> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.asccli.sh/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Global flags

# Global Flags

> Flags available on all asc commands for authentication, debugging, and reporting

Global flags are available on all `asc` commands and control cross-cutting concerns like authentication, logging, and CI reporting.

## Authentication Flags

### `--profile`

Use a named authentication profile stored in your keychain or config file.

```bash theme={null} theme={null}
asc --profile production apps list
asc --profile staging builds upload --app "123456789" --ipa "MyApp.ipa"
```

**Environment variable**: `ASC_PROFILE`

**See also**: [Authentication Guide](/authentication)

### `--strict-auth`

Fail when credentials are resolved from multiple sources (e.g., both environment variables and keychain).

```bash theme={null} theme={null}
asc --strict-auth apps list
```

**Default**: `false`

**Environment variable**: `ASC_STRICT_AUTH` (accepts `true/false`, `1/0`, `yes/no`, `y/n`, `on/off`)

This flag helps catch configuration issues where credentials might be coming from unexpected sources.

## Debug and Logging Flags

### `--debug`

Enable debug logging to stderr for troubleshooting CLI behavior.

```bash theme={null} theme={null}
asc --debug apps list
```

**Environment variable**: `ASC_DEBUG=true`

Outputs detailed information about:

* Command parsing and execution
* Authentication resolution
* API request preparation
* Response processing

### `--api-debug`

Enable HTTP debug logging to stderr, showing full request and response details.

```bash theme={null} theme={null}
asc --api-debug apps list
```

**Environment variable**: `ASC_DEBUG=api`

Outputs:

* HTTP request method, URL, headers, and body
* HTTP response status, headers, and body
* **Sensitive values are automatically redacted** (API keys, tokens, etc.)

Useful for:

* Debugging API integration issues
* Understanding rate limiting
* Inspecting response payloads
* Troubleshooting authentication failures

### `--retry-log`

Enable retry logging to stderr to see when the CLI automatically retries failed requests.

```bash theme={null} theme={null}
asc --retry-log apps list
```

**Environment variable**: `ASC_RETRY_LOG=true`

Outputs information about:

* Retry attempts and backoff delays
* Transient error conditions
* Rate limit handling

**Note**: This flag overrides `ASC_RETRY_LOG` and config file settings when explicitly set.

## CI and Reporting Flags

### `--report`

Report format for CI output. Currently supports `junit` for JUnit XML test reports.

```bash theme={null} theme={null}
asc --report junit --report-file results.xml validate --app "123456789" --version "1.2.3"
```

**Valid values**: `junit`

**Required**: `--report-file` must be specified when using `--report`

Use this in CI pipelines to generate test reports that integrate with CI platforms like Jenkins, GitHub Actions, or GitLab CI.

### `--report-file`

Path to write CI report file (used with `--report`).

```bash theme={null} theme={null}
asc --report junit --report-file /tmp/validation-results.xml validate --app "123456789" --version "1.2.3"
```

**Required**: `--report` must be specified when using `--report-file`

## Version Flag

### `--version`

Print version information and exit.

```bash theme={null} theme={null}
asc --version
```

**Default**: `false`

Outputs the current CLI version. Useful for:

* Verifying installation
* Troubleshooting compatibility issues
* Including version info in bug reports

## Flag Behavior

### Flag Placement

Global flags must appear before the top-level command:

```bash theme={null} theme={null}
# Correct
asc --profile production apps list
```

### Flag Priority

When the same setting is configured in multiple places, the CLI uses this priority order (highest to lowest):

1. Explicit command-line flags
2. Environment variables
3. Profile-specific config file settings
4. Global config file settings
5. Built-in defaults

### Boolean Flags

Boolean global flags (`--debug`, `--api-debug`, `--retry-log`, `--strict-auth`, `--version`) can be used without values:

```bash theme={null} theme={null}
# All of these work
asc --debug apps list
asc --debug=true apps list
asc --debug=false apps list
```

## Environment Variables

All global flags have corresponding environment variables for easier configuration in CI or development environments:

| Flag            | Environment Variable | Values                                         |
| --------------- | -------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- |
| `--profile`     | `ASC_PROFILE`        | Profile name                                   |
| `--strict-auth` | `ASC_STRICT_AUTH`    | `true/false`, `1/0`, `yes/no`, `y/n`, `on/off` |
| `--debug`       | `ASC_DEBUG`          | `true/false`                                   |
| `--api-debug`   | `ASC_DEBUG`          | `api`                                          |
| `--retry-log`   | `ASC_RETRY_LOG`      | `true/false`                                   |

### Additional Environment Variables

These environment variables don't have corresponding flags but control global behavior:

| Variable                     | Purpose                         | Example                           |
| ---------------------------- | ------------------------------- | --------------------------------- |
| `ASC_DEFAULT_OUTPUT`         | Default output format           | `json`, `table`, `markdown`, `md` |
| `ASC_TIMEOUT`                | Request timeout                 | `90s`, `2m`                       |
| `ASC_TIMEOUT_SECONDS`        | Timeout in seconds              | `120`                             |
| `ASC_UPLOAD_TIMEOUT`         | Upload timeout                  | `60s`, `5m`                       |
| `ASC_UPLOAD_TIMEOUT_SECONDS` | Upload timeout in seconds       | `300`                             |
| `ASC_APP_ID`                 | Default app ID                  | App Store Connect app ID          |
| `ASC_VENDOR_NUMBER`          | Vendor number for reports       | Sales/finance vendor number       |
| `ASC_BYPASS_KEYCHAIN`        | Ignore keychain, use config/env | `true/false`, `1/0`               |

## Examples

### Development Workflow

```bash theme={null} theme={null}
# Use a staging profile with debug logging
asc --profile staging --debug apps list

# Test with strict auth to catch credential conflicts
asc --profile production --strict-auth validate --app "123456789" --version "1.2.3"
```

### CI Pipeline

```bash theme={null} theme={null}
# Run validation with JUnit report
asc --report junit --report-file validation-results.xml \
  validate \
  --app "$APP_ID" \
  --version "$VERSION"

# Set environment for all commands in CI
export ASC_PROFILE=ci
export ASC_STRICT_AUTH=true
export ASC_DEFAULT_OUTPUT=json

asc apps list
asc builds list --app "$APP_ID"
```

### Debugging

```bash theme={null} theme={null}
# Enable full HTTP debugging
asc --api-debug apps view --id "123456789"

# Combine debug flags to see everything
asc --debug --api-debug --retry-log builds upload --app "123456789" --ipa "MyApp.ipa"
```

## See Also

* [Command Reference Overview](/commands/overview)
* [Authentication Guide](/authentication)
* [CI/CD Integration](/cicd/overview)