Asc Build Lifecycle
Track App Store Connect build processing, pick safe build numbers, publish to TestFlight or App Store, and expire stale IPA builds with asc CLI.
Overview
asc build lifecycle is an agent skill most often used in Ship (also Launch) that manages App Store Connect build processing, publishing, and retention with the asc CLI.
Install
npx skills add https://github.com/rudrankriyam/app-store-connect-cli-skills --skill asc-build-lifecycleWhat is this skill?
- Resolve latest build, next build number, and recent uploads via asc builds subcommands
- Inspect processing state on a specific BUILD_ID before promoting
- End-to-end publish flows: testflight and appstore with --wait, --submit, and --confirm
- Retention cleanup: expire-all with dry-run plus single-build expire
- Documents that builds upload is prep-only; prefer asc publish for full pipelines
Adoption & trust: 2.2k installs on skills.sh; 845 GitHub stars; 3/3 security scanners passed (skills.sh audits).
What problem does it solve?
You uploaded an IPA but do not know which build processed, what number to use next, or how to clean old binaries without breaking TestFlight.
Who is it for?
Solo iOS builders automating App Store Connect with asc while an agent runs the exact flags for wait, submit, and retention.
Skip if: Android Play Console workflows, local Xcode archive debugging only, or teams forbidden from CLI-based store submission.
When should I use this skill?
Managing build retention, waiting on App Store Connect processing, or finding the latest and next build numbers with asc.
What do I get? / Deliverables
You can query processing state, run waited publish pipelines to TestFlight or App Store, and expire stale builds with preview dry-runs.
- Identified latest or next build number for a version
- Completed publish command output for TestFlight or App Store
- Retention report from expire-all dry-run or confirmed expiration
Recommended Skills
Journey fit
Spans multiple journey phases - primary shelf plus alternate fits below.
Build lifecycle commands execute when binaries are uploaded, processed, and submitted—core Ship-and-Launch mobile release work. Publishing, TestFlight, and App Store submission map to launch prep on iOS even though processing waits happen in Ship.
Where it fits
Poll asc builds info until processing finishes before attaching a build to a version.
Run asc publish testflight with --wait to push a beta to a named group after CI uploads the IPA.
Confirm latest processed build for version 1.2.3 before submitting metadata-only updates tied to a binary.
Expire builds older than 90 days to keep App Store Connect clutter down between release trains.
How it compares
CLI procedural skill for ASC build state—not Fastlane lane recipes unless you wrap asc yourself.
Common Questions / FAQ
Who is asc-build-lifecycle for?
Independent iOS developers and small teams using the asc App Store Connect CLI with AI agents to ship and maintain build history.
When should I use asc-build-lifecycle?
In Ship while waiting on processing or choosing build numbers; in Launch when publishing to TestFlight or submitting App Store versions and trimming old builds.
Is asc-build-lifecycle safe to install?
Expiration and publish commands can affect live TestFlight and store submissions—review the Security Audits panel on this page and always dry-run expire-all before --confirm.
SKILL.md
READMESKILL.md - Asc Build Lifecycle
# asc build lifecycle Use this skill to manage build state, processing, and retention. ## Find the right build - Latest build: - `asc builds info --app "APP_ID" --latest --version "1.2.3" --platform IOS` - Next safe build number: - `asc builds next-build-number --app "APP_ID" --version "1.2.3" --platform IOS` - Recent builds: - `asc builds list --app "APP_ID" --sort -uploadedDate --limit 10` ## Inspect processing state - `asc builds info --build-id "BUILD_ID"` ## Distribution flows - Prefer end-to-end: - `asc publish testflight --app "APP_ID" --ipa "./app.ipa" --group "GROUP_ID" --wait` - `asc publish appstore --app "APP_ID" --ipa "./app.ipa" --version "1.2.3" --wait --submit --confirm` ## Cleanup - Preview expiration: - `asc builds expire-all --app "APP_ID" --older-than 90d --dry-run` - Apply expiration: - `asc builds expire-all --app "APP_ID" --older-than 90d --confirm` - Single build: - `asc builds expire --build-id "BUILD_ID" --confirm` ## Notes - `asc builds upload` prepares upload operations only; use `asc publish` for end-to-end flows. - For long processing times, use `--wait`, `--poll-interval`, and `--timeout` where supported.