I’m currently trying to get a subscription to my app working in the Sandbox App Store storefront.
Here’s what I’ve learned so far:
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Subscriptions:
- Subscription Localizations are not marked as required, but you need at least one or you’ll get “Status: missing metadata” when viewing the subscription. Although App Store Connect typically shows errors for missing data, it doesn’t in this case.
- Additionally, you need screenshots for the Review Information. App Store Connect at least warns you about this, but they seem completely useless to any purpose but completing metadata. Thanks to Sean Heber for mentioning this; I forgot to put it on the list of recent pain. A lot has happened in the last couple of days.
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Subscription Groups:
- Subscription Group Localizations are also not marked as required, but you need at least one or you’ll get “Status: missing metadata” when viewing the subscription. That’s not a mistake: the warning about missing data in Subscription Groups appears in Subscriptions, not Subscription Groups.
App Store Connect now shows my subscriptions as Ready to Submit and my subscription group’s localizations as Prepare for Submission. I’m still working on that, but I found out a few hours ago that our banking information wasn’t completed. That’s probably the cause. When I know for sure, I’ll come update this.
Overall, App Store Connect needs some small but meaningful usability improvements. It would be enormously helpful if it listed which metadata was missing (and ideally linked to where to set it) instead of just reporting “Status: missing metadata” or, worse, “Preparing for submission.”
I’ve also added an English (Canada) localization, but I doubt that’s a problem.
Current status:
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Subscription Group “Full Access”
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Subscriptions, “Monthly” and “Yearly”: Ready to Submit
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(Group) Localizations, “English (US)” and “English (Canada)”: Prepare for Submission
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This post will likely be rewritten (or at least edited) after some sleep. I spent the night at the emergency vet waiting on news of one of our cats.