Channels

Channels are the core mechanism for managing app updates in Capgo. They allow you to control how and when your users receive updates, enabling features like A/B testing, staged rollouts, and platform-specific updates.

Understanding Channels

A channel represents a distribution track for your app updates. Each channel can be configured with specific rules and constraints:

• Bundle (version) Control: Specify which bundle (version) users receive
• Platform Targeting: Target specific platforms (iOS/Android)
• Update Policies: Control how updates are delivered
• Device Restrictions: Manage which devices can access updates

Channel Configuration Options

• public: Set as default channel for new devices
• disableAutoUpdateUnderNative: Prevent updates when the device’s native app version is newer than the update bundle (version) available in the channel (e.g., device is on native app version 1.2.3, but channel has bundle (version) 1.2.2)
• disableAutoUpdate: Control update behavior (“major”, “minor”, “version_number”, “none”)
• ios/android: Enable/disable for specific platforms
• allow_device_self_set: Let devices choose their channel
• allow_emulator: Allow updates on emulator devices
• allow_dev: Allow updates on development builds

Best Practices

1. Testing Channel: Maintain a testing channel for internal validation
2. Staged Rollout: Use multiple channels for gradual update deployment
3. Platform Separation: Create separate channels for iOS and Android when needed
4. Bundle (version) Control: Use semantic versioning for clear update paths

Endpoints

POST

https://api.capgo.app/channel/

Create or update a channel configuration.

Request Body

type disable_update = "major" | "minor" | "version_number" | "none"
interface ChannelSet {
  app_id: string
  channel: string
  version?: string // bundle (version) name
  public?: boolean
  disableAutoUpdateUnderNative?: boolean
  disableAutoUpdate?: disable_update
  ios?: boolean
  android?: boolean
  allow_device_self_set?: boolean
  allow_emulator?: boolean
  allow_dev?: boolean
}

Example Request

curl -X POST \
  -H "authorization: your-api-key" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "app_id": "app_123",
    "channel": "beta",
    "version": "1.2.0",
    "public": false,
    "disableAutoUpdate": "minor",
    "ios": true,
    "android": true,
    "allow_emulator": true
  }' \
  https://api.capgo.app/channel/

Success Response

{
  "status": "ok"
}

GET

https://api.capgo.app/channel/

Retrieve channel information. Returns 50 channels per page.

Query Parameters

• app_id: Required. The ID of your app
• page: Optional. Page number for pagination
• channel: Optional. Specific channel name to retrieve

Example Requests

# Get all channels
curl -H "authorization: your-api-key" \
  "https://api.capgo.app/channel/?app_id=app_123"

# Get specific channel
curl -H "authorization: your-api-key" \
  "https://api.capgo.app/channel/?app_id=app_123&channel=beta"

# Get next page
curl -H "authorization: your-api-key" \
  "https://api.capgo.app/channel/?app_id=app_123&page=1"

Response Type

interface Channel {
    id: number;
    created_at: string;
    name: string;
    app_id: string;
    version: { // bundle (version) assigned to the channel
        id: number,
        name: string
    };
    created_by: string;
    updated_at: string;
    public: boolean;
    disableAutoUpdateUnderNative: boolean;
    disableAutoUpdate: boolean;
    allow_emulator: boolean;
    allow_dev: boolean;
}

In the response below, version refers to the bundle (version) assigned to the channel.

Example Response

{
  "data": [
    {
      "id": 1,
      "name": "production",
      "app_id": "app_123",
      "version": {
        "id": 1,
        "name": "1.0.0"
      },
      "created_at": "2024-01-01T00:00:00Z",
      "updated_at": "2024-01-01T00:00:00Z",
      "created_by": "user_123",
      "public": true,
      "disableAutoUpdateUnderNative": false,
      "disableAutoUpdate": false,
      "allow_emulator": false,
      "allow_dev": false
    }
  ]
}

DELETE

https://api.capgo.app/channel/

Delete a channel. Note that this will affect all devices using this channel.

Query Parameters

interface Channel {
  channel: string
  app_id: string
}

Example Request

curl -X DELETE \
  -H "authorization: your-api-key" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "app_id": "app_123",
    "channel": "beta"
  }' \
  https://api.capgo.app/channel/

Success Response

{
  "status": "ok"
}

Error Handling

Common error scenarios and their responses:

// Channel not found
{
  "error": "Channel not found",
  "status": "KO"
}

// Invalid bundle (version) format
{
  "error": "Invalid version format. Use semantic versioning",
  "status": "KO"
}

// Invalid update policy
{
  "error": "Invalid disableAutoUpdate value",
  "status": "KO"
}

// Permission denied
{
  "error": "Insufficient permissions to manage channels",
  "status": "KO"
}

Common Use Cases

1. Beta Testing

{
  "app_id": "app_123",
  "channel": "beta",
  "version": "1.2.0-beta",
  "public": false,
  "allow_emulator": true,
  "allow_dev": true
}

2. Production Rollout

{
  "app_id": "app_123",
  "channel": "production",
  "version": "1.2.0",
  "public": true,
  "disableAutoUpdate": "minor"
}

3. Platform-Specific Updates

{
  "app_id": "app_123",
  "channel": "ios-hotfix",
  "version": "1.2.1",
  "ios": true,
  "android": false
}