7 min read App Distribution

Release Checklists That Actually Work: Playbooks for App Store Submissions

You have been here before. It is release day. The build is tested, the team is confident, and someone starts the app store submission. Halfway through, they realize nobody updated the screenshots for the new feature. Or the release notes still have last version's text. Or the privacy manifest was not reviewed after the latest library update.

Every team has a "we will never make that mistake again" moment. And every team proceeds to make a different mistake the next time because the checklist was a Google Doc that nobody updated, or a Slack message that got buried, or existed only in someone's head.

Ad-hoc checklists fail because they are disconnected from the release process. They sit in a separate document, require manual tracking, and have no enforcement mechanism. You can skip an item and nobody notices until the App Store review rejection email arrives.

Playbooks in TestApp.io are reusable, enforceable release checklists that are built into the release workflow. They connect directly to your version launches, track completion in real time, and make it structurally difficult to skip critical steps.

What Playbooks Are

A Playbook is a reusable template of checklist items that you attach to a Launch. Each item is either a checkbox ("Did you do this?") or a text field ("Enter the value here"). Items can be marked as required, meaning the checklist cannot be considered complete until those items are addressed.

Playbooks are platform-specific. You can create Playbooks that apply to iOS only, Android only, or both. An iOS App Store submission has different requirements than a Google Play release, and your checklists should reflect that.

Here is the key distinction: Playbooks are templates. Launches are instances. You create a Playbook once, and then attach it to every Launch of that type. Each Launch gets its own copy of the checklist that tracks completion independently. Update the template, and future Launches use the updated version. Past Launches keep the version they were created with.

System Templates: Start With Best Practices

TestApp.io includes system templates for the most common submission targets:

iOS App Store Playbook

This template covers the standard iOS App Store submission checklist. Think of the items you check before every App Store submission:

  • App version and build number are correct
  • App Store screenshots are updated for all required device sizes
  • Release notes are written and reviewed
  • Privacy policy URL is current and accessible
  • App privacy details (nutrition labels) are accurate
  • In-app purchases are configured and tested (if applicable)
  • App review information is up to date (demo account, notes for reviewers)
  • Required device capabilities are correctly declared
  • Export compliance documentation is current

TestFlight Playbook

TestFlight submissions have their own considerations, especially around beta testing groups and external review:

  • Beta build is uploaded and processed
  • What's New text is updated for beta testers
  • Beta App Review information is current (for external testing)
  • Test groups are configured with the right testers
  • Beta entitlements and provisioning profiles are valid
  • Crash reports from previous beta builds are reviewed

Google Play Playbook

Google Play has a different set of requirements and common pitfalls:

  • App bundle is signed with the correct key
  • Store listing is updated (description, screenshots, graphics)
  • Release notes are written for all supported languages
  • Content rating questionnaire is current
  • Target API level meets Google Play's requirements
  • Data safety section is accurate
  • Pre-launch report has been reviewed (if using managed testing)
  • Release track is correctly selected (production, open testing, closed testing, internal testing)

These system templates are starting points. You can use them as-is, clone them and customize, or build entirely new Playbooks from scratch.

Creating Custom Playbooks

System templates cover the basics, but your team's release process has its own unique steps. Custom Playbooks let you capture those steps formally.

Starting From Scratch

To create a new Playbook:

  1. Navigate to the Playbooks section in your TestApp.io dashboard
  2. Click Create Playbook
  3. Give it a descriptive name (e.g., "Production Release - iOS" or "Hotfix Checklist")
  4. Select the platform: iOS, Android, or Both
  5. Start adding items

Cloning a Template

If a system template is close to what you need but requires modifications, clone it instead of starting from scratch. The clone creates a full copy that you can edit freely — add items, remove items, change the order, modify descriptions.

Cloning is especially useful when you want slight variations for different contexts. Clone the iOS App Store template, add your team-specific items, and save it as "iOS App Store - [Your Team Name]."

Adding Items

Each Playbook item has a few properties:

  • Type: Checkbox or Text — Checkbox items are binary (done or not done). Text items require the person to enter a value (like a version number, a URL, or notes).
  • Description — What the item is asking. Be specific. "Update screenshots" is okay; "Update App Store screenshots for iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and iPad Pro 12.9-inch" is better.
  • Required flag — Mark items as required if they must be completed before the Launch can be considered done. Optional items are useful for "nice to have" checks that are not blockers.

Item Design Tips

The difference between a useful checklist and one that gets ignored comes down to item quality:

  • One action per item. "Update screenshots and write release notes" should be two items. When items are atomic, completion tracking is accurate.
  • Use text fields for values that vary. Instead of a checkbox for "App version is correct," use a text field for "Enter the app version number being submitted." This forces explicit verification rather than mindless checking.
  • Mark truly critical items as required. If every item is required, the flag loses its meaning. Reserve it for items where skipping would cause a submission rejection or a production incident.
  • Order items chronologically. Put pre-submission items first, submission items in the middle, and post-submission verification items at the end. People work through checklists top to bottom.

Platform-Specific Playbooks

One of the more practical features of Playbooks is platform scoping. When you create a Playbook and set it to iOS, it only appears as an option for iOS Launches. Android Playbooks only appear for Android Launches. Playbooks set to "Both" appear for either platform.

This matters because iOS and Android submissions have fundamentally different requirements:

  • iOS requires App Store Connect metadata, privacy nutrition labels, App Review notes, and specific screenshot dimensions.
  • Android requires Play Console configuration, data safety declarations, content ratings, and AAB signing verification.

Having platform-specific Playbooks means your team is never confused about which checklist to follow. The right checklist appears for the right platform automatically.

For items that apply to both platforms (like "Release notes are reviewed" or "QA sign-off is complete"), create a cross-platform Playbook and attach it alongside the platform-specific one. Launches can have multiple Playbooks attached.

Using Playbooks in Launches

Playbooks come alive when attached to Launches. Here is how the full workflow connects.

What is a Launch?

A Launch in TestApp.io tracks one submission of one version to one store. It has a lifecycle: Draft, In Progress, Submitted, Released. Each Launch represents a concrete release event — "Version 2.4.1 submitted to the iOS App Store on February 20."

The Complete Flow

Here is how Versions, Launches, and Playbooks connect:

  1. Version lifecycle progresses. Your version moves through Planning, Development, Testing, and eventually reaches Ready status. This means the build is tested and approved for release.
  2. Create a Launch. From the version, create a new Launch specifying the target store (App Store, Google Play, TestFlight, etc.).
  3. Attach Playbooks. Select one or more Playbooks to attach to the Launch. The system shows Playbooks that match the Launch's platform.
  4. Work through the checklist. As the person handling the submission works through the store submission process, they check off items and fill in text fields in the Playbook. Progress is tracked in real time.
  5. Complete required items. All required items must be addressed before the Launch can be considered fully complete. If a required item is unchecked, it is visible to everyone on the team.
  6. Move the Launch through its lifecycle. Draft to In Progress (submission started), In Progress to Submitted (sent to the store for review), Submitted to Released (approved and live).

The Playbook checklist provides structure and accountability at every stage. You can see at a glance who completed which items and when.

Multiple Playbooks Per Launch

A single Launch can have multiple Playbooks attached. This is useful for separating concerns:

  • Platform checklist — iOS App Store-specific items
  • Company checklist — Items specific to your organization's release process (legal review, marketing approval, localization sign-off)
  • Compliance checklist — Regulatory or industry-specific items (GDPR data review, accessibility audit, security review)

Each Playbook tracks its own completion independently. The Launch's overall readiness is the aggregate of all attached Playbooks.

The Problem Playbooks Solve

Let us go back to the problem. Why do ad-hoc checklists fail?

  • They are disconnected from the process. A Google Doc checklist requires someone to remember to open it, find the right one, and update it manually. Playbooks are embedded in the Launch — you cannot work on the Launch without seeing the checklist.
  • They have no enforcement. You can skip items in a Google Doc and nobody notices. Playbooks with required items make skipping visible. The unchecked required item is right there for the whole team to see.
  • They are not reusable. Every release, someone recreates or copies the checklist. Playbooks are templates that automatically apply to new Launches without manual copying.
  • They do not track who did what. When something goes wrong, "the checklist was complete" tells you nothing. Playbook completion is tracked per item, per user, with timestamps.
  • They are not platform-aware. A generic "release checklist" mixes iOS and Android items, creating confusion. Platform-specific Playbooks show only relevant items.

Tips and Best Practices

Start With System Templates, Then Customize

Do not try to build the perfect Playbook from scratch on day one. Start with a system template, use it for a couple of releases, and note what is missing or irrelevant. Then clone it and customize. Iterative improvement beats theoretical perfection.

Keep Playbooks Focused

A 50-item Playbook is overwhelming and people will start checking boxes without actually doing the work. Keep each Playbook focused on one area (store submission, marketing assets, compliance) and aim for 10-20 items per Playbook. Attach multiple focused Playbooks to a Launch rather than one massive one.

Review Playbooks After Every Rejection

If an app store submission gets rejected, that is a signal that your Playbook has a gap. Add an item that would have caught the rejection reason. Over time, your Playbooks become a living record of everything that can go wrong — and the explicit checks that prevent it.

Use Text Fields for Verification

For critical items, text fields are more reliable than checkboxes. "Enter the build number being submitted" forces the person to look up and type the actual value. A checkbox for "Build number is correct" can be checked reflexively without actual verification.

Assign Playbook Ownership

Designate someone on the team as the Playbook owner who is responsible for keeping templates current. When Apple or Google changes their submission requirements, the Playbook owner updates the template so the next Launch automatically includes the new requirements.

Create Hotfix Playbooks

Hotfixes have a different checklist than planned releases. Create a streamlined Playbook for hotfix scenarios that focuses on the critical items (regression testing, release notes, expedited review request) without the full ceremony of a planned release checklist.

Getting Started

If your team has ever shipped a build with missing screenshots, incorrect metadata, or a failed review because of a forgotten configuration step, Playbooks are the structural fix. They take the knowledge that currently lives in people's heads and in scattered documents and embed it directly into your release workflow.

Start by exploring the system templates at portal.testapp.io. Clone one, customize it for your team, and attach it to your next Launch. After one or two releases using Playbooks, the ad-hoc checklists will feel like a relic.

For a deeper walkthrough of Launches and version management, visit the help center.