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Creating Your First Project

Follow this step-by-step guide to set up your first automated build and deployment pipeline. The entire process takes about 5 minutes.

1

Navigate to Onboarding

Start the guided setup process

After signing in, click "New Project" in your dashboard or navigate to the onboarding page. The wizard will guide you through each step with clear instructions and progress indicators.

2

Create or Select Workspace

Organize your project

Create a new workspace for your project or select an existing one. Workspaces help organize projects by team, product, or client. You can switch between workspaces anytime.

3

Connect Store Accounts

Link App Store Connect and/or Google Play

Connect at least one store account. For App Store Connect, you'll need an API key (.p8 file) with Admin access. For Google Play, upload a Service Account JSON file. Both credentials are encrypted and stored securely.

4

Select Your App

Choose the app from your store

ExpoDeploy fetches your apps from the connected stores. Select the app you want to automate. If you don't see your app, ensure it's already created in App Store Connect or Google Play Console.

5

Link GitHub Repository

Connect your source code repository

Select the GitHub repository containing your Expo or React Native project. ExpoDeploy will automatically detect the project type and set up webhooks to monitor for code pushes.

6

Configure Branch Rules

Set up automatic build triggers

Select which branches trigger builds automatically. Common patterns: use "main" for production releases, "develop" for staging, and exclude feature branches. You can modify these rules later in project settings.

7

Complete Setup

Launch your first build

Review your configuration and complete the setup. ExpoDeploy will create your project and configure webhooks. Push code to your configured branch to trigger your first automatic build.

Best Practices

  • Start Simple - Begin with one platform (iOS or Android) to validate the workflow before adding complexity
  • Test Branch Rules - Push to a test branch first to verify builds trigger correctly before configuring production branches
  • Monitor Build Logs - Review build logs after your first build to understand the process and catch any configuration issues early
  • Iterate and Improve - All settings can be modified later. Start with defaults and refine based on your team's workflow