Let’s chat about App Store Connect. Unlike Google Play Console, it’s not exactly the friendliest neighbor on the block, especially when you’re tasked with prepping materials in multiple languages for new app versions. If you’ve got loads of apps and updates in the pipeline, you’re gonna need some serious help.

Enter Fastlane Deliver. This tool is a true lifesaver. Here’s what it can do for you:

  1. Upload literally hundreds of screenshots across different languages and platforms—no kidding!
  2. Update all that textual metadata separately for each language—think keywords, descriptions, release notes, names, you name it.
  3. Refresh in-app purchase data.
  4. Reuse existing data, so you’re not stuck doing the same old thing.

How to Set It Up and Get It Rolling?

You’ll need a bit of command-line savvy, at least enough to “run these commands”.

Setup

  1. Install Xcode. Yeah, it’s a necessary evil.
  2. Install Fastlane:
    brew install --cask fastlane
  3. Dive into your project folder and whip up a new folder for metadata:
    mkdir PROJECT-meta
cd PROJECT-meta
  4. Kick off Fastlane initialization:
    fastlane init
  5. Pull down your existing metadata using Fastlane Deliver. You’ll need to input your credentials and your app’s Bundle ID. The command also sets up a folder structure for each language and screenshots.
  6. Make any necessary tweaks.
  7. Create a new version in App Store Connect by tweaking app_version in your Deliverfile.
  8. Fire up Fastlane Deliver to push your changes:
    fastlane deliver
    The system will show you a preview of all the metadata, so you can double-check everything before the final send-off.

Once you confirm, Fastlane Deliver will upload everything, and you’ll get a neat report like this:

[20:54:07]: ✅  Passed: No negative  sentiment
[20:54:07]: ✅  Passed: No placeholder text
...
[20:54:31]: ✅  Passed: No broken urls

Using Fastlane Deliver can save you up to two hours per localization for eight languages. Not too shabby, right?

Extra Configurations

Don’t forget to tweak your Appfile and Deliverfile for even more convenience:

Appfile:

app_identifier("your app bundle id") # The bundle identifier of your app
apple_id("your apple id") # Your Apple email address

Deliverfile:

app_version "2.6.8"
submit_for_review true
force true # Set to true to skip PDF verification
phased_release true
skip_screenshots false
use_live_version false # use current meta
automatic_release false
precheck_include_in_app_purchases false # if not using in-app purchases

So, if you’re tired of spending ages on preparing and uploading metadata to App Store Connect, give Fastlane Deliver a whirl. Good luck with your automation adventures!