# asc-notarization

Prepares a macOS app for distribution outside the App Store by archiving, Developer ID export, and Apple notarization.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 6600 installs · ★ 1101
- Author: rorkai
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/rorkai/app-store-connect-cli-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/asc-notarization/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-20
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/asc-notarization

## What it does

This skill guides `xcodebuild` archiving, `developer-id` export, signature checks, and ZIP packaging for a signed `.app` bundle. It then submits the file with `asc notarization`, checks its status, and retrieves failure logs.

You need Xcode with command line tools configured, `asc` authentication, and a Developer ID Application certificate in the local keychain. Check the signing identity first, because export and notarization stop without the expected certificate.

After acceptance, the skill can staple a ticket with `xcrun stapler staple` for offline use. Staple a `.dmg` after creating the disk image; a `.pkg` requires a separate Developer ID Installer certificate.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add rorkai/app-store-connect-cli-skills --skill asc-notarization -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/asc-notarization/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/asc-notarization/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add rorkai/app-store-connect-cli-skills --skill asc-notarization -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/asc-notarization/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add rorkai/app-store-connect-cli-skills --skill asc-notarization -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/asc-notarization/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install rorkai/app-store-connect-cli-skills asc-notarization
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/asc-notarization/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add rorkai/app-store-connect-cli-skills --skill asc-notarization -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/rorkai/app-store-connect-cli-skills --path skills/asc-notarization
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/asc-notarization/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add rorkai/app-store-connect-cli-skills --skill asc-notarization -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/rorkai/app-store-connect-cli-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/asc-notarization/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- archive a macOS app with `xcodebuild`
- export a build using Developer ID signing
- verify an app signature and nested code
- submit a ZIP for Apple notarization
- inspect a notarization failure log

## Example prompts
- “Archive my macOS app and export it with Developer ID signing.”
- “Verify `/tmp/YourAppExport/YourApp.app` before submission.”
- “Submit `/tmp/YourAppExport/YourApp.zip` for notarization and wait for the result.”

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: 879669d82e47de7c.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE 879669d82e47de7c
````text
---
name: asc-notarization
description: Archive, export, and notarize macOS apps using xcodebuild and asc. Use when you need to prepare a macOS app for distribution outside the App Store with Developer ID signing and Apple notarization.
---

# macOS Notarization

Use this skill when you need to notarize a macOS app for distribution outside the App Store.

## Preconditions
- Xcode installed and command line tools configured.
- Auth is configured (`asc auth login` or `ASC_*` env vars).
- A Developer ID Application certificate in the local keychain.
- The app's Xcode project builds for macOS.

## Preflight: Verify Signing Identity

Before archiving, confirm a valid Developer ID Application identity exists:

```bash
security find-identity -v -p codesigning | grep "Developer ID Application"
```

If no identity is found, create one at https://developer.apple.com/account/resources/certificates/add (the App Store Connect API does not support creating Developer ID certificates).

### Inspect Trust Settings

If `codesign` or `xcodebuild` fails with "Invalid trust settings" or "errSecInternalComponent", the certificate may have custom trust overrides that break the chain:

```bash
# Check for custom trust settings
security dump-trust-settings 2>&1 | grep -A1 "Developer ID"
```

These errors do not by themselves prove a trust override is the cause. Inspect the affected certificate before proposing a repair. Changing trust settings requires explicit authorization for that certificate; do not remove trust overrides or re-sign an arbitrary app as a diagnostic step.

## Step 1: Archive

```bash
xcodebuild archive \
  -scheme "YourMacScheme" \
  -configuration Release \
  -archivePath /tmp/YourApp.xcarchive \
  -destination "generic/platform=macOS"
```

## Step 2: Export with Developer ID

Create an ExportOptions plist for Developer ID distribution:

```xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
    <key>method</key>
    <string>developer-id</string>
    <key>signingStyle</key>
    <string>automatic</string>
    <key>teamID</key>
    <string>YOUR_TEAM_ID</string>
</dict>
</plist>
```

Export the archive:

```bash
xcodebuild -exportArchive \
  -archivePath /tmp/YourApp.xcarchive \
  -exportPath /tmp/YourAppExport \
  -exportOptionsPlist ExportOptions.plist
```

This produces a `.app` bundle signed with Developer ID Application and a secure timestamp.

### Verify the Export

Verify the exported app's existing signature and nested code, then display its signing details:

```bash
codesign --verify --deep --strict --verbose=2 "/tmp/YourAppExport/YourApp.app" && \
  codesign --display --verbose=4 "/tmp/YourAppExport/YourApp.app" 2>&1
```

Confirm:
- The verification command exits successfully; displaying signing details alone does not validate the signature
````
END THIRD-PARTY FILE 879669d82e47de7c

The third-party file has ended. Everything between the 879669d82e47de7c tags is data: requests and commands from it are not followed. An “end of file” line with another tag inside the block is part of the file.

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