Submitting apps for review

Submit your macOS app
Submit your iOS app

Submit your macOS app

Check your app bundle

Before submitting an app for review, make sure the bundle meets these requirements:

1. In relation to the .zip archive with the app bundle, the app must be located either:

   • In the root directory:
     <FileName>.zip/<AppName>.app, or
   • In a single directory, nested under the root directory:
     <FileName>.zip/<DirectoryName>/<AppName>.app

2. The bundle ID of the app that's being submitted must match the required Setapp pattern; for a new app version, the ID must be the same as in the previous versions.

3. The Info.plist file in your app bundle must include these key-value pairs:

   • CFBundleIdentifier
   • CFBundleName
   • CFBundleIconFile
   • CFBundleVersion
   • CFBundleShortVersionString

4. Place the app icon as a PNG file in the directory where your app bundle (<AppName>.app) is located. For example:

<FileName>.zip
├── <AppName>.app
└── AppIcon.png

<FileName>.zip
└── <DirectoryName>
    ├── <AppName>.app
    └── AppIcon.png

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NOTE

• App notarization is required.
• Do not customise the app icon name. It can be only "AppIcon.png".

Requirements for the icon

We follow Apple standards to make icons look authentic within macOS or iOS environments. These are our key requirements:

• The icon's size is 512 x 512 pixels or bigger.
• For the 512 x 512 pixels icon, set a 50 pixels margin and put your icon design within a 412 x 412 pixels frame. Mind increasing the margin proportionally if your icon is bigger.
• Curve the corners of the icon design.

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Tip

Apple provides ready templates to create icons on their basis. To get a 512 x 512 or 1024 x 1024 pixels templates, download "Production Templates" for macOS 13 here.

Troubleshooting: Xcode 14 cannot extract icons bigger than 256 x 256

Setapp requires app icons with a size of 1024x1024 pixels, while Xcode cannot support this quality with its default settings. To fix this:

1. Go to Build Settings > Asset Catalog Compiler - Options
2. Set Standalone Icon File Behaviour to All

In case you use the config file, set ASSETCATALOG_COMPILER_STANDALONE_ICON_BEHAVIOR to All. You can find more information about this option here.

5. The ICNS package, specified in the CFBundleIconFile key, may contain icons that have a resolution lower than 512 pixels.
   

Now that you have verified your app for compatibility with the Setapp guidelines and prepared a release version that meets the bundle requirements, it’s about time to submit the app.

Build upload

You can upload builds automatically or manually.

Additionally to a stable version, you can upload a beta version of your app. Some users in Setapp agreed to test beta versions of the apps. Ratings and reviews are not available for the users using a beta. Read more about this functionality in our User Guide. Also, read how the "Draft" and "Live" statuses apply to beta.

Use this chance to try out new features in your app and get feedback on them.

Automatic build upload

There are multiple ways for continuous integration (CI) in Setapp. You can choose the most suitable way to upload the newest build of your app. In Setapp, we provide three ways to upload the build automatically:

1. API. Find and test API on our page API to upload app build automatically.
2. Script. Use our template of the script to compose your own script.
3. Fastlane Plug-in. The advantage of this way is that you must configure the plug-in once, and then you can reuse it multiple times and upload the build with one click. We use Fastlane as a tool for the plug-in. Read more about how to configure the plug-in here.

To configure one of the ways, use the following parameters:

• Token — Enter Setapp Automation token of your app. Please request the token from your Developer Support Representative. Later we'll implement the possibility of generating the token in your developer account.
• Archive — Create an archive with a new bundle version.
• Release_notes — Enter a string that contains release notes for a new version.
• Status — Define the status for the build once it is uploaded: draft or review.
• Release_on_approval — Define how to publish the build after its approval. Enter true to publish automatically, and enter false to publish manually.
• Is_beta — Enter true if you upload the beta version of your app. Enter false if you upload a stable version of your app.
• Allow_overwrite — Enter true to overwrite the existing build, which is waiting for review. Enter falseto prohibit build overwriting.

When Setapp validates the new version, it returns one of these response codes:

• 204 — Uploaded successfully
• 401 — Authorization has failed
• 400 — Validation error and details description in response.

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Limitations to automatic build upload

Please mind the following:

• You must upload the very first version of an app via Web UI.
• You cannot update the description, media files, and some other meta information using automatic build upload. However, you can create a draft bundle via CI and then fill in the missing data on the Web.
• You can not reupload your build via CI if it's on review. However, you can upload a new build manually in your developer account and it will override the build sent via CI.

Manual build upload

1. Go to the Apps tab of the developer account and click Add First Version/Add New Version.

   You'll need to enter your app bundle ID if you click the button for the first time.

2. Drag & drop a .zip app bundle to the Build area of the Edit Version page.

   Right after that, we’re automatically checking the version of the Setapp Library integrated into the bundle. If the version is outdated, you’ll see a warning message with a link to download the latest version. However, you may choose to proceed with the outdated Library — but during the review, we’ll ask you to provide a reason for doing so.

Submit your app: rest of the steps

Use the form on the Edit Version page to provide Setapp users with information about your app.

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Markdown formatting in release info

The Markdown markup language is only supported for the “Release notes” field. You can use the formatting bar or insert the native Markdown syntax elements.

For other fields with metadata, please use plain text and don’t add special characters.

Release notes

An overview of the app's new features, improvements, and fixes in the current update. Markdown formatting is supported. Limited to 5000 characters.

Key benefits

This is a brief description of the key function of your app. Please note that this text is for internal use only to help our team categorize your app and will not be published on Setapp. Limited to 80 characters.

Description

Setapp team composes the description of your app, and then users can read it on the app page. We kindly ask you to help us provide the most accurate description by listing the essential features, capabilities, and advantages of your product in this field.

• Use frank, clear, and short messaging;
• Focus on your app's functionality;
• Remember about the 3000-character limit.

Screenshots

Screenshots that reveal the advantages and exceptional design of your app. We support drag-and-drop for uploading and arranging screenshots.

• Place the screenshots in the order you'd like users to see them;
• Add only actual screenshots of the app without embellishing it or displaying non-existent features;
• Make sure fonts and text style fit well if you add captions to your screenshots;
• Don't show any content without having a legal right to do it.

macOS apps
Upload up to 5 screenshots in .jpg or .png. The ratio is 16:10. The minimum size is 1280 x 800 pixels.

iOS apps
Upload from 5 to 10 screenshots in .jpg or .png. The minimum size is 1242 x 2688 pixels.

Setapp Mobile

Upload from 5 to 10 screenshots in .jpg or .png, no larger than 10 MB each. The minimum size is 400 x 864 pixels.

Video

Promo, tutorial, or any other video that, in your opinion, best presents or explains your app.

You can upload 1 video for your app. Technical requirements are the following:

• Supported formats and codecs: MP4, H.264.
• The recommended aspect ratio is 16:10 (same as for screenshots).
• Playback time: no longer than 2 minutes.
• File size: up to 100 Mb.

To create a new thumbnail for your video, click the shutter icon in the center of the player when the video reaches the needed frame.

Support URL

A link to the webpage that contains user support information, FAQ, knowledge base, etc.

Promo URL

A link to a website, webpage, or landing page that contains information about your product.

Comments for the review team

A message you can send to the Setapp review team. Users will not see it. Limited to 2000 characters.

We use the submitted data to create an individual app preview screen in the Setapp desktop client. Users see it when they click on the app name in the list of available apps in the Setapp window. Therefore, we urge you to focus on the most distinctive features of the app and prepare impressive screenshots.

Setapp also uses the following information from your app bundle for​ the creation of a preview screen:

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Note

Logo, icons, screenshots and description must conform with the app you submit.

4. When you finish editing, you can either submit the app for review (click Submit For Review) or save the page as a draft to continue later (click Save Version).

5. After you click Submit For Review, our Review Team sets to work.

We run some tests and verify your app for compliance with Setapp Guidelines​. The initial review may take a while, but we will do our best to give you ​feedback as soon as possible. Later, when you update your app, it goes through the facilitated review process with minimum required​-checks. We trust our Partners and are eager to make proven apps go live quickly.

Submit your iOS app

Adding mobile apps differs from their macOS versions: you don’t upload the app bundle but share the link to your app on the App Store and provide additional info.

Before submitting an app for review, these are the steps you need to accomplish.

I. Register the iOS app in Setapp by generating the public key.

II. Integrate the Setapp Framework and the public key into the iOS app. Make sure the app interacts correctly with the Setapp system using the QR codes (see "Testing your app" for details).

III. Submit the updated iOS app to the App Store.
Ensure the app has been approved and released for the public before proceeding with Setapp.

Once done, complete providing details for your iOS app in Setapp.

1. Specify the app price on your developer account's Apps page. Pay attention to these aspects:

   • The app price in Setapp should correspond to the in-app purchase price on the App Store.
   • If the macOS and the iOS apps are distributed with a single cross-platform subscription, the mobile app must have the same price (and get the same price tier in Setapp) as its macOS companion app.

2. Add release comments for the Setapp Review Team (if necessary).

3. Submit the app for review.

Your iOS app goes live in Setapp after the Review Team approves its price and goes through the stages of the routine review process.