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Step 6: Submit for Build

This is the final step before WhautoChat builds your apps. You'll gather everything you've prepared and submit it to the WhautoChat team.

Time Required

30 minutes to package and submit

What You're Submitting​

You'll submit the following categories of items:

  1. Visual Assets (from Step 5) — icons and splash screens
  2. App Identity — name, bundle ID, version
  3. Apple Credentials (from Step 3) — iOS signing
  4. Google Credentials (from Step 4) — Android signing + google-services.json
  5. Server / Brand Configuration — your server URL, mobile API key, company name, URLs, theme
  6. OneSignal / Backend (from Step 2) — configured on your server, verified before submitting

Pre-Submission Checklist​

✅ Visual Assets​

  • App Icon (1024 x 1024 px, PNG)
  • App Icon Foreground (1024 x 1024 px, PNG) — optional, for Android adaptive icon
  • Splash Screen Light (2732 x 2732 px, PNG)
  • Splash Screen Dark (2732 x 2732 px, PNG) — optional

✅ App Identity​

  • App Name (e.g. "My Client Chat")
  • Display Name (short name shown under the icon)
  • Bundle ID / Package Name (e.g. com.myclient.chat, same for iOS and Android)
  • Version (e.g. 1.0.0) and Version Code (e.g. 1)

✅ Apple Credentials (iOS build)​

  • Distribution Certificate (.p12 file, exported from Keychain)
  • Certificate password
  • Provisioning Profile (.mobileprovision, App Store Distribution, matching the Bundle ID)
  • Provisioning Profile name (as shown in your Apple Developer account)
  • Team ID (10-character ID from your Apple Developer account)
  • Bundle ID registered in Apple Developer Portal

✅ Google Credentials (Android build)​

  • Upload Keystore (.keystore file) — WhautoChat can generate one for you if you prefer
  • Keystore alias
  • Keystore password (and key password, if different)
  • google-services.json file (from Firebase — enables Android push)
  • Package Name (same as Bundle ID)
note

The Firebase Service Account JSON and the APNs .p8 key are not submitted for the build, they stay in your own OneSignal account. See Step 2.

✅ Server / Brand Configuration​

These values are compiled into the app so it connects to your WhautoChat server:

  • Server Host URL (your self-hosted server, e.g. https://core.myclient.com)
  • Mobile API Key (the x-mobile-api-key your server expects for /branding/mobile-config)
  • Company Name (shown in the app)
  • Privacy Policy URL (live and accessible)
  • Terms of Service URL (live and accessible)
  • Theme colors — primary + primary-dark (optional; hex, e.g. #3880ff)

✅ OneSignal / Backend (server-side, verify before submitting)​

  • ONE_SIGNAL_APP_ID and ONE_SIGNAL_API_KEY set in your server's web-server.env
  • iOS APNs configured in your OneSignal account
  • Android FCM (Service Account JSON) configured in your OneSignal account
  • Your server returns oneSignalAppId from /branding/mobile-config
  • Backend installation re-run after adding OneSignal credentials

Critical: Backend Configuration​

Must Complete Before Submission

Your WhautoChat backend must be configured with OneSignal credentials before submitting for build. This is non-negotiable.

Verify Backend Configuration​

  1. SSH into your WhautoChat server
  2. Check your web-server.env file contains: 
    ONE_SIGNAL_APP_ID=your-onesignal-app-id
    ONE_SIGNAL_API_KEY=your-onesignal-rest-api-key
  3. Verify the server was restarted after adding these credentials
  4. Test that push notifications work from your backend

If not configured: Go back to Step 2: OneSignal Configuration and complete the backend setup section.

Organize Your Submission​

Create Folder Structure​

whautochat-mobile-build-[YourCompanyName]/
├── assets/
│   ├── app-icon.png                 # 1024x1024
│   ├── app-icon-foreground.png      # optional (Android adaptive)
│   ├── splash-light.png             # 2732x2732
│   └── splash-dark.png              # optional
├── ios/
│   ├── distribution-certificate.p12
│   └── provisioning-profile.mobileprovision
├── android/
│   ├── release.keystore             # or ask WhautoChat to generate one
│   └── google-services.json
└── app-info.txt

app-info.txt Template​

Fill in every field, these map directly to the build configuration.

# App Identity
App Name: My Client Chat
Display Name: My Client
Bundle ID / Package Name: com.myclient.chat
Version: 1.0.0
Version Code: 1

# Server / Brand Configuration
Server Host URL: https://core.myclient.com
Mobile API Key: <the x-mobile-api-key your server expects>
Company Name: My Client
Privacy Policy URL: https://myclient.com/privacy
Terms of Service URL: https://myclient.com/terms
Primary Color: #3880ff
Primary Dark Color: #3171e0

# iOS Signing
Team ID: XXXXXXXXXX
Provisioning Profile Name: MyClient_Distribution
Certificate Password: <.p12 password>

# Android Signing
Keystore Alias: myclient
Keystore Password: <keystore password>
Key Password: <if different from keystore password>

# Store Metadata
App Category (iOS / Android): Business / Business
Short Description (80 chars): Professional WhatsApp messaging and automation platform

# Special Notes
[Any special requirements or notes for the build team]
Passwords

Send passwords over a secure channel, not in the same email as the files. WhautoChat can also accept the certificate/keystore passwords via the IOS_CERTIFICATE_PASSWORD and KEYSTORE_PASSWORD environment variables during the build.

Compress Your Files​

  1. Select all files and folders
  2. Create a ZIP archive
  3. Name it: whautochat-mobile-build-[YourCompanyName].zip
  4. Verify the ZIP file is complete and not corrupted
File Size

The ZIP file should be around 5-20 MB depending on your splash screen images.

Submit to WhautoChat​

Email Submission​

To: support@whautochat.com (or your designated contact)

Subject: Mobile App Build Request - [Your Company Name]

Email Template:

Hello WhautoChat Team,

I'm ready to submit my whitelabel mobile app build request.

Company Name: [Your Company Name]
Contact Person: [Your Name]
Email: [Your Email]
Phone: [Your Phone Number]

App Details:
- App Name: [Your App Name]
- Bundle ID: [Your Bundle ID]
- Target Launch Date: [Optional]

Backend Configuration:
✓ OneSignal credentials configured in backend
✓ Backend installation re-run
✓ Backend URL: [Your Backend URL]

Please confirm receipt and let me know if you need any additional information.

Thank you!

Best regards,
[Your Name]

Attach: Your ZIP file

Alternative: Secure File Transfer​

If your ZIP file is too large for email (>25 MB):

  1. Upload to Google Drive or Dropbox
  2. Set sharing permissions to "Anyone with link can view"
  3. Include the download link in your email
  4. Set link to expire in 7 days for security

What Happens Next​

1. Acknowledgment (Within 24 Hours)​

WhautoChat will confirm receipt of your submission.

2. Review (1-2 Business Days)​

The team will review all submitted materials and verify:

  • All required files present
  • Credentials are valid
  • Assets meet specifications
  • Backend is properly configured

3. Clarifications (If Needed)​

If anything is missing or incorrect, you'll be contacted with specific requests.

4. Build Process (1-3 Business Days)​

Once everything is approved, WhautoChat handles the complete build process:

What WhautoChat Does:

Day 1: Configuration & Build

  • Configure build environment with your Bundle ID and Package Name
  • Integrate OneSignal credentials for push notifications
  • Set up Apple certificates and provisioning profiles
  • Configure Google Play app signing
  • Add your app icons and splash screens
  • Build iOS app (IPA file)
  • Build Android app (AAB file)
  • Sign both apps with your credentials

Day 2: Quality Assurance

  • Test app launches successfully on iOS and Android
  • Verify splash screens and icons display correctly
  • Test push notifications work on both platforms
  • Check login and core functionality
  • Test on multiple device types and OS versions
  • Verify deep links work correctly
  • Check for crashes or critical bugs

Day 3: Final Delivery

  • Package IPA and AAB files
  • Generate build documentation
  • Create secure download links
  • Send delivery email with instructions

What You Get:

  • Production-ready IPA file (iOS) - signed and ready for App Store
  • Production-ready AAB file (Android) - signed and ready for Play Store
  • Build information document
  • App store submission guide

5. Delivery​

You'll receive:

  • IPA file (iOS) via secure download link
  • AAB file (Android) via secure download link
  • Build documentation
  • Submission instructions

After Submission​

What You Can Do​

While waiting for the build:

  1. Prepare store listings - Start working on Step 7: Prepare Store Listings
  2. Take screenshots - If you have a similar app, prepare screenshots
  3. Write descriptions - Draft your app store descriptions
  4. Plan launch - Prepare your launch strategy

What You Should NOT Do​

  • Don't change your Bundle ID or Package Name
  • Don't modify certificates or provisioning profiles
  • Don't change OneSignal configuration
  • Don't make major backend changes
warning

Any changes to credentials or configuration after submission will delay the build process.

Common Issues​

"Email bounced back"​

Solution: Check the email address. Try alternative contact method if provided.

"ZIP file too large"​

Solution: Use Google Drive or Dropbox to share the file. Compress images if needed.

"Backend not configured"​

Solution: Go back to Step 2 and complete the backend OneSignal configuration.

"Certificate expired"​

Solution: Generate new certificate in Apple Developer Portal and resubmit.

Submission Checklist​

Final verification before sending:

  • All assets included and properly named
  • iOS signing files included (.p12 + .mobileprovision) with Team ID and profile name
  • Android signing included (.keystore + alias) and google-services.json
  • app-info.txt complete (identity + server/brand config + signing metadata)
  • Backend OneSignal configuration verified (server returns oneSignalAppId)
  • URLs tested and accessible
  • Passwords sent over a secure channel (not in the ZIP)
  • ZIP file created and tested
  • Email drafted with all information
  • Contact information provided
  • Ready to wait 1-3 business days for build

Need Help?​

If you're unsure about anything:

  1. Review the specific step guide (Steps 2-5)
  2. Check the troubleshooting sections
  3. Contact WhautoChat support before submitting
  4. Better to ask questions now than delay the build

Next Step​

After submitting, while you wait for the build:

Step 7: Prepare Store Listings

Start preparing your app store screenshots, descriptions, and other listing content.

Timeline Reminder​

PhaseDuration
Your submission30 minutes
WhautoChat acknowledgment24 hours
Review and clarifications1-2 days
Build process1-3 days
Total2-5 days

Be patient - quality builds take time! 🚀