App Store Connect says Prepare for Submission because your app version is in the editable draft state that comes before you submit it for review, not because anything failed. It is the default status of a new version or a new app that has not yet been sent to App Review, meaning the version is yours to edit: you add a build, complete the metadata like screenshots and description, answer the required questions, and then submit. It does not mean your review failed, because this status is before review, not after it. Whether you need a new build depends on whether you have already attached one; you must select a build for the version before you can submit, but the status itself simply indicates the version is a draft awaiting your final preparation and submission.
Short answer
Prepare for Submission is the editable draft state of a version that has not yet been submitted for review, so it is normal, not a failure. Per Apple's App Store Connect help, a new version starts in this status, where you complete the metadata, attach a build, and then submit it for review. It does not mean review failed, because it is the state before submission, not a rejection. You do need a build attached to the version before you can submit, so if none is selected, uploading and choosing one is part of preparing. When everything is complete, you submit and the status changes to Waiting for Review.
What Prepare for Submission means
Prepare for Submission is the status a version has while it is a draft you are still working on, before you send it to App Review. When you create a new app or a new version of an existing app, App Store Connect places it in this status to indicate that the version is editable and awaiting your preparation. It is the starting point of the submission process, the state in which you fill in everything App Review needs and then submit, so seeing it means you are at the beginning of getting this version reviewed, not that something went wrong.
The name is what confuses people, because Prepare for Submission sounds like an instruction or a warning rather than a neutral status, but it is simply describing where the version is: ready to be prepared and submitted. In this state you can edit the version's details freely, which you cannot do once it is submitted and in review. So the status is telling you that the version is under your control and needs your input before it moves forward, which is exactly what a pre-submission draft state should do.
Did review fail?
No, Prepare for Submission does not mean your review failed, because it is the status before review rather than after it. A version that has failed review shows a different status, such as Rejected, along with a message in the Resolution Center explaining the issue, so a rejection looks distinctly different from this draft state. If all you see is Prepare for Submission, the version has not been through review at all yet, so there is nothing that could have failed.
There is one situation where this status appears in connection with a rejection, but it is still not a failure indicator: after a version is rejected, it can return to an editable, pre-submission state so that you can make changes and resubmit. In that case, Prepare for Submission is Apple giving you the version back to fix, not reporting a new failure, and the details of the rejection live in the Resolution Center message rather than in the status. So whether it is a brand-new version or one you are editing after a rejection, the status itself means the version is a draft ready for your preparation, not that review declined it.
Do I need a new build?
Whether you need a new build depends on whether you have already attached one to the version, but you do need some build selected before you can submit. Submitting a version for review requires that the version has a build associated with it, which you upload through Xcode, Transporter, or a service like Fastlane or EAS, and then select in the version. If no build is attached, part of preparing the version is uploading one and choosing it, so in that sense you may need to provide a build to move forward.
That said, needing a build is not the same as needing a new build. If you have already uploaded a build for this version and it is attached, you do not have to upload another one just because the status says Prepare for Submission, since that status is about the version being a draft, not about the build being missing or invalid. So check whether a build is selected: if one is, you can proceed to submit once the rest is complete, and if none is, upload and attach one. The status does not by itself imply your existing build is a problem.
Why you see this status
You see Prepare for Submission because you have a version that has not yet been submitted, which happens in a few normal situations. The most common is that you created a new app or added a new version and simply have not submitted it yet, so it sits in the draft state waiting for you. Another is that you have started preparing an update, completing metadata or attaching a build, but have not clicked submit, so the version remains editable. In both cases the status is expected.
It can also appear after you have released a version and are preparing the next one, since App Store Connect lets you work on the following version as a draft while the current one is live. And, as noted, it can appear when a rejected version returns to an editable state for you to fix. Across all of these, the common thread is that the version is a draft you have not submitted, which is precisely what the status means. So rather than signaling a problem, it is telling you where in the process this particular version sits, at the preparation stage before review.
How to move from Prepare for Submission to In Review
Moving forward from Prepare for Submission means completing everything the version needs and then submitting it. Fill in all the required metadata for the version, such as the description, screenshots for the required device sizes, keywords, and any other fields marked as required, and make sure your app information and pricing and availability are set. Attach the build you want to submit by selecting it in the version, and answer the required questions, including export compliance and content rights, which the submission needs.
Once every required field is complete and a build is selected, you submit the version for review, using the option to add it for review or submit, after which the status changes to Waiting for Review as it enters Apple's queue. If the submit action is unavailable, App Store Connect usually indicates what is still missing, most often a required metadata field or a build that has not finished processing, so completing that item lets you submit. So the path out of Prepare for Submission is simply to finish preparing the version and submit it, which is what the status is prompting you to do.
Statuses around it
Placing Prepare for Submission among the surrounding statuses clarifies where it sits. The table below compares them.
| Status | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Prepare for Submission | An editable draft, not yet submitted | Complete metadata and a build, then submit |
| Waiting for Review | Submitted and in the review queue | Wait for review to begin |
| In Review | Apple is actively reviewing | Wait for the decision |
| Rejected | Review declined the version | Read the Resolution Center and fix it |
Read the table by sequence: Prepare for Submission comes first, before you submit, so it is a waiting-on-you status rather than a waiting-on-Apple or failed one.
Submission checklist
Working through these steps takes a version from Prepare for Submission to submitted. The checklist below covers them.
| Step | Action | Done? |
|---|---|---|
| Complete the metadata | Description, screenshots, keywords, and required fields | [ ] |
| Attach a build | Upload and select a build for the version | [ ] |
| Answer the questions | Export compliance and content rights | [ ] |
| Set pricing and availability | Configure where required | [ ] |
| Submit for review | Use add for review or submit | [ ] |
| Confirm the status changed | It becomes Waiting for Review | [ ] |
The step that most often blocks submission is a missing required field or an unattached build, so completing those is what lets you submit and moves the version out of Prepare for Submission.
Verify the build before submitting
Because Prepare for Submission is the point where you finalize a version before it goes to review, it is a natural moment to confirm the build you are about to submit is sound, so a security issue does not go into review or reach users.
A scanner like PTKD.com analyzes your build and reports issues such as leaked keys and secrets, over-broad permissions, and insecure data handling by severity, mapped to OWASP MASVS, so the build you attach and submit is checked for security problems first. To be clear about the boundary: PTKD does not complete your metadata, submit your app, or change its status, which you handle in App Store Connect. It checks the build itself, so the version you move from Prepare for Submission into review is one you have verified.
What to take away
- Prepare for Submission is the editable draft state of a version that has not yet been submitted for review, so it is normal and not a failure.
- It does not mean review failed, because it is the state before review; a rejection shows a different status with a Resolution Center message.
- You need a build attached to the version before you can submit, but the status does not mean your existing build is missing or invalid, only that the version is a draft.
- Move forward by completing all required metadata, attaching a build, answering the required questions, and submitting, after which the status becomes Waiting for Review.
- If a version returns to this status after a rejection, it is Apple letting you edit and resubmit, and you can verify the build first with a tool like PTKD.com.
