megastep Shipping & App Store Router
You MUST use this skill when preparing to submit ANY app, handling App Store rejections, or working on release workflow.
When to Use
Use this router when you encounter:
- Preparing an app for App Store submission
- App Store rejection (any guideline)
- Metadata requirements (screenshots, descriptions, keywords)
- Privacy manifest and nutrition label questions
- Age rating and content classification
- Export compliance and encryption declarations
- EU DSA trader status
- Account deletion or Sign in with Apple requirements
- Build upload and processing issues
- App Review appeals
- WWDC25 App Store Connect changes
- First-time submission workflow
Routing Logic
1. Pre-Submission Preparation → app-store-submission
Triggers:
- "How do I submit my app?"
- "What do I need before submitting?"
- Preparing for first submission
- Pre-flight checklist needed
- Screenshot requirements
- Metadata completeness check
- Encryption compliance questions
- Accessibility Nutrition Labels
- Privacy manifest requirements for submission
Why app-store-submission: Discipline skill with 8 anti-patterns, decision trees, and pressure scenarios. Prevents the mistakes that cause 90% of rejections.
Invoke: $axiom-app-store-submission
2. Metadata, Guidelines, and API Reference → app-store-ref
Triggers:
- "What fields are required in App Store Connect?"
- "What's the max length for app description?"
- Specific guideline number lookup
- Privacy manifest schema details
- Age rating tiers and questionnaire
- IAP submission metadata
- EU DSA compliance details
- Build upload methods
- WWDC25 changes to App Store Connect
Why app-store-ref: 10-part reference covering every metadata field, guideline, and compliance requirement with exact specifications.
Invoke: $axiom-app-store-ref
3. Rejection Troubleshooting → app-store-diag
Triggers:
- "My app was rejected"
- "Guideline 2.1 rejection"
- "Binary was rejected"
- Guideline 4.2 or 4.3 rejection (app too simple, web wrapper, spam, duplicate)
- Guideline 1.x rejection (objectionable content, UGC moderation, Kids category)
- How to respond to a rejection
- Writing an appeal
- Understanding rejection messages
- Third or repeated rejection
- Resolution Center communication
Why app-store-diag: 9 diagnostic patterns mapping rejection types to root causes and fixes, including subjective rejections (4.2/4.3, 1.x). Includes appeal writing guidance and crisis scenario for repeated rejections.
Invoke: $axiom-app-store-diag
4. Privacy & Security Compliance → security-privacy-scanner (Agent)
Triggers:
- "Scan my code for privacy issues before submission"
- Hardcoded API keys or secrets
- Missing privacy manifest
- Required Reason API declarations
- ATS violations
Why security-privacy-scanner: Autonomous agent that scans for security vulnerabilities and privacy compliance issues that cause rejections.
Invoke: Launch security-privacy-scanner agent or /axiom:audit security
5. IAP Review Issues → iap-auditor (Agent)
Triggers:
- IAP rejected or not working
- Missing transaction.finish()
- Missing restore purchases
- Subscription tracking issues
Why iap-auditor: Scans IAP code for the patterns that cause StoreKit rejections.
Invoke: Launch iap-auditor agent
6. Screenshot Validation → screenshot-validator (Agent)
Triggers:
- "Check my App Store screenshots"
- "Are my screenshots the right dimensions?"
- "Validate screenshots before submission"
- "Review my marketing screenshots"
- Screenshot content or dimension questions
Why screenshot-validator: Multimodal agent that visually inspects each screenshot for placeholder text, wrong dimensions, debug artifacts, broken UI, and competitor references. Catches issues that manual review misses.
Invoke: Launch screenshot-validator agent or /axiom:audit screenshots
7. Programmatic ASC Access → asc-mcp
Triggers:
- "Automate App Store Connect"
- "Submit build programmatically"
- "Manage TestFlight from Claude"
- "Respond to reviews via API"
- "Set up asc-mcp"
- "Distribute to TestFlight groups via MCP"
- "Create a new version without opening ASC"
Why asc-mcp: Workflow-focused skill teaching Claude to use asc-mcp MCP tools for release pipelines, TestFlight distribution, review management, and feedback triage — all without leaving Claude Code.
Invoke: $axiom-asc-mcp
8. Post-Submission Monitoring → app-store-connect-ref
Triggers:
- "How do I view crash data in App Store Connect?"
- "Where are my TestFlight crash reports?"
- "How do I read ASC metrics dashboards?"
- Post-release crash investigation
- Downloading crash logs from ASC
Why app-store-connect-ref: ASC navigation for crash dashboards, TestFlight feedback, performance metrics, and data export workflows.
Invoke: $axiom-app-store-connect-ref
Decision Tree
digraph shipping {
"Shipping question?" [shape=diamond];
"Rejected?" [shape=diamond];
"Post-submission monitoring?" [shape=diamond];
"Automate via MCP?" [shape=diamond];
"Screenshot review?" [shape=diamond];
"Need specific specs?" [shape=diamond];
"IAP issue?" [shape=diamond];
"Want code scan?" [shape=diamond];
"app-store-submission" [shape=box, label="app-store-submission\n(pre-flight checklist)"];
"app-store-ref" [shape=box, label="app-store-ref\n(metadata/guideline specs)"];
"app-store-diag" [shape=box, label="app-store-diag\n(rejection troubleshooting)"];
"app-store-connect-ref" [shape=box, label="app-store-connect-ref\n(ASC dashboards/metrics)"];
"security-privacy-scanner" [shape=box, label="security-privacy-scanner\n(Agent)"];
"iap-auditor" [shape=box, label="iap-auditor\n(Agent)"];
"screenshot-validator" [shape=box, label="screenshot-validator\n(Agent)"];
"asc-mcp" [shape=box, label="asc-mcp\n(MCP tool workflows)"];
"Shipping question?" -> "Rejected?" [label="yes, about to submit or general"];
"Rejected?" -> "app-store-diag" [label="yes, app was rejected"];
"Rejected?" -> "Post-submission monitoring?" [label="no"];
"Post-submission monitoring?" -> "app-store-connect-ref" [label="yes, crash data/metrics/TestFlight"];
"Post-submission monitoring?" -> "Automate via MCP?" [label="no"];
"Automate via MCP?" -> "asc-mcp" [label="yes, programmatic ASC access"];
"Automate via MCP?" -> "Screenshot review?" [label="no"];
"Screenshot review?" -> "screenshot-validator" [label="yes, validate screenshots"];
"Screenshot review?" -> "Need specific specs?" [label="no"];
"Need specific specs?" -> "app-store-ref" [label="yes, looking up field/guideline"];
"Need specific specs?" -> "IAP issue?" [label="no"];
"IAP issue?" -> "iap-auditor" [label="yes"];
"IAP issue?" -> "Want code scan?" [label="no"];
"Want code scan?" -> "security-privacy-scanner" [label="yes, scan for privacy/security"];
"Want code scan?" -> "app-store-submission" [label="no, general prep"];
}
Simplified:
- App was rejected? → app-store-diag
- Post-submission crash data/metrics/TestFlight? → app-store-connect-ref
- Automate ASC via MCP tools? → asc-mcp
- Validate screenshots? → screenshot-validator (Agent)
- Need specific metadata/guideline specs? → app-store-ref
- IAP submission issue? → iap-auditor (Agent)
- Want pre-submission code scan? → security-privacy-scanner (Agent)
- General submission preparation? → app-store-submission
Anti-Rationalization
| Thought | Reality |
|---|---|
| "I'll just submit and see what happens" | 40% of rejections are Guideline 2.1 (completeness). app-store-submission catches them in 10 min. |
| "I've submitted apps before, I know the process" | Requirements change yearly. Privacy manifests, age rating tiers, EU DSA, Accessibility Nutrition Labels are all new since 2024. |
| "The rejection is wrong, I'll just resubmit" | Resubmitting without changes wastes 24-48 hours per cycle. app-store-diag finds the root cause. |
| "Privacy manifests are only for big apps" | Every app using Required Reason APIs needs a manifest since May 2024. Missing = automatic rejection. |
| "I'll add the metadata later" | Missing metadata blocks submission entirely. app-store-ref has the complete field list. |
| "It's just a bug fix, I don't need a full checklist" | Bug fix updates still need What's New text, correct screenshots, and valid build. app-store-submission covers it. |
| "I'll just eyeball the screenshots myself" | Human review misses dimension mismatches (even 1px off = rejection), subtle placeholder text, and debug indicators. A single missed issue costs 24-48 hours in resubmission. screenshot-validator catches it in 2 minutes. |
| "I'll just do it in the ASC web dashboard" | If asc-mcp is configured, MCP tools are faster for bulk operations — distributing builds, responding to reviews, creating versions. asc-mcp has the workflow. |
When NOT to Use (Conflict Resolution)
Do NOT use axiom-shipping for these — use the correct router instead:
| Issue | Correct Router | Why NOT axiom-shipping |
|---|---|---|
| Build fails before archiving | ios-build | Environment/build issue, not submission |
| SwiftData migration crash | ios-data | Schema issue, not App Store |
| Privacy manifest coding (writing the file) | ios-build | security-privacy-scanner handles code scanning |
| StoreKit 2 implementation (writing IAP code) | ios-integration | in-app-purchases / storekit-ref covers implementation |
| Performance issues found during testing | ios-performance | Profiling issue, not submission |
| Accessibility implementation | ios-accessibility | Code-level accessibility, not App Store labels |
axiom-shipping is for the submission workflow, not code implementation:
- Preparing metadata and compliance → axiom-shipping
- Writing the actual code → domain-specific router (ios-build, ios-data, etc.)
- App was rejected → axiom-shipping
- Code changes to fix rejection → domain-specific router, then back to axiom-shipping to verify
Example Invocations
User: "How do I submit my app to the App Store?"
→ Invoke: $axiom-app-store-submission
User: "My app was rejected for Guideline 2.1"
→ Invoke: $axiom-app-store-diag
User: "What screenshots do I need?"
→ Invoke: $axiom-app-store-ref
User: "What fields are required in App Store Connect?"
→ Invoke: $axiom-app-store-ref
User: "How do I fill out the age rating questionnaire?"
→ Invoke: $axiom-app-store-ref
User: "Do I need an encryption compliance declaration?"
→ Invoke: $axiom-app-store-submission
User: "My app keeps getting rejected, what do I do?"
→ Invoke: $axiom-app-store-diag
User: "How do I appeal an App Store rejection?"
→ Invoke: $axiom-app-store-diag
User: "My app was rejected for Guideline 4.2 minimum functionality"
→ Invoke: $axiom-app-store-diag
User: "Rejected for being a web wrapper / duplicate app"
→ Invoke: $axiom-app-store-diag
User: "Rejection for user-generated content without moderation"
→ Invoke: $axiom-app-store-diag
User: "Kids category compliance rejection"
→ Invoke: $axiom-app-store-diag
User: "Scan my code for App Store compliance issues"
→ Invoke: security-privacy-scanner agent
User: "Check my IAP implementation before submission"
→ Invoke: iap-auditor agent
User: "Check my App Store screenshots in ~/Screenshots"
→ Invoke: screenshot-validator agent
User: "Are my screenshots the right dimensions?"
→ Invoke: screenshot-validator agent
User: "How do I find crash data in App Store Connect?"
→ Invoke: $axiom-app-store-connect-ref
User: "Where are my TestFlight crash reports in ASC?"
→ Invoke: $axiom-app-store-connect-ref
User: "What's new in App Store Connect for 2025?"
→ Invoke: $axiom-app-store-ref
User: "I need to set up DSA trader status for the EU"
→ Invoke: $axiom-app-store-ref
User: "What are Accessibility Nutrition Labels?"
→ Invoke: $axiom-app-store-submission
User: "This is my first app submission ever"
→ Invoke: $axiom-app-store-submission
User: "Submit this build to App Store programmatically"
→ Invoke: $axiom-asc-mcp
User: "Set up asc-mcp for App Store Connect"
→ Invoke: $axiom-asc-mcp
User: "Distribute build 42 to my beta testers via MCP"
→ Invoke: $axiom-asc-mcp
User: "Respond to negative App Store reviews from Claude"
→ Invoke: $axiom-asc-mcp