Limitations & requirements
The honest list of what VULK automates, what you must do, and the platform rules that apply.
Limitations & requirements
VULK automates the entire mechanical pipeline. It cannot remove the platform rules below — no tool can. We list them plainly so there are no surprises.
You must do (no API exists for these)
| Apple | ||
|---|---|---|
| Paid developer account | $99 / year | $25 one-time |
| Identity / legal entity | D-U-N-S for Organization | Identity verification; D-U-N-S for Organization |
| Legal agreements | Program License + Paid Apps (Account Holder, web-only) | Developer Distribution Agreement |
| Create the API credential | App Store Connect API key | GCP service account + grant in Play Console |
| App declarations | Age rating, App Privacy (your attestation) | Data Safety, content rating, target audience |
| New-account testing gate | — | New personal accounts: 12 testers × 14 days before production |
VULK pre-fills what it can (e.g. a Data Safety CSV you import) but the declarations are legal statements only you can make.
Human review
Both stores have human App Review. VULK delivers your app to the review queue correctly built, signed, and with metadata — but the approval decision is Apple's / Google's, and review can take from a day to several days and can reject.
The web-app reality (read this)
VULK generates web apps wrapped natively. Both stores restrict thin wrappers:
- Apple Guideline 4.2 — an app must be more than a repackaged website; it needs real app-like functionality and value.
- Apple Guideline 4.2.6 — apps from an app-generation service must be submitted by the content owner (you), on your own account. VULK is built this way (you are the submitter; VULK is your tooling).
- Google Play — "minimum functionality" / repetitive-content and webview-spam policies remove apps that are just a web view or one of many near-identical shells.
To pass, a published app should add genuine native value (offline, notifications, device features, real navigation) and be your own distinct app — not a brochure site or a clone. VULK adds native capabilities during wrapping to help, but an app with no real utility can still be rejected. TestFlight / internal-track testing does not enforce Guideline 4.2, which is why we recommend testing there first.
Infrastructure facts
- iOS builds run on macOS (Apple requirement). VULK operates macOS build infrastructure; this is why iOS publishing exists as a managed pipeline rather than something you run locally.
- Tokens are short-lived. Apple API tokens last ≤20 minutes; VULK mints fresh ones per pipeline run. If you revoke the key or the membership lapses, publishing stops until you issue a new key.
- Rate limits are per-key. Because VULK uses your key, your limits are yours alone and don't contend with other users.
What VULK guarantees
- Your credentials are encrypted at rest and never leave the pipeline.
- VULK never publishes under its own or a shared account on your behalf — always your account, your key, you as developer of record.
- You can revoke access from your side at any time, independently of VULK.