Overview

Automate iOS TestFlight deployments using GitHub Actions after initial manual setup. Use when setting up CI/CD for iOS apps, automating TestFlight uploads, configuring GitHub Actions workflows for mobile apps, or establishing automated deployment pipelines for React Native, Expo, Flutter, or native iOS projects. Requires one-time manual Apple Developer setup before automation can begin. Apply automatically when the request matches; the user does not need to mention this skill.

This skill should apply automatically when the request matches; the user does not need to mention this skill.

Usage

Use this skill when the request matches its description. The skill is discovered automatically; the user does not need to mention the skill explicitly.

iOS TestFlight GitHub Actions Automation

Automate iOS TestFlight deployments using GitHub Actions with the official Apple-Actions/upload-testflight-build action.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

• Setting up CI/CD for iOS mobile apps
• Automating TestFlight uploads after manual first upload
• User requests "automate TestFlight", "GitHub Actions iOS", or "CI/CD for mobile app"
• Configuring deployment pipeline for React Native, Expo, Flutter, or native iOS apps
• Transitioning from manual uploads to automated deployments

Prerequisites

Before using this skill, user MUST complete one-time manual setup:

1. ✅ Apple Developer account ($99/year)
2. ✅ App created in App Store Connect
3. ✅ App Store Connect API key generated
4. ✅ .p8 private key file downloaded
5. ✅ First build uploaded successfully via Transporter

If prerequisites are NOT met: Direct user to complete manual setup first using the TestFlight installation guide.

What This Skill Provides

Complete GitHub Actions automation setup including:

1. GitHub Actions workflow file - .github/workflows/deploy-testflight.yml
2. Setup instructions - Step-by-step guide for adding secrets
3. Build configuration - Expo EAS or Xcode build integration
4. Deployment triggers - Manual, tag-based, or branch-based
5. Testing guide - How to verify the automation works
6. Troubleshooting - Common issues and solutions

Core Workflow

Phase 1: Verify Prerequisites

Before starting automation setup, verify user has completed manual setup:

Questions to ask:

• "Have you successfully uploaded your first build to TestFlight manually?"
• "Do you have your App Store Connect API key (.p8 file)?"
• "Do you have the Key ID and Issuer ID from App Store Connect?"

If NO to any: Stop and direct user to complete manual setup first.

If YES to all: Proceed with automation setup.

Phase 2: Gather Project Information

Collect essential details about the project:

Required Information:

• Project type (Expo, React Native, Flutter, native iOS)
• Repository location (GitHub repo URL or name)
• Build method (Expo EAS, Xcode, fastlane)
• Bundle ID / App ID
• Deployment trigger preference (manual, on tag, on push to main)

For Expo projects:

• EAS project ID
• Expo account credentials (if needed)

For native iOS projects:

• Xcode project/workspace path
• Scheme name
• Build configuration (Release, Production, etc.)

Phase 3: Create GitHub Actions Workflow

Generate .github/workflows/deploy-testflight.yml based on project type.

3.1: Expo Projects

Use the Expo workflow template from templates/expo-testflight-workflow.yml:

Key steps:

1. Checkout code
2. Setup Node.js
3. Install dependencies
4. Build with EAS (eas build --platform ios --profile production)
5. Download .ipa artifact
6. Upload to TestFlight using Apple-Actions

Trigger options:

• Manual: workflow_dispatch
• On tag: push: tags: ['v*']
• On main branch: push: branches: ['main']

3.2: Native iOS / React Native Projects

Use the native iOS workflow template from templates/native-ios-testflight-workflow.yml:

Key steps:

1. Checkout code
2. Setup Xcode
3. Install dependencies (CocoaPods, npm)
4. Build and archive with xcodebuild
5. Export .ipa
6. Upload to TestFlight using Apple-Actions

Build command example:

xcodebuild archive \
  -workspace MyApp.xcworkspace \
  -scheme MyApp \
  -configuration Release \
  -archivePath build/MyApp.xcarchive

3.3: Configure Apple-Actions

All workflows use the official apple-actions/upload-testflight-build@v3 action:

- name: Upload to TestFlight
  uses: apple-actions/upload-testflight-build@v3
  with:
    app-path: path/to/app.ipa
    issuer-id: ${{ secrets.APPSTORE_ISSUER_ID }}
    api-key-id: ${{ secrets.APPSTORE_API_KEY_ID }}
    api-private-key: ${{ secrets.APPSTORE_API_PRIVATE_KEY }}

Phase 4: Setup GitHub Secrets

Create comprehensive instructions for adding secrets to GitHub repository.

Required Secrets:

Step-by-step instructions:

1. Go to GitHub repository → Settings → Secrets and variables → Actions
2. Click "New repository secret"
3. Add each secret with exact name and value
4. Verify all three secrets are added

For Expo projects, also add:

• EXPO_TOKEN (if using EAS)

Phase 5: Create Setup Documentation

Generate docs/GITHUB_ACTIONS_SETUP.md with:

Contents:

1. Overview of the automation
2. Prerequisites checklist
3. Step-by-step setup instructions
4. How to trigger deployments
5. How to monitor workflow runs
6. Troubleshooting common issues
7. Next steps and best practices

Include:

• Screenshots or ASCII diagrams of GitHub UI
• Example workflow run output
• Links to relevant documentation
• Estimated setup time (15-30 minutes)

Phase 6: Test the Automation

Provide testing instructions:

Manual Trigger Test:

1. Go to GitHub → Actions tab
2. Select "Deploy to TestFlight" workflow
3. Click "Run workflow"
4. Select branch
5. Click "Run workflow" button
6. Monitor progress in real-time
7. Verify build appears in TestFlight

Tag-Based Trigger Test (if configured):

1. Create and push a new tag: git tag v1.0.1 && git push origin v1.0.1
2. Workflow should trigger automatically
3. Monitor in Actions tab
4. Verify build in TestFlight

Expected Timeline:

• Expo builds: 15-30 minutes
• Native iOS builds: 10-20 minutes
• TestFlight processing: 5-15 minutes after upload

Phase 7: Deliver and Document

Deliverables:

1. .github/workflows/deploy-testflight.yml - GitHub Actions workflow
2. docs/GITHUB_ACTIONS_SETUP.md - Setup instructions
3. docs/DEPLOYMENT_GUIDE.md - How to use the automation
4. docs/TROUBLESHOOTING.md - Common issues and solutions

Commit and push files:

git add .github/workflows/deploy-testflight.yml docs/
git commit -m "Add GitHub Actions automation for TestFlight deployments"
git push origin main

Inform user:

• Automation is ready to use
• Next steps: Add GitHub secrets
• How to trigger first automated deployment
• Where to monitor workflow runs

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Issue 1: "Invalid API Key"

• Cause: Incorrect API key, Key ID, or Issuer ID
• Solution: Verify all three values in GitHub secrets match App Store Connect
• Check: .p8 file content copied completely including BEGIN/END lines

Issue 2: "Build Not Found"

• Cause: .ipa file path incorrect
• Solution: Check artifact download path and update app-path in workflow
• Debug: Add ls -la step to list files after build

Issue 3: "Code Signing Failed"

• Cause: Missing or expired provisioning profile
• Solution: Update provisioning profiles in Apple Developer Portal
• Note: Expo handles this automatically, native iOS requires manual management

Issue 4: "Workflow Doesn't Trigger"

• Cause: Incorrect trigger configuration or branch name
• Solution: Verify on: section matches your git workflow
• Test: Use workflow_dispatch for manual testing first

Issue 5: "TestFlight Upload Times Out"

• Cause: Large .ipa file or slow network
• Solution: Increase timeout in workflow (default 30 minutes)
• Add: timeout-minutes: 60 to upload step

Success Criteria

A successful automation setup should:

• GitHub Actions workflow file created and committed
• All required secrets added to GitHub repository
• Workflow successfully triggers (manual or automatic)
• Build completes without errors
• .ipa file uploads to TestFlight
• Build appears in TestFlight within 15 minutes
• Documentation created for team reference
• User can trigger deployments independently