----------|---------| | beta_groups_create | appId, name, isInternal | New group | | beta_groups_add_testers | groupId, testerIds | Updated group | | beta_groups_add_builds | groupId, buildIds | Build distributed | | builds_set_beta_localization | buildId, locale, whatsNew | "What to Test" text | | builds_send_beta_notification | buildId | Testers notified |

Reviews & Metrics

| Tool | Parameters | Returns | |------|-----------|---------| | reviews_list | appId, sort, filterRating, limit | Review entries | | reviews_stats | appId | Rating distribution | | reviews_create_response | reviewId, responseBody | Developer response | | metrics_app_perf | appId | App-level performance metrics | | metrics_build_diagnostics | buildId | Crash signatures per build |

API Constraints

| Constraint | Details | |-----------|---------| | No emoji in metadata | Version "What's New", descriptions, keywords — use words, not emoji | | Version state | Only PREPARE_FOR_SUBMISSION versions are editable. Once submitted, create a new version to make changes. | | JWT lifetime | 20-minute tokens, auto-refreshed by asc-mcp | | Rate limits | Apple enforces per-account limits. asc-mcp retries with exponential backoff on 429s. | | Locale format | Standard codes: en-US, ja, de-DE, zh-Hans, ru | | Build processing | Newly uploaded builds take 15-30 minutes to process. Poll builds_get_processing_state before attaching. | | Phased release | Only available after approval. Can pause/resume with app_versions_update_phased_release. |

Gotchas

| Gotcha | Details | |--------|---------| | Build not found | Build may still be processing. Check builds_get_processing_state — must be VALID. | | "Version already exists" | Can't create duplicate version strings. Use app_versions_list to check first. | | Attach fails | Build must be processed AND the version must be in PREPARE_FOR_SUBMISSION. | | Review details rejected | Contact info fields have format requirements. Email must be valid, phone must include country code. | | Wrong app | apps_search is fuzzy. Verify the returned bundleId matches your target app. | | Multi-company confusion | Always call company_current first to confirm which account is active before making changes. | | Beta App Review | First external TestFlight build per version requires review. Subsequent builds to the same version are auto-approved. | | Missing analytics | analytics_* tools require vendor_number in company config. Without it, sales/financial reports fail silently. |

Anti-Rationalization

| Thought | Reality | |---------|---------| | "I'll just use the ASC web dashboard" | MCP tools are faster for repetitive tasks — respond to 20 reviews, distribute to 5 groups, create versions across apps. | | "I don't need worker filtering" | 208 tools consume ~30K tokens of context. Filter to what you need. | | "I'll submit without review details" | Submission will fail. app_versions_set_review_details is required before app_versions_submit_for_review. | | "I'll skip company_current — I only have one account" | Multi-company configs persist between sessions. Always verify. | | "Feedback triage is the same via API" | Text feedback and screenshots are NOT in the ASC API. Use Organizer for feedback content, MCP for crash diagnostics. |

When asc-mcp is NOT Available

If asc-mcp is not configured, fall back to manual workflows:

  • Crash analysis: Use Xcode Organizer (see axiom-testflight-triage) or App Store Connect web dashboard (see axiom-app-store-connect-ref)
  • TestFlight distribution: Use Xcode → Product → Archive → Distribute, or xcodebuild + altool
  • Review management: Use App Store Connect web dashboard
  • Submission: Use Xcode → Product → Archive → Distribute to App Store

Resources

Skills: axiom-app-store-submission, axiom-app-store-ref, axiom-app-store-connect-ref, axiom-testflight-triage

Agents: crash-analyzer, security-privacy-scanner, iap-auditor