Connect Apple App Store Connect to the White-Label Mobile App Customizer

This guide walks through every action needed in Sparkforge's Mobile App Builder to prepare your white-label iOS app for submission to Apple. Once finished, Sparkforge can build and push updates without manual intervention, and push notifications will work immediately.

What you complete

1. Create an App Store Connect API key so Sparkforge can submit and update apps automatically.
2. Register a unique bundle identifier that Apple and Firebase recognize as your app's ID.
3. Connect Firebase by uploading config files for push notifications, analytics, and crash reporting.

Before you start

• Apple Developer Program account with Admin access.
• Keep the Key ID, Issuer ID, and downloaded .p8 file secure — Apple lets you download the key once.
• The bundle identifier must be unique across the App Store and must exactly match the IDs used in Firebase.
• Use the same Google account through every Firebase step to avoid permission errors.
• If you are rebuilding an existing app, confirm the existing app uses the same bundle identifier and Firebase project.

Step 1 — Generate an App Store Connect API key

1. Go to https://appstoreconnect.apple.com/access/integrations/api. You will land on Users and Access > Keys.
2. In the left sidebar, select Keys under App Store Connect API.
3. Click Generate API Key, give it a recognizable name (for example, Sparkforge Mobile App Automation), and click Generate.
4. Download the .p8 file. It only appears once — save it in a password vault.
5. Copy the Key ID from the table and the Issuer ID from the top of the page.
6. In the Mobile App Customizer, expand App Store Connection and upload the three values.

One API key can authorize multiple apps. If a key is compromised, revoke it in App Store Connect, generate a new one, and update Sparkforge.

Step 2 — Register the bundle identifier

1. Open the App Setup stage in the Sparkforge wizard. Look for the Package Name / Bundle Identifier field.
2. Click Register. Sparkforge validates your Apple account and shows the team that will own the identifier.
3. Enter a reverse-DNS identifier, for example com.youragency.appname. Use only lowercase letters, numbers, and periods.
4. Confirm and save. Sparkforge registers the identifier in your Apple Developer account. If the ID is taken, choose another.
5. Enable optional capabilities such as Apple Sign-In or Push Notifications later in the Apple Developer portal under Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles.

The bundle identifier ties code signing, push certificates, and the App Store listing together. Matching the same ID across Apple and Firebase prevents signing errors at build time.

Step 3 — Upload Firebase configuration files

1. Go to https://firebase.google.com/ and click Go to console. Sign in with your Google account.
2. Click Add project for a new project, or open the existing project that will own the app.
3. Click Add App, choose iOS, and enter the bundle identifier from Step 2.
4. Download GoogleService-Info.plist. Keep the default file name.
5. In the Setup Firebase stage in Sparkforge, drag and drop the file into the upload area, then click Continue.
6. Sparkforge validates that the bundle identifiers match the value you registered with Apple. Once validated, push notifications and analytics turn on.

To send APNs push notifications via Firebase Cloud Messaging, upload your .p8 push key under Project Settings > Cloud Messaging in Firebase. This is optional — Sparkforge does not require it.