How to Set Up Expo with EAS Workflows and Codex Run Actions

You can automate Expo Application Services (EAS) builds using the Codex Run actions provided in the openai/plugins repository by configuring the expo-cicd-workflows skill, validating your setup with validate.js, and triggering builds via GitHub Actions.

The openai/plugins repository provides a complete toolkit for automating Expo React Native deployments. By leveraging the Codex Run actions and EAS workflow configurations defined in plugins/expo/skills/expo-cicd-workflows, you can establish continuous integration pipelines that validate, build, and deploy your Expo applications without manual intervention.

Prerequisites

Before configuring the workflow, ensure your environment meets these requirements:

• Node.js 16 or higher – Required for running the Expo CLI and EAS CLI
• Expo CLI – Install globally with npm i -g expo-cli
• EAS CLI – Install globally with npm i -g eas-cli
• GitHub Repository – Where the workflow will execute
• EXPO_TOKEN – Store this as a repository secret in GitHub Settings (required for non-interactive EAS authentication)

Configure Expo and EAS

Initialize your Expo project and generate the required configuration files.

Initialize the Project

# Create a new Expo project

expo init my-app --template blank
cd my-app

# Initialize EAS configuration

eas init

This creates an eas.json file. The plugins/expo/skills/expo-cicd-workflows/SKILL.md file provides a production-ready template:

{
  "cli": {
    "version": ">= 2.0.0"
  },
  "build": {
    "production": {
      "android": {
        "buildType": "apk"
      },
      "ios": {
        "simulator": false
      }
    }
  }
}

Set Up Codex Run Actions

The repository includes validation scripts that ensure your EAS configuration complies with the latest Expo schema.

Copy Validation Scripts

Locate the following files in the repository and copy them to your project's scripts/ directory:

• plugins/expo/skills/expo-cicd-workflows/scripts/validate.js – Validates eas.json against the Expo workflow schema
• plugins/expo/skills/expo-cicd-workflows/scripts/fetch.js – Handles cached fetching of the schema from https://api.expo.dev/v2/workflows/schema

These scripts are referenced by the Codex Run actions defined in plugins/expo/skills/codex-expo-run-actions/SKILL.md and invoked by the agent configuration in plugins/expo/skills/codex-expo-run-actions/agents/openai.yaml.

Validate Configuration Locally

Run the validator before committing to ensure schema compliance:

node ./scripts/validate.js

The validate.js script checks your local eas.json against the remote Expo schema and exits with an error code if validation fails.

Create the GitHub Actions Workflow

Create .github/workflows/eas-build.yml in your repository to trigger Codex Run actions on push, pull request, or manual dispatch.

name: Expo EAS Build

on:
  push:
    branches: [main]
  pull_request:
    branches: [main]
  workflow_dispatch: {}

jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    
    steps:
      - name: Checkout repository
        uses: actions/checkout@v3
      
      - name: Set up Node.js
        uses: actions/setup-node@v3
        with:
          node-version: '18'
      
      - name: Install Expo CLI
        run: npm i -g expo-cli
      
      - name: Install EAS CLI
        run: npm i -g eas-cli
      
      - name: Validate EAS workflow schema
        run: node ./scripts/validate.js
      
      - name: Run EAS build
        env:
          EXPO_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.EXPO_TOKEN }}
        run: |
          eas build --platform android --profile production --non-interactive
          eas build --platform ios --profile production --non-interactive

The workflow_dispatch trigger allows manual execution from the GitHub Actions UI, while the validate.js step ensures configuration errors are caught before initiating expensive build operations.

Configure Deployment Targets

For automated distribution, reference the deployment skills in the repository.

iOS TestFlight

Consult plugins/expo/skills/expo-deployment/references/ios-app-store.md for the exact command syntax to submit builds to TestFlight using eas submit --platform ios.

Google Play Store

Consult plugins/expo/skills/expo-deployment/references/play-store.md for Android track configuration and eas submit --platform android parameters.

Add these as separate steps after the build job completes successfully.

Trigger and Monitor Builds

1. Push to main – The workflow triggers automatically on commits to the main branch
2. Pull requests – Builds run in validation mode to verify configuration changes
3. Manual triggers – Use the Run workflow button in GitHub Actions for testing or redeployment

Build artifacts appear in your Expo dashboard under the Builds section. The fetch.js script caches the Expo schema locally to reduce API calls during repeated validations.

Summary

• The validate.js script in plugins/expo/skills/expo-cicd-workflows/scripts/ ensures your eas.json matches the current Expo schema
• The codex-expo-run-actions skill provides the agent configuration that maps GitHub Actions to Expo CLI commands
• Store EXPO_TOKEN as a GitHub secret to enable non-interactive EAS authentication
• Use workflow_dispatch to enable manual build triggers for testing configuration changes
• Reference expo-deployment skills for App Store and Play Store submission workflows

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the validate.js script check?

The validate.js script, located at plugins/expo/skills/expo-cicd-workflows/scripts/validate.js, downloads the latest EAS workflow schema from https://api.expo.dev/v2/workflows/schema and validates your local eas.json configuration against it. It ensures your build profiles and platform settings comply with current Expo requirements before triggering expensive build operations.

Where do I store the EXPO_TOKEN for Codex Run actions?

Store your Expo access token as a repository secret named EXPO_TOKEN in your GitHub repository settings (Settings > Secrets and variables > Actions). The workflow references this via ${{ secrets.EXPO_TOKEN }} to authenticate the EAS CLI without interactive login prompts.

Can I use these actions with an existing Expo project?

Yes. The expo-cicd-workflows skill works with existing projects. Simply ensure your project has an eas.json file (run eas init if missing), copy the validation scripts from plugins/expo/skills/expo-cicd-workflows/scripts/, and add the GitHub Actions workflow to your .github/workflows/ directory.

How do I configure deployment to TestFlight or Google Play?

Refer to the deployment reference files in the repository. For iOS, consult plugins/expo/skills/expo-deployment/references/ios-app-store.md for TestFlight configuration. For Android, consult plugins/expo/skills/expo-deployment/references/play-store.md for Play Store track settings. Both documents specify the exact eas submit commands and required environment variables.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}