Expo Deployment

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": "your@email.com",
        "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

Expo Deployment

Overview

Deploy Expo applications to production environments, including app stores and over-the-air updates.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to deploy Expo apps to production.

Use this skill when:

• Deploying Expo apps to production
• Publishing to app stores (iOS App Store, Google Play)
• Setting up over-the-air (OTA) updates
• Configuring production build settings
• Managing release channels and versions

Instructions

This skill provides guidance for deploying Expo apps:

1. Build Configuration: Set up production build settings
2. App Store Submission: Prepare and submit to app stores
3. OTA Updates: Configure over-the-air update channels
4. Release Management: Manage versions and release channels
5. Production Optimization: Optimize apps for production

Deployment Workflow

Pre-Deployment

1. Ensure all tests pass
2. Update version numbers
3. Configure production environment variables
4. Review and optimize app bundle size
5. Test production builds locally

App Store Deployment

1. Build production binaries (iOS/Android)
2. Configure app store metadata
3. Submit to App Store Connect / Google Play Console
4. Manage app store listings and screenshots
5. Handle app review process

OTA Updates

1. Configure update channels (production, staging, etc.)
2. Build and publish updates
3. Manage rollout strategies
4. Monitor update adoption
5. Handle rollbacks if needed

Best Practices

• Use EAS Build for reliable production builds
• Test production builds before submission
• Implement proper error tracking and analytics
• Use release channels for staged rollouts
• Keep app store metadata up to date
• Monitor app performance in production

Resources

For more information, see the source repository.