# Apple developer account and App Store Connect

Before you can create an API key for the platform, you need a membership in the Apple Developer Program and access to App Store Connect.

> Source: https://www.application-platform.com/en/docs/app-store-developer-account/

Apple publishes iOS and macOS apps only for members of the **Apple Developer Program**. The membership gives you access to the Developer portal, where certificates and bundle identifiers are managed, and to **App Store Connect**, where apps, builds, and store texts live. The platform later accesses both through an API key from App Store Connect.

## Enroll in the Apple Developer Program

1. Open [developer.apple.com](https://developer.apple.com/) and sign in with your Apple ID.
2. Choose **Account** or **Enroll** and complete the registration for the Apple Developer Program. Apple charges an annual fee for it; the current amount is listed by Apple.
3. After approval you will find the **Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles** section in the Developer portal and can sign in to App Store Connect at [appstoreconnect.apple.com](https://appstoreconnect.apple.com/).

Organizations usually work with one shared team of which several people are members. You find the **Team ID** of that team in the Developer portal under **Membership** or in the account settings; the platform asks for it when you store the credentials.

## Roles and API keys in App Store Connect

In App Store Connect you manage apps, metadata, builds, and users. Every user has a role such as Admin, App Manager, or Developer that defines what they can see and change. The pipeline does not use a personal account but a named API key in the form of a `.p8` file. It allows machine access to the API and does not replace your Apple ID password. API keys get a role as well; grant only the permissions the key really needs. For uploads and metadata, the App Manager role is usually enough.

Once the membership is active, create the key as described under [App Store credentials]({{< relref "app-store-credentials" >}}).