📖 User Manual

CoderPulse is an App Store "digest + alerts" tool for indie developers, living in your Mac menu bar. All data flows through your own App Store Connect API key straight to Apple — never through any developer server. iOS / Apple Watch companion apps provide read-only dashboard access.

1. Install & Launch

Download from the App Store. After first launch, the CoderPulse icon appears in your Mac menu bar.

• Menu bar panel: click the menu bar icon to open the dashboard popover; click again or click outside to dismiss.
• Settings window: click the gear icon in the panel, or press ⌘, to open a standalone Settings window.
• Launch at login: enable in Settings → General.

2. Demo Mode

Without an ASC account connected, the app runs in Demo mode by default, displaying sample sales, reviews, and review-status data. You can explore the full dashboard interface with zero configuration. Demo mode automatically turns off once a real account is connected.

3. Connect App Store Connect

In Settings → Account, follow the three-step wizard to connect:

1. Generate an API key: sign in to App Store Connect → Users and Access → Integrations → App Store Connect API, create a key (choose the Admin or Finance role), download the .p8 file, and note the Key ID and Issuer ID.
2. Enter the three credentials: Issuer ID, Key ID, and import the .p8 private key file (paste or select from file).
3. Verify & connect: click "Verify and Connect". CoderPulse will fetch your app list to confirm the key is valid.

The key is stored only in your device Keychain and is never sent to the developer. With iCloud Keychain enabled, the key syncs across your Apple devices via end-to-end encryption. On a new Mac, use "Restore from iCloud" to connect in one tap.

After connecting, check the apps you want to monitor in the Account tab. Uncheck to stop monitoring (data is kept, not deleted).

4. Vendor Number (needed for sales)

Reviews and review status require only the API key. To see sales data, you also need your Vendor Number:

• Sign in to App Store Connect → Sales and Trends. The number is in the top-left corner (about 8 digits).
• Enter it and press Return or move to another field — the app will automatically fetch recent sales.

5. Menu Bar Dashboard

Click the menu bar icon to open the popover panel with these sections:

• Yesterday at a glance: three metric cards — yesterday's downloads, yesterday's proceeds, 7-day downloads — with delta arrows (green up / red down).
• 30-day download trend: a mini bar chart with yesterday's bar highlighted and a dashed mean line.
• Version status: the latest version and review status for each app on each platform (Live / In Review / Rejected, etc.). Tap to expand the review-history timeline. The previous live version is kept visible while a new version is under review.
• Latest reviews: the most recent 50 reviews, color-coded by rating (green ≥4 / yellow 3 / red ≤2). Tap to expand full text; on Mac, a link opens ASC for replying.

The menu bar icon can show a badge: icon only / yesterday's downloads / yesterday's revenue (configure in Settings → General).

6. Notifications & Alerts

Configure in Settings → Notifications:

• New review alerts: choose "All reviews", "Only ≤3 stars", or "Off".
• Daily digest: set a delivery time (between 6:00–12:00). A summary of yesterday's sales and reviews is pushed at that time. Requires Pro.
• Review status alerts: always on, cannot be turned off — every App Review status change is captured 100% and pushed.
• Test notification: send a test notification from the Notifications settings to verify system notification permissions.

The free tier does not send real alerts (test notifications still work). All notifications are enabled after upgrading to Pro.

7. Polling & Refresh

Pro automatically polls the ASC API at the configured interval (5 / 15 / 60 minutes, set in Settings → General). On the free tier, click the refresh button in the panel manually.

8. Free vs. Pro

The purchase is one-time and lifetime. After switching or reinstalling devices, tap "Restore Purchase" in Settings → Pro to recover your entitlement.

9. iOS / Watch Companion

CoderPulse on iPhone and Apple Watch is a read-only companion for checking dashboard data on the go:

• iPhone: open the app to see yesterday's downloads, revenue, 7-day downloads, latest reviews, and version status.
• Apple Watch: raise your wrist to see yesterday's downloads, revenue, and the latest review summary. Data is pushed from iPhone via WatchConnectivity.

Account setup is done on Mac; no reconfiguration is needed on iOS / Watch. Universal Purchase covers all three platforms.

10. FAQ

Q: Why are sales from "yesterday"?
Apple's Sales and Trends reports are generated a day late (around 8 AM Pacific). This limit applies to every third-party tool.

Q: Is my key safe?
Your key lives in the device Keychain and is never sent to the developer. With iCloud Keychain on, it syncs across your devices via Apple's end-to-end encryption. See the Privacy Policy.

Q: Sales not showing?
Sales need a Vendor Number and a key with the Admin or Finance role. Reviews and review status work with a lower-privilege key. The Vendor Number is in the top-left corner of ASC → Sales and Trends (about 8 digits).

Q: Is the .p8 file the same as a push-notification .p8?
No. Make sure you use an "App Store Connect API" key — not an APNs key. Both are .p8 files but they are not interchangeable.

Q: Will my account carry over to a new Mac?
With iCloud Keychain enabled, your account credentials sync automatically. Use "Restore from iCloud" in Settings → Account to reconnect in one tap.

Q: How do I disconnect?
At the bottom of Settings → Account, tap "Disconnect & Clear Local Data". This removes all cached data and the iCloud-synced account from this device. This action cannot be undone.

11. Feedback

This app is maintained by an indie developer. Every comment, bug report, and feature idea is taken seriously. Reach out anytime at selfren@163.com.

When reporting an issue, please include your app version (visible in Settings → About) and OS version so it can be tracked down faster.