Set up App Store Connect

Before you can publish your iOS app, you need to create it in App Store Connect and generate the required certificates.

The easy way: guided from inside the app

You don’t have to read this guide end to end. BLOCQ walks you through account creation step by step right inside the app: Admin → Publish app → Choose platform. There you get a short explanation per step, the matching “Open” buttons, and you can always return here for more detail.

BLOCQ acts as your tour guide, not a clerk: you create the account yourself on Apple’s official sites (BLOCQ never sees your credentials) — we just explain exactly what to do.

Overview

Step	What’s done	Duration
1. Developer Account	Join Apple Developer Program (incl. identity check)	15 min – several days
2. Bundle ID	Create app identifier	~5 min
3. Create App	Create app in App Store Connect	~15 min
4. API Key	Key for automatic uploads	~10 min
5. Certificates	Distribution Certificate & Provisioning Profile	~20 min

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Step 1: Apple Developer Program

If you’re not a member yet, you first need an Apple ID with two-factor authentication enabled and you must pay the annual fee of $99.

Plan time for identity verification

Apple now verifies your identity during enrollment. Depending on your country you’ll be asked to:

• provide your legal name, address and phone number,
• upload a photo of your ID (national ID, driver’s license or passport),
• and sometimes take a selfie for verification.

This check can take a few minutes to several days. So start early enough before you plan to publish.

There are two ways to enroll. The app route is the easiest for most individuals, because identity verification runs directly via Face ID / Touch ID.

Apple Developer app (recommended)

1. Download the “Apple Developer” app from the App Store onto your iPhone or iPad.
2. Open the app and sign in with your Apple ID.
3. Tap the Account tab → Enroll Now.
4. Choose the account type:
   • Individual / Sole Proprietor: for individual developers
   • Organization: for companies (D-U-N-S number required)
5. Follow the identity verification using Face ID / Touch ID and an ID scan.
6. Pay the annual fee of $99.
7. Wait for the confirmation email.

Device requirement

The app route requires an iPhone/iPad with Face ID, Touch ID or a passcode. You must use the same device for the entire enrollment.

In the browser

1. Go to developer.apple.com/enroll
2. Click Start Your Enrollment and sign in with your Apple ID.
3. Choose the account type (Individual or Organization).
4. Provide your legal name, phone number and address.
5. Complete the identity verification (ID upload if requested).
6. Accept the license agreement and pay the annual fee of $99.
7. Wait for confirmation (can take from hours to several days).

Annual Fee

The $99 is an annual fee. If you don’t renew, your apps will be removed from the Store.

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Step 2: Create Bundle ID

The Bundle ID uniquely identifies your app in the Apple ecosystem.

1. Go to the Apple Developer Portal
2. Navigate to Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles
3. Click Identifiers in the sidebar
4. Click the + symbol
5. Select App IDs and click Continue
6. Select App as type and click Continue
7. Fill in the fields (see table below)
8. Enable required Capabilities (see table below)
9. Click Continue and then Register

Fields to fill in:

Field	Description	Example
Description	Description of the app	Club App
Bundle ID	Unique ID (Explicit)	com.yourcompany.app

Required and optional Capabilities:

Capability	When to enable?
Sign In with Apple	Required – enable the capability and configure the App ID as the primary App ID (“Enable as primary App ID”)
Push Notifications	If your app uses push notifications
Associated Domains	For Universal Links

Then click Continue and Register at the bottom.

Set Bundle ID

The Bundle ID cannot be changed later. It must match the Package Name in BLOCQ.

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Step 3: Create App in App Store Connect

1. Go to App Store Connect
2. Click My Apps
3. Click the + symbol → New App
4. Fill in the form (see table below)
5. Click Create

Field	Description
Platforms	Select iOS
Name	App name in the store (max. 30 characters)
Primary Language	English
Bundle ID	Select the previously created Bundle ID
SKU	Unique identifier (e.g., clubapp2024)
User Access	Full Access – required, otherwise BLOCQ cannot publish the app automatically later

Fill in App Information

Website Required!

Apple requires the following URLs:

• Privacy Policy - Publicly accessible webpage (Required!)
• Support URL - Contact option for users (Required!)

How to create a Privacy Policy:

1. Use a generator (free, GDPR-compliant):
   • eRecht24.de (German)
   • Datenschutz-Generator.de (German + English)
2. Host the page for free:
   • Tiiny.host (super easy - upload HTML, done)
   • GitHub Pages
   • Or on your existing website

Important: If your app allows user accounts, you must also provide an account deletion feature!

After creation, go to App Store → App Information:

Section	Required Information
General	Subtitle, category, age rating
App Privacy	Link to privacy policy (Required!)
Price and Availability	Set the price to $0.00 (free) and select all countries where the app should be available
Copyright	Enter the copyright (e.g. “2026 Your Name”) – BLOCQ handles the remaining store texts and screenshots automatically

Create Store Listing

Go to App Store → Prepare for Submission:

Element	Requirements
Screenshots (iPhone)	6.7” and 5.5” (min. 3 per size)
Screenshots (iPad)	Optional but recommended
Promotional Text	Max. 170 characters
Description	Max. 4,000 characters
Keywords	Max. 100 characters (comma-separated)
Support URL	Link to your support page
Marketing URL	Optional

Generate Texts Automatically

You don’t have to write promotional text, description and keywords yourself! BLOCQ can automatically generate these texts with AI - optimized for better discoverability in the App Store. The texts are transferred directly to App Store Connect. More about ASO Metadata →

Creating Screenshots

Use the built-in Screenshot Studio in BLOCQ to create professional store screenshots. With 10 pre-made template suites and a visual editor, you can create impressive marketing graphics in minutes. Go to Screenshot Studio →

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Step 4: Create API Key

The API Key allows BLOCQ to automatically upload builds.

1. Go to App Store Connect
2. Click Users and Access
3. Select the Integrations tab
4. Click App Store Connect API
5. Click Team Keys
6. Click the + symbol
7. Enter Name: “BLOCQ Publisher” and Access: “App Manager”
8. Click Generate

Copy Key and IDs

After creation:

1. Download API Key: Click Download (only possible once!)
   • The file is named AuthKey_XXXXXXXX.p8
   • Store it safely!
2. Copy Key ID: Shown in the key’s row
3. Copy Issuer ID: Shown at the top of the page

One-time Download

The API Key can only be downloaded once. If you lose it, you’ll need to create a new one.

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Step 5: Create Certificates

Distribution Certificate

The certificate signs your app for the App Store.

1. Open Keychain Access on your Mac

2. Go to Keychain Access → Certificate Assistant → Request a Certificate from a Certificate Authority

3. Fill in:

   • User Email Address: Your email
   • Common Name: Your name
   • Saved to disk: Enable

4. Click Continue and save the .certSigningRequest file

5. Go to the Apple Developer Portal

6. Navigate to Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles → Certificates

7. Click +

8. Select Apple Distribution and click Continue

9. Upload the .certSigningRequest file

10. Click Continue and then Download

11. Double-click the downloaded .cer file to install

Export Certificate as .p12

1. Open Keychain Access
2. Find the installed certificate (e.g., “Apple Distribution: Your Name”)
3. Expand the certificate to see the private key
4. Select both (certificate + private key)
5. Right-click → Export…
6. Choose format .p12
7. Set a password (remember it!)
8. Save the file

Provisioning Profile

The Provisioning Profile links certificate, Bundle ID, and devices.

1. Go to the Apple Developer Portal
2. Navigate to Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles → Profiles
3. Click +
4. Under Distribution: Select App Store Connect
5. Click Continue
6. Select your Bundle ID
7. Click Continue
8. Select your Distribution Certificate
9. Click Continue
10. Enter a Name (e.g., “ClubApp Distribution”)
11. Click Generate and then Download

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Summary: What You Need for BLOCQ

File/Info	Format	Where to upload?
API Key	.p8	iOS Wizard → API Key
Issuer ID	Text	iOS Wizard → Account Info
Key ID	Text	iOS Wizard → Account Info
Distribution Certificate	.p12	iOS Wizard → Signature
Certificate Password	Text	iOS Wizard → Signature
Provisioning Profile	.mobileprovision	iOS Wizard → Signature

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Checklist

Before returning to BLOCQ:

• Apple Developer Program member
• Bundle ID created (matching BLOCQ Package Name)
• App created in App Store Connect
• App information and store listing completed
• API Key created and .p8 downloaded
• Issuer ID and Key ID noted
• Distribution Certificate created and exported as .p12
• Provisioning Profile created and downloaded

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Common Problems

”Invalid Certificate”

Cause: The certificate has expired or wasn’t exported correctly.

Solution:

1. Check the expiration date in Keychain
2. Make sure you exported both (certificate + private key)
3. Create a new certificate if needed

”Provisioning Profile doesn’t match Bundle ID”

Cause: The Bundle ID in the Provisioning Profile doesn’t match the app.

Solution:

1. Check the Bundle ID in BLOCQ
2. Create a new Provisioning Profile with the correct Bundle ID

”API Key not found”

Cause: The API Key was revoked or the IDs don’t match.

Solution:

1. Check Issuer ID and Key ID in App Store Connect
2. Create a new API Key if needed

”App name already taken”

Cause: Another app is already using this name in the store.

Solution:

1. Choose a different app name
2. The name must be unique across the entire App Store

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Submit for Review

After the first successful upload, your build first appears in TestFlight. That does not mean the app is submitted yet – you do the actual store submission afterwards in the App Store section.

1. Go to App Store Connect and select your app
2. Wait for the build to be processed (10-30 min) and answer the export compliance questions (one-time)
3. Assign the build to your app version in the App Store section
4. Fill in the App Review information: a test login (demo account) and your contact details
5. Click “Add for Review” → “Submit for Review”
6. Choose the release option: automatic, manual, or on a set date

TestFlight is optional

TestFlight is for distributing your app to testers beforehand. It is not a required step for the store release – what matters is the submission in the App Store section.

Plan for the review time

After submitting, Apple reviews your app. For a first release this can take several days up to one or two weeks. Plan for this time.

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Next Steps

Publish App Back to the publishing wizard

Set up Google Play Console Android setup for Google Play