What this error means
Xcode needs an Apple Distribution certificate, with its private key, in the keychain of the machine that builds. On a CI runner the keychain starts empty, so the certificate has to be installed during the job.
Why it happens
The archive step signs with an Apple Distribution certificate. On a fresh CI runner the keychain is empty, and a certificate without its private key cannot sign.
The message tools print
error: No signing certificate "iOS Distribution" found: No "iOS Distribution" signing certificate matching team ID "ABCDE12345" with a private key was found. (in target 'App' from project 'App')How to fix it
- Create an Apple Distribution certificate in your Apple Developer account, or reuse yours together with its private key (.p12).
- Import it into the build keychain before archiving — fastlane match or a keychain step in the workflow.
- With CapWrapp, the certificate is created from your App Store Connect API key and installed for every build.
Check a log that shows this
Paste the failing step into the build error explainer. It matches this message, and any others in the same log, in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.
Other iOS build errors
- No profiles for your bundle ID were found
- Xcode: signing requires a development team
- Provisioning profile doesn't support the capability
- Podfile.lock is not in sync with the sandbox
- CocoaPods could not find compatible versions
- PhaseScriptExecution failed with a nonzero exit code
- Undefined symbols for architecture arm64