Claude · App Store Connect

Run TestFlight from Claude

A build lands in App Store Connect. Ask Claude to give it to your internal and beta groups, write What to Test from the commits, answer export compliance, and later pull the crash reports testers sent.

Start Free Trial See pricing →

Setup checked October 2026 against Claude custom connectors

01 · Uplink

Connect Claude once

01 · Add a custom connector

In Claude, open Customize, then Connectors, and choose Add custom connector. Name it MetaRun and paste the server URL:

https://metarun.dev/api/mcp

02 · Connect

Click Connect. Claude opens MetaRun in your browser to sign in; pick read-only or read and change.

03 · Team and Enterprise

An Owner adds the connector once under Organization settings, Connectors. Each member then clicks Connect and signs in to their own MetaRun account.

02 · Briefing

What Claude handles here

TestFlight work comes in small pieces at awkward times: a build finishes processing while you're in the middle of something, someone has to add it to the right groups, the What to Test field is empty again, and tester feedback sits in a separate tab.

Claude can do each piece through MetaRun, in the same session where the build was made. Crash feedback and screenshots from testers come back as data the agent can match against your code.

03 · Preflight

Before you start

A build uploaded from Xcode, Xcode Cloud, fastlane or CI.
Tester groups set up in App Store Connect.
An answer for export compliance, or ITSAppUsesNonExemptEncryption in Info.plist.

04 · Execution

How it runs

01
Wait for processing
Claude reads the build list and reports when the build is processed. A build still processing can't be assigned.
02
Clear export compliance
If the build has no encryption answer, the agent previews the declaration, or reuses an existing one.
03
Assign and describe
Each group assignment and the What to Test text is its own preview.
04
Read what testers found
Crash feedback, crash logs and screenshot feedback come back as structured data, ready to compare with the code.

05 · Session

An example session in Claude

Has my latest build finished processing?

apple_list_buildsBuild 312 processed. No export compliance answer yet.
apple_preview_declare_build_encryptionPreview: exempt encryption, assigned to build 312. Not revertible.
Claude asks before running apple_apply_declare_build_encryption. You read the preview above and approve.
apple_apply_declare_build_encryptionDeclared.
apple_preview_assign_build_to_groupPreview: build 312 to the Beta Club group.
Claude asks before running apple_apply_assign_build_to_group. You read the preview above and approve.
apple_apply_assign_build_to_groupAssigned to Beta Club.
apple_preview_set_what_to_testPreview: What to Test in English, from the commits since build 309.

Illustrative: your apps, versions and numbers will differ. The tool names and their order are real.

06 · Tools

The MetaRun tools Claude calls

Tool	What it does
apple_list_buildsread	Builds with version, build number, processing state and expiry.
apple_list_testflight_groupsread	Internal and external tester groups.
apple_preview_assign_build_to_grouppreview + apply	Give a build to a tester group.
apple_preview_set_what_to_testpreview + apply	What to Test notes for a build, per language.
apple_preview_declare_build_encryptionpreview + apply	Answer export compliance so the build can be tested.
apple_list_testflight_crash_feedbackread	Crash reports testers submitted, with their comments.
apple_get_crash_logread	The crash log behind a tester's report.
apple_list_testflight_screenshot_feedbackread	Screenshots and comments testers sent from the app.
apple_preview_expire_buildpreview + apply	Stop testing a build before its 90 days are up.

Each preview has an apply twin (the same name with apply instead of preview) that only runs with the confirm token from a fresh preview, and refuses if App Store Connect changed in between. MetaRun tools save to your MetaRun workspace only (studio projects, tracked keywords), never to Apple.

07 · Apple rules

What Apple enforces, and how MetaRun handles it

Builds expire after 90 days

A TestFlight build stops working 90 days after upload. Expiring one early is a preview and apply like any other change.

External testing needs Beta App Review

The first build of a version sent to external testers goes through Beta App Review. Internal testers get it as soon as it's processed.

Export compliance can't be undone

Declaring a build's encryption is permanent for that build, so the preview says it's not revertible. Setting ITSAppUsesNonExemptEncryption in Info.plist answers it at upload instead.

MetaRun doesn't upload builds

Xcode, Xcode Cloud, fastlane or your CI uploads the build. MetaRun takes over once it's in App Store Connect.

08 · Comms

What to ask Claude

Ask Claude: Has my latest build finished processing?
Ask Claude: Send build 312 to my beta testers.
Ask Claude: What did testers report this week?

09 · Safety

How Claude asks before a change

Claude asks before it calls a connector's tool unless you've set that tool to always allow. Keep MetaRun's apply tools on ask: that's the moment you see the change and decide, and it needs the confirm token from a fresh preview either way.

Apple key stays on MetaRun, encryptedPreview before every writeRecorded, revertible from history

10 · FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Can Claude upload a build to TestFlight?

Not through MetaRun: build upload belongs to Xcode, Xcode Cloud, fastlane or your CI. Everything after the upload (compliance, groups, notes, feedback) works through MetaRun.

Can it read crash reports from testers?

Yes. apple_list_testflight_crash_feedback returns the reports with tester comments and apple_get_crash_log returns the log, which Claude can match against your code.

Does it work with external tester groups?

Yes, internal and external groups both. The first build of a version to external testers still goes through Apple's Beta App Review.

What does export compliance mean here?

Apple's question about whether the build uses non-exempt encryption. The agent can answer it per build, or you can set ITSAppUsesNonExemptEncryption in Info.plist so Apple never asks.

How do I connect Claude to App Store Connect?

In Claude, open Customize, Connectors, Add custom connector, paste https://metarun.dev/api/mcp and click Connect to sign in to MetaRun. After that, ask for "testflight" in plain words and Claude picks the MetaRun tools.

Does Claude see my App Store Connect key?

No. Your App Store Connect API key stays envelope-encrypted on MetaRun's servers and is decrypted per request. Claude holds a MetaRun token that you can revoke in Settings at any time.

More with Claude

Claude

Submit for review

Attach the build, clear export compliance, run the readiness sweep, submit.

Open

Claude

App Privacy and compliance

Turn your privacy manifests into App Privacy answers; set age rating and export compliance.

Open

Claude

Release notes

Write What's New from your changelog and stage it in every language.