Firebase App Distribution

ShipIt 0.4.0 adds the firebase-app-distribution workflow action. It uploads a signed iOS IPA or Android APK/AAB to Firebase App Distribution, attaches release notes, and distributes the build to Firebase tester groups or individual testers.

What you need

• A Firebase project with an iOS or Android app registered for App Distribution
• The Firebase app ID, found under Project settings -> Your apps -> App ID
• At least one Firebase tester group alias or tester email address
• A Google service-account JSON key with access to the Firebase project
• A signed artifact produced earlier in the workflow

Create the service account in Google Cloud IAM for the same Firebase project, grant it the Firebase App Distribution Admin role, and create a JSON key. Store the key in your CI secret manager, not in the repository.

Configure credentials

Choose one credential source. ShipIt checks them in this order:

1. service_account_path on the workflow action
2. FIREBASE_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_JSON, containing the raw JSON key
3. GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS, containing the local path to the JSON key

For CI, pass the raw JSON from a secret:

export FIREBASE_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_JSON="${FIREBASE_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_JSON}"
export FIREBASE_IOS_QA_APP_ID="1:1234567890:ios:abc123"

Do not inline the JSON key in Shipfile.yml.

iOS workflow

Export an ad-hoc IPA, then send it to a Firebase tester group:

app:
  scheme: MyApp
 
archive:
  export_method: ad-hoc
 
workflows:
  beta:
    - action: archive
    - action: export
      options:
        output_directory: ./build/firebase
    - action: firebase-app-distribution
      options:
        app_id: ${FIREBASE_IOS_QA_APP_ID}
        artifact_path: ./build/firebase/MyApp.ipa
        groups: [qa-testers]
        release_notes: "Build {{build_number}}"

Android workflow

Build an APK for direct tester installation, then distribute it:

platform: android
 
android:
  module: app
  build_variant: release
 
workflows:
  beta:
    - action: build
    - action: firebase-app-distribution
      options:
        app_id: ${FIREBASE_ANDROID_QA_APP_ID}
        artifact_path: ./app/build/outputs/apk/release/app-release.apk
        groups: [qa-testers]
        release_notes: "Build {{build_number}}"

Firebase app IDs encode their platform. ShipIt validates that an iOS app ID receives an IPA, and an Android app ID receives an APK or AAB, before uploading.

Verify safely

Run the workflow-level dry run first:

shipit run beta --dry-run --output json

For a Firebase-only preview, set dry_run: true on the action. This validates the app ID, artifact path, and audience without uploading.

- action: firebase-app-distribution
  options:
    app_id: ${FIREBASE_ANDROID_QA_APP_ID}
    artifact_path: ./app/build/outputs/apk/release/app-release.apk
    groups: [qa-testers]
    dry_run: true

When a distribution succeeds, structured output includes Firebase's tester installation URL and console URL when they are available. Tester email addresses are not included in the output.