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Expo Deployment

OpenAIOfficialCreated by Expo TeamDistributed by OpenAI

  • Skill
  • Tool integration
  • Cloud and DevOps
  • MIT
  • Low risk

From the author

Deploying Expo apps to iOS App Store, Android Play Store, web hosting, and API routes
— the description by Expo Team

AutoGineer summary

Written by AutoGineer from the skill’s own files, not by the author

This skill provides a comprehensive guide for using Expo Application Services (EAS) to build, manage, and deploy Expo applications. It covers the configuration of build profiles, automated submission to the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, and web hosting deployment. The skill also includes instructions for managing app metadata, handling credentials, and integrating CI/CD workflows for automated release pipelines.

What it does

  • Configures build profiles for iOS, Android, and web platforms
  • Automates the submission of application binaries to app stores
  • Manages App Store metadata and store configuration
  • Provides commands for TestFlight beta distribution
  • Enables web hosting deployment and PR preview generation
  • Supports CI/CD integration for automated build and release workflows

When to use it

  • When preparing an Expo application for release to mobile app stores
  • When setting up automated deployment pipelines for mobile or web
  • When managing App Store metadata and store presence
  • When distributing beta builds to testers via TestFlight
  • When deploying web versions of an Expo project

Advantages

  • Centralizes build and submission processes
  • Reduces manual effort for store metadata management
  • Supports automated versioning and build tracking
  • Facilitates consistent deployment workflows across platforms

Usage examples

“How do I build and submit my iOS app to the App Store?”
The agent provides the command 'npx eas-cli build -p ios --profile production --submit' and explains the necessary credential configuration.
“How can I automate my release process?”
The agent provides a sample YAML workflow configuration for CI/CD to automate building and submitting apps upon pushing to the main branch.
“How do I update my App Store metadata?”
The agent explains how to use 'eas metadata:pull' to generate a config file and 'eas metadata:push' to update store information.

Install

  1. Download the skill as a ZIP:

    https://mp-staging.autogineer.com/agent-skills/openai/expo-deployment/download
  2. Unzip it into the cross-client skills folder of your project:

    mkdir -p .agents/skills && unzip expo-deployment.zip -d .agents/skills

Documentation by Expo Team

Deployment

This skill covers deploying Expo applications across all platforms using EAS (Expo Application Services).

References

Consult these resources as needed:

  • ./references/workflows.md -- CI/CD workflows for automated deployments and PR previews

  • ./references/testflight.md -- Submitting iOS builds to TestFlight for beta testing

  • ./references/app-store-metadata.md -- Managing App Store metadata and ASO optimization

  • ./references/play-store.md -- Submitting Android builds to Google Play Store

  • ./references/ios-app-store.md -- iOS App Store submission and review process

Quick Start

Install EAS CLI
npm install -g eas-cli
eas login
Initialize EAS
npx eas-cli@latest init

This creates eas.json with build profiles.

Build Commands

Production Builds
# iOS App Store build
npx eas-cli@latest build -p ios --profile production

# Android Play Store build
npx eas-cli@latest build -p android --profile production

# Both platforms
npx eas-cli@latest build --profile production
Submit to Stores
# iOS: Build and submit to App Store Connect
npx eas-cli@latest build -p ios --profile production --submit

# Android: Build and submit to Play Store
npx eas-cli@latest build -p android --profile production --submit

# Shortcut for iOS TestFlight
npx testflight

Web Deployment

Deploy web apps using EAS Hosting:

# Deploy to production
npx expo export -p web
npx eas-cli@latest deploy --prod

# Deploy PR preview
npx eas-cli@latest deploy

EAS Configuration

Standard eas.json for production deployments:

{
  "cli": {
    "version": ">= 16.0.1",
    "appVersionSource": "remote"
  },
  "build": {
    "production": {
      "autoIncrement": true,
      "ios": {
        "resourceClass": "m-medium"
      }
    },
    "development": {
      "developmentClient": true,
      "distribution": "internal"
    }
  },
  "submit": {
    "production": {
      "ios": {
        "appleId": "[email protected]",
        "ascAppId": "1234567890"
      },
      "android": {
        "serviceAccountKeyPath": "./google-service-account.json",
        "track": "internal"
      }
    }
  }
}

Platform-Specific Guides

iOS
  • Use npx testflight for quick TestFlight submissions

  • Configure Apple credentials via eas credentials

  • See ./reference/testflight.md for credential setup

  • See ./reference/ios-app-store.md for App Store submission

Android
  • Set up Google Play Console service account

  • Configure tracks: internal → closed → open → production

  • See ./reference/play-store.md for detailed setup

Web
  • EAS Hosting provides preview URLs for PRs

  • Production deploys to your custom domain

  • See ./reference/workflows.md for CI/CD automation

Automated Deployments

Use EAS Workflows for CI/CD:

# .eas/workflows/release.yml
name: Release

on:
  push:
    branches: [main]

jobs:
  build-ios:
    type: build
    params:
      platform: ios
      profile: production

  submit-ios:
    type: submit
    needs: [build-ios]
    params:
      platform: ios
      profile: production

See ./reference/workflows.md for more workflow examples.

Version Management

EAS manages version numbers automatically with appVersionSource: "remote":

# Check current versions
eas build:version:get

# Manually set version
eas build:version:set -p ios --build-number 42

Monitoring

# List recent builds
eas build:list

# Check build status
eas build:view

# View submission status
eas submit:list

Files

references/app-store-metadata.md

App Store Metadata

Manage App Store metadata and optimize for ASO using EAS Metadata.

What is EAS Metadata?

EAS Metadata automates App Store presence management from the command line using a store.config.json file instead of manually filling forms in App Store Connect. It includes built-in validation to catch common rejection pitfalls.

Current Status: Preview, Apple App Store only.

Getting Started

Pull Existing Metadata

If your app is already published, pull current metadata:

eas metadata:pull

This creates store.config.json with your current App Store configuration.

Push Metadata Updates

After editing your config, push changes:

eas metadata:push

Important: You must submit a binary via eas submit before pushing metadata for new apps.

Configuration File

Create store.config.json at your project root:

{
  "configVersion": 0,
  "apple": {
    "copyright": "2025 Your Company",
    "categories": ["UTILITIES", "PRODUCTIVITY"],
    "info": {
      "en-US": {
        "title": "App Name",
        "subtitle": "Your compelling tagline",
        "description": "Full app description...",
        "keywords": ["keyword1", "keyword2", "keyword3"],
        "releaseNotes": "What's new in this version...",
        "promoText": "Limited time offer!",
        "privacyPolicyUrl": "https://example.com/privacy",
        "supportUrl": "https://example.com/support",
        "marketingUrl": "https://example.com"
      }
    },
    "advisory": {
      "alcoholTobaccoOrDrugUseOrReferences": "NONE",
      "gamblingSimulated": "NONE",
      "medicalOrTreatmentInformation": "NONE",
      "profanityOrCrudeHumor": "NONE",
      "sexualContentGraphicAndNudity": "NONE",
      "sexualContentOrNudity": "NONE",
      "horrorOrFearThemes": "NONE",
      "matureOrSuggestiveThemes": "NONE",
      "violenceCartoonOrFantasy": "NONE",
      "violenceRealistic": "NONE",
      "violenceRealisticProlongedGraphicOrSadistic": "NONE",
      "contests": "NONE",
      "gambling": false,
      "unrestrictedWebAccess": false,
      "seventeenPlus": false
    },
    "release": {
      "automaticRelease": true,
      "phasedRelease": true
    },
    "review": {
      "firstName": "John",
      "lastName": "Doe",
      "email": "[email protected]",
      "phone": "+1 555-123-4567",
      "notes": "Demo account: [email protected] / password123"
    }
  }
}

App Store Optimization (ASO)

Title Optimization (30 characters max)

The title is the most important ranking factor. Include your brand name and 1-2 strongest keywords.

{
  "title": "Budgetly - Money Tracker"
}

Best Practices:

  • Brand name first for recognition

  • Include highest-volume keyword

  • Avoid generic words like "app" or "the"

  • Title keywords boost rankings by ~10%

Subtitle Optimization (30 characters max)

The subtitle appears below your title in search results. Use it for your unique value proposition.

{
  "subtitle": "Smart Expense & Budget Planner"
}

Best Practices:

  • Don't duplicate keywords from title (Apple counts each word once)

  • Highlight your main differentiator

  • Include secondary high-value keywords

  • Focus on benefits, not features

Keywords Field (100 characters max)

Hidden from users but crucial for discoverability. Use comma-separated keywords without spaces after commas.

{
  "keywords": [
    "finance,budget,expense,money,tracker,savings,bills,income,spending,wallet,personal,weekly,monthly"
  ]
}

Best Practices:

  • Use all 100 characters

  • Separate with commas only (no spaces)

  • No duplicates from title/subtitle

  • Include singular forms (Apple handles plurals)

  • Add synonyms and alternate spellings

  • Include competitor brand names (carefully)

  • Use digits instead of spelled numbers ("5" not "five")

  • Skip articles and prepositions

Description Optimization

The iOS description is NOT indexed for search but critical for conversion. Focus on convincing users to download.

{
  "description": "Take control of your finances with Budgetly, the intuitive money management app trusted by over 1 million users.\n\nKEY FEATURES:\n• Smart budget tracking - Set limits and watch your progress\n• Expense categorization - Know exactly where your money goes\n• Bill reminders - Never miss a payment\n• Beautiful charts - Visualize your financial health\n• Bank sync - Connect 10,000+ institutions\n• Cloud backup - Your data, always safe\n\nWHY BUDGETLY?\nUnlike complex spreadsheets or basic calculators, Budgetly learns your spending habits and provides personalized insights. Our users save an average of $300/month within 3 months.\n\nPRIVACY FIRST\nYour financial data is encrypted end-to-end. We never sell your information.\n\nDownload Budgetly today and start your journey to financial freedom!"
}

Best Practices:

  • Front-load the first 3 lines (visible before "more")

  • Use bullet points for features

  • Include social proof (user counts, ratings, awards)

  • Add a clear call-to-action

  • Mention privacy/security for sensitive apps

  • Update with each release

Release Notes

Shown to existing users deciding whether to update.

{
  "releaseNotes": "Version 2.5 brings exciting improvements:\n\n• NEW: Dark mode support\n• NEW: Widget for home screen\n• IMPROVED: 50% faster sync\n• FIXED: Notification timing issues\n\nLove Budgetly? Please leave a review!"
}
Promo Text (170 characters max)

Appears above description; can be updated without new binary. Great for time-sensitive promotions.

{
  "promoText": "🎉 New Year Special: Premium features free for 30 days! Start 2025 with better finances."
}

Categories

Primary category is most important for browsing and rankings.

{
  "categories": ["FINANCE", "PRODUCTIVITY"]
}

Available Categories:

  • BOOKS, BUSINESS, DEVELOPER_TOOLS, EDUCATION

  • ENTERTAINMENT, FINANCE, FOOD_AND_DRINK

  • GAMES (with subcategories), GRAPHICS_AND_DESIGN

  • HEALTH_AND_FITNESS, KIDS (age-gated)

  • LIFESTYLE, MAGAZINES_AND_NEWSPAPERS

  • MEDICAL, MUSIC, NAVIGATION, NEWS

  • PHOTO_AND_VIDEO, PRODUCTIVITY, REFERENCE

  • SHOPPING, SOCIAL_NETWORKING, SPORTS

  • STICKERS (with subcategories), TRAVEL

  • UTILITIES, WEATHER

Localization

Localize metadata for each target market. Keywords should be researched per locale—direct translations often miss regional search terms.

{
  "info": {
    "en-US": {
      "title": "Budgetly - Money Tracker",
      "subtitle": "Smart Expense Planner",
      "keywords": ["budget,finance,money,expense,tracker"]
    },
    "es-ES": {
      "title": "Budgetly - Control de Gastos",
      "subtitle": "Planificador de Presupuesto",
      "keywords": ["presupuesto,finanzas,dinero,gastos,ahorro"]
    },
    "ja": {
      "title": "Budgetly - 家計簿アプリ",
      "subtitle": "簡単支出管理",
      "keywords": ["家計簿,支出,予算,節約,お金"]
    },
    "de-DE": {
      "title": "Budgetly - Haushaltsbuch",
      "subtitle": "Ausgaben Verwalten",
      "keywords": ["budget,finanzen,geld,ausgaben,sparen"]
    }
  }
}

Supported Locales: ar-SA, ca, cs, da, de-DE, el, en-AU, en-CA, en-GB, en-US, es-ES, es-MX, fi, fr-CA, fr-FR, he, hi, hr, hu, id, it, ja, ko, ms, nl-NL, no, pl, pt-BR, pt-PT, ro, ru, sk, sv, th, tr, uk, vi, zh-Hans, zh-Hant

Dynamic Configuration

Use JavaScript for dynamic values like copyright year or fetched translations.

Basic Dynamic Config
// store.config.js
const baseConfig = require("./store.config.json");

const year = new Date().getFullYear();

module.exports = {
  ...baseConfig,
  apple: {
    ...baseConfig.apple,
    copyright: `${year} Your Company, Inc.`,
  },
};
Async Configuration (External Localization)
// store.config.js
module.exports = async () => {
  const baseConfig = require("./store.config.json");

  // Fetch translations from CMS/localization service
  const translations = await fetch(
    "https://api.example.com/app-store-copy"
  ).then((r) => r.json());

  return {
    ...baseConfig,
    apple: {
      ...baseConfig.apple,
      info: translations,
    },
  };
};
Environment-Based Config
// store.config.js
const baseConfig = require("./store.config.json");

const isProduction = process.env.EAS_BUILD_PROFILE === "production";

module.exports = {
  ...baseConfig,
  apple: {
    ...baseConfig.apple,
    info: {
      "en-US": {
        ...baseConfig.apple.info["en-US"],
        promoText: isProduction
          ? "Download now and get started!"
          : "[BETA] Help us test new features!",
      },
    },
  },
};

Update eas.json to use JS config:

{
  "cli": {
    "metadataPath": "./store.config.js"
  }
}

Age Rating (Advisory)

Answer content questions honestly to get an appropriate age rating.

Content Descriptors:

  • NONE - Content not present

  • INFREQUENT_OR_MILD - Occasional mild content

  • FREQUENT_OR_INTENSE - Regular or strong content

{
  "advisory": {
    "alcoholTobaccoOrDrugUseOrReferences": "NONE",
    "contests": "NONE",
    "gambling": false,
    "gamblingSimulated": "NONE",
    "horrorOrFearThemes": "NONE",
    "matureOrSuggestiveThemes": "NONE",
    "medicalOrTreatmentInformation": "NONE",
    "profanityOrCrudeHumor": "NONE",
    "sexualContentGraphicAndNudity": "NONE",
    "sexualContentOrNudity": "NONE",
    "unrestrictedWebAccess": false,
    "violenceCartoonOrFantasy": "NONE",
    "violenceRealistic": "NONE",
    "violenceRealisticProlongedGraphicOrSadistic": "NONE",
    "seventeenPlus": false,
    "kidsAgeBand": "NINE_TO_ELEVEN"
  }
}

Kids Age Bands: FIVE_AND_UNDER, SIX_TO_EIGHT, NINE_TO_ELEVEN

Release Strategy

Control how your app rolls out to users.

{
  "release": {
    "automaticRelease": true,
    "phasedRelease": true
  }
}

Options:

  • automaticRelease: true - Release immediately upon approval

  • automaticRelease: false - Manual release after approval

  • automaticRelease: "2025-02-01T10:00:00Z" - Schedule release (RFC 3339)

  • phasedRelease: true - 7-day gradual rollout (1%, 2%, 5%, 10%, 20%, 50%, 100%)

Review Information

Provide contact info and test credentials for the App Review team.

{
  "review": {
    "firstName": "Jane",
    "lastName": "Smith",
    "email": "[email protected]",
    "phone": "+1 (555) 123-4567",
    "demoUsername": "[email protected]",
    "demoPassword": "ReviewDemo2025!",
    "notes": "To test premium features:\n1. Log in with demo credentials\n2. Navigate to Settings > Subscription\n3. Tap 'Restore Purchase' - sandbox purchase will be restored\n\nFor location features, allow location access when prompted."
  }
}

ASO Checklist

Before Each Release
  • [ ] Update keywords based on performance data

  • [ ] Refresh description with new features

  • [ ] Write compelling release notes

  • [ ] Update promo text if running campaigns

  • [ ] Verify all URLs are valid

Monthly ASO Tasks
  • [ ] Analyze keyword rankings

  • [ ] Research competitor keywords

  • [ ] Check conversion rates in App Analytics

  • [ ] Review user feedback for keyword ideas

  • [ ] A/B test screenshots in App Store Connect

Keyword Research Tips
  1. Brainstorm features - List all app capabilities

  2. Mine reviews - Find words users actually use

  3. Analyze competitors - Check their titles/subtitles

  4. Use long-tail keywords - Less competition, higher intent

  5. Consider misspellings - Common typos can drive traffic

  6. Track seasonality - Some keywords peak at certain times

Metrics to Monitor
  • Impressions - How often your app appears in search

  • Product Page Views - Users who tap to learn more

  • Conversion Rate - Views → Downloads

  • Keyword Rankings - Position for target keywords

  • Category Ranking - Position in your categories

VS Code Integration

Install the Expo Tools extension for:

  • Auto-complete for all schema properties

  • Inline validation and warnings

  • Quick fixes for common issues

Common Issues

"Binary not found"

Push a binary with eas submit before pushing metadata.

"Invalid keywords"
  • Check total length is ≤100 characters

  • Remove spaces after commas

  • Remove duplicate words

"Description too long"

Description maximum is 4000 characters.

Pull doesn't update JS config

eas metadata:pull creates a JSON file; import it into your JS config.

CI/CD Integration

Automate metadata updates in your deployment pipeline:

# .eas/workflows/release.yml
jobs:
  submit-and-metadata:
    steps:
      - name: Submit to App Store
        run: eas submit -p ios --latest

      - name: Push Metadata
        run: eas metadata:push

Tips

  • Update metadata every 4-6 weeks for optimal ASO

  • 70% of App Store visitors use search to find apps

  • Apps with 4+ star ratings get featured more often

  • Localized apps see 128% more downloads per country

  • First 3 lines of description are most critical (shown before "more")

  • Use all 100 keyword characters—every character counts

Requirements and compatibility

Written for: OpenAI Codex

Works with: Claude Code, Claude apps, OpenAI Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Kiro, OpenCode, Goose, Amp, Roo Code, JetBrains Junie, Factory Droid, Devin (ex-Windsurf), Mistral Vibe, OpenHands, Letta

“Works with” means the tool reads the open Agent Skills format; a skill written for one tool may use features others lack.

Needs: Needs Node.js

Security

What our scanner noticed· Low risk

  • Instructions that use the network

A static scan is not a guarantee. Skills are third-party content: review a skill before you let an agent use it.

Attribution and licence

Created by
Expo Team
Publisher
OpenAI (Official)
Distributed by
OpenAI
Source
openai/plugins · plugins/expo/skills/expo-deployment · commit d420d13
Licence
MIT License (redistribution allowed)
  • LICENSE (added by AutoGineer from plugins/expo/LICENSE)
  • ATTRIBUTION.md (written by AutoGineer)
Synced

AutoGineer is not affiliated with or endorsed by Expo Team or OpenAI.

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