> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.akinon.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.akinon.com/tutorials/app-maker/getting-started/quickstart-from-zero-to-first-release.md).

# Quickstart: From Zero to First Release

## Quickstart: From Zero to First Release

This guide walks the complete App Maker journey — from an empty organization to a build published on the app stores. Each step is a short summary that links to the detailed guide.

### Prerequisites

* An Akinon account with access to an App Maker organization. If your team is new to the platform, an organization is created for you during onboarding.
* Apple Developer Program and/or Google Play Console developer accounts for the stores you plan to publish on.

### Step 1 — Set Up Your Team

Invite teammates to the organization and assign roles. Privileges are scoped at three levels — organization, project, and deployment — so you can give a developer build rights without team-management rights.

➡️ [Users & Roles](/tutorials/app-maker/team-and-access/users-and-roles.md)

### Step 2 — Create a Project

A project represents one mobile app. Creating it only takes a name and an optional description; App Maker provisions the project resources (including the git repository) for you.

➡️ [Create Project](/tutorials/app-maker/projects/create-project.md)

### Step 3 — Add Credentials

Before the platform can build and sign your app, upload the signing material per platform:

* **iOS** — distribution certificate (+ password), APNs certificate/key, provisioning profiles (main and extension).
* **Android / Huawei** — keystore file, keystore password, key alias, key password.
* **Store credentials** — App Store Connect and Google Play API credentials, used for uploading builds to the stores.

Credentials are managed per build target (staging and production).

➡️ [Credentials](/tutorials/app-maker/projects/settings/credentials.md)

Optionally, define build-time [Environment Variables](/tutorials/app-maker/projects/settings/environment-variables.md) and [Webhooks](/tutorials/app-maker/projects/settings/webhooks.md) for CI/CD notifications.

### Step 4 — Create the App Records on the Stores

The stores must know your app before App Maker can upload builds to them. Create the app record once on each store console:

➡️ [Creating App on Apple App Store](/tutorials/app-maker/create-app-on-stores/creating-app-on-apple-app-store.md) ➡️ [Create App on Google Play Store](/tutorials/app-maker/create-app-on-stores/create-app-on-google-play-store.md)

### Step 5 — Trigger a Build

From the project's Deployments page, create a new build by selecting the OS (iOS / Android) and the build target (staging / production). The build runs through a pipeline whose stages you can follow live.

➡️ Deploy Project ➡️ [Build Detail](/tutorials/app-maker/build-and-distribute/build-detail.md) — timeline, logs, and artifact download.

### Step 6 — Distribute to the Stores

Send a successful build to the stores: TestFlight beta review and external testers on iOS; internal → alpha → beta → production tracks on Google Play, with optional phased rollout.

➡️ [Distribute to Stores](/tutorials/app-maker/build-and-distribute/distribute-to-stores.md)

### Step 7 — Operate Your Release

After release, you rarely need a full store round-trip:

* Ship JavaScript-only fixes over the air with [CodePush](/tutorials/app-maker/operate-and-update/codepush.md) — set a rollout percentage, watch adoption, promote or roll back.
* Enforce a mandatory upgrade with [Force Update](/tutorials/app-maker/operate-and-update/force-update.md) when an old version must be retired.

### Where to Go Next

* Working from the terminal? Set up [SSH keys](/tutorials/app-maker/developer-tools-and-cli/add-public-key.md) and [access tokens](/tutorials/app-maker/developer-tools-and-cli/user-access-tokens.md), then [clone and run the project locally](/tutorials/app-maker/developer-tools-and-cli/setup-existing-project-on-cli.md).
* Extending the app? Start with the [Plugin Quickstart](/tutorials/app-maker/developer-tools-and-cli/plugin-quickstart.md) and [Dependency Management](/tutorials/app-maker/developer-tools-and-cli/dependency-management.md).


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