asc-workflow

asc workflow

Use this skill when you need lane-style automation inside the CLI using:

• asc workflow validate
• asc workflow list
• asc workflow run

Workflows are repo-local automation files. They run trusted shell commands, stream step output to stderr, and keep stdout as machine-readable JSON.

Command discovery

Always verify flags with:

asc workflow --help
asc workflow validate --help
asc workflow list --help
asc workflow run --help

End-to-end flow

1. Author .asc/workflow.json.
2. Validate structure and references:

asc workflow validate

1. Discover public workflows:

asc workflow list
asc workflow list --all

1. Preview execution:

asc workflow run --dry-run beta BUILD_ID:123456789 GROUP_ID:abcdef

1. Execute:

asc workflow run beta BUILD_ID:123456789 GROUP_ID:abcdef

1. If a recoverable run fails, resume with the run ID from the JSON result:

asc workflow run release --resume "release-20260312T120000Z-deadbeef"

Do not pass extra KEY:VALUE params with --resume; the saved workflow file, params, and persisted outputs are reused.

File location and format

• Default path: .asc/workflow.json
• Override path: asc workflow run --file ./path/to/workflow.json <name>
• JSONC comments are supported.
• Top-level hooks: before_all, after_all, error
• Workflow keys: description, private, env, steps
• Step forms:
• string shorthand: "echo hello"
• run shell command
• workflow sub-workflow call
• name label
• if conditional var name
• with env overrides for workflow-call steps
• outputs map for JSON stdout extraction from named run steps
• retry fixed-delay retry policy for a run step
• timeout positive per-attempt duration for a run step

Outputs

Run steps can declare outputs. The command must emit JSON on stdout, so pass --output json for asc commands that produce outputs.

Output references use:

${steps.step_name.OUTPUT_NAME}

Rules:

• A step that declares outputs must have a reference-safe name.
• Outputs are allowed on run steps, not workflow-call steps.
• Output-producing names must be unique across workflows that can execute together in the same run graph.
• Persisted outputs are stored in workflow run state, so do not map secrets into outputs.

Bounded retry and timeout

Add retry only to commands you have determined are safe to repeat. The runner does not classify commands or retry mutations on its own.

{
  "name": "resolve_build",
  "run": "asc builds info --app $APP_ID --latest --platform IOS --output json",
  "retry": {
    "max_attempts": 3,
    "delay": "5s"
  },
  "timeout": "2m"
}

retry.max_attempts counts the first attempt and must be between 2 and 100. Retry delays and timeouts must be positive durations no longer than 24 hours. Both fields work only on run steps, not workflow calls or lifecycle hooks.

A timeout without retry is terminal because the command may have completed remotely. Pairing retry and timeout is the explicit signal that another attempt is safe. Resume requires either a successful checkpoint or a retry-enabled failed step; output-extraction failures cannot be resumed.

Runtime params

asc workflow run <name> [KEY:VALUE ...] supports both separators:

asc workflow run beta VERSION:2.1.0
asc workflow run beta VERSION=2.1.0

Repeated keys are last-write-wins. In shell commands, reference params through shell expansion like $VERSION.

Env precedence

Main workflow run:

definition.env < workflow.env < CLI params

Sub-workflow call with with:

sub-workflow env < caller env and params < step with

Conditionals

Add "if": "VAR_NAME" to a step. Truthy values are 1, true, yes, y, and on, case-insensitive. Lookup checks merged workflow env/params first, then process environment.

Example workflow

{
  "env": {
    "APP_ID": "123456789",
    "VERSION": "1.0.0",
    "GROUP_ID": ""
  },
  "before_all": "asc auth status",
  "after_all": "echo workflow_done",
  "error": "echo workflow_failed",
  "workflows": {
    "beta": {
      "description": "Resolve the latest build and distribute it to TestFlight",
      "steps": [
        {
          "name": "resolve_build",
          "run": "asc builds info --app $APP_ID --latest --platform IOS --output json",
          "outputs": {
            "BUILD_ID": "$.data.id"
          }
        },
        {
          "name": "list_groups",
          "run": "asc testflight groups list --app $APP_ID --limit 20 --output json"
        },
        {
          "name": "add_build_to_group",
          "if": "GROUP_ID",
          "run": "asc builds add-groups --build-id ${steps.resolve_build.BUILD_ID} --group $GROUP_ID"
        }
      ]
    },
    "release": {
      "description": "Validate, stage, and submit an App Store version",
      "steps": [
        {
          "name": "validate",
          "run": "asc validate --app $APP_ID --version $VERSION --platform IOS --output json"
        },
        {
          "name": "stage",
          "run": "asc release stage --app $APP_ID --version $VERSION --build-id $BUILD_ID --metadata-dir ./metadata/version/$VERSION --confirm --output json"
        },
        {
          "name": "submit",
          "if": "SUBMIT_FOR_REVIEW",
          "run": "asc review submit --app $APP_ID --version $VERSION --build-id $BUILD_ID --confirm --output json"
        }
      ]
    },
    "publish-appstore": {
      "description": "High-level upload plus App Store review submission",
      "steps": [
        {
          "name": "publish",
          "run": "asc publish appstore --app $APP_ID --ipa ./build/MyApp.ipa --version $VERSION --wait --submit --confirm --output json"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

Useful invocations

asc workflow validate | jq -e '.valid == true'
asc workflow list --pretty
asc workflow list --all --pretty
asc workflow run --dry-run beta BUILD_ID:123 GROUP_ID:grp_abc
asc workflow run beta BUILD_ID:123 GROUP_ID:grp_abc | jq -e '.status == "ok"'
asc workflow run release BUILD_ID:123 SUBMIT_FOR_REVIEW:true
asc workflow run release --resume "release-20260312T120000Z-deadbeef"

Safety rules

• Treat .asc/workflow.json like code; only run trusted workflow files.
• Avoid running workflows from untrusted PRs with secrets.
• Keep workflow files in version control.
• Validate first, dry-run next, then run.
• Use explicit IDs and --confirm for mutating steps.
• Use asc validate, asc release stage, asc review submit, and asc publish appstore; do not use removed submission commands.