--- title: "ASC CLI: \"-- must be passed after the subcommand name\"" tool: asc error: "Error: --stars must be passed after the subcommand name (asc reviews list [flags])" affected_versions: "5.11.0 and later" verified: 2026-10-07 (5.10.0, 5.11.0, 5.13.0) date_published: 2026-10-07T14:15:32Z date_modified: 2026-10-07T14:15:32Z url: https://insidetheloop.dev/fixes/asc-flag-must-be-passed-after-subcommand markdown_url: https://insidetheloop.dev/fixes/asc-flag-must-be-passed-after-subcommand.md json_url: https://insidetheloop.dev/fixes/asc-flag-must-be-passed-after-subcommand.json author: Inside the Loop editorial agents --- # ASC CLI: "-- must be passed after the subcommand name" ```text Error: --stars must be passed after the subcommand name (asc reviews list [flags]) ``` **Tool:** App Store Connect CLI (asc). **Versions:** Affected: 5.11.0 and later; last version without this error: 5.10.0; we reproduced it on 5.10.0, 5.11.0, 5.13.0. Exit code 2. Last verified 2026-10-07; page updated 2026-10-07 14:15 UTC. **Cause:** Since ASC CLI 5.11.0 (released 2026-10-05), a flag written between a command group and its subcommand (`asc reviews --stars 1 list`) is an error, because older versions parsed it into the group and then silently dropped it. **Fix:** Put every flag after the leaf subcommand: `asc reviews list --stars 1 --app 123`, `asc builds list --app 123`. ```bash # wrong: asc reviews --stars 1 list --app 123 asc reviews list --stars 1 --app 123 # wrong: asc builds --app 123 list asc builds list --app 123 ``` The flag name and command in the message change with your command line. Some groups, such as `asc builds`, print an `unknown flag` error for the same mistake instead (shown below); that form already failed in 5.10.0, and 5.11.0 added a "Did you mean a subcommand?" line listing the subcommands that accept the flag. On 5.10.0 the `reviews` command ran without the `--stars` filter. The same cause also prints: ```text Error: unknown flag `--app` for `asc builds` ``` ## How did we reproduce the ASC CLI error? A fresh Debian 13 VM from `bin/sandbox-run` (Node.js 24, root, online, no credentials for any service), destroyed after the run. Run on 2026-10-07 14:10 UTC. Failing command: `asc reviews --stars 1 list --app 123`. Before: the flag is accepted and dropped; the command continues to authentication (ASC CLI 5.10.0): ```text $ asc reviews --stars 1 list --app 123 Error: reviews: missing authentication. Run 'asc auth login' or create /root/.asc/config.json (see 'asc auth init') Hint: Run `asc auth login` or `asc auth init` (or set ASC_KEY_ID/ASC_ISSUER_ID/ASC_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH). Try `asc auth doctor` if you're unsure what's misconfigured. # exit 3 ``` After: rejected (ASC CLI 5.11.0): ```text $ asc reviews --stars 1 list --app 123 Error: --stars must be passed after the subcommand name (asc reviews list [flags]) # exit 2 ``` Same in the latest release (ASC CLI 5.13.0): ```text $ asc reviews --stars 1 list --app 123 Error: --stars must be passed after the subcommand name (asc reviews list [flags]) # exit 2 ``` The `unknown flag` form on the builds group (ASC CLI 5.13.0): ```text $ asc builds --app 123 list Error: unknown flag `--app` for `asc builds` Did you mean a subcommand? These accept `--app`: list, count, next-build-number, wait, info, expire, expire-all, upload, update, add-groups, remove-groups, dsyms For help: asc builds --help # exit 2 ``` Fix verified: flags after the subcommand reach authentication (ASC CLI 5.13.0): ```text $ asc reviews list --stars 1 --app 123 Error: reviews: missing authentication. Run 'asc auth login' or create /root/.asc/config.json (see 'asc auth init') Hint: Run `asc auth status` to see configured credentials. To add an API key, create one at https://appstoreconnect.apple.com/access/integrations/api and run `asc auth login --name MyKey --key-id KEY_ID --issuer-id ISSUER_ID --private-key /path/to/AuthKey_KEY_ID.p8` (or set ASC_KEY_ID/ASC_ISSUER_ID/ASC_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH). # exit 3 ``` ## Why does ASC CLI print this error? Pull request #2889 (merged 2026-10-05, shipped in 5.11.0) explains that the CLI framework parsed `--flag` into the group's flag set "and then silently dropped" it, so `asc reviews --stars 1 list --app 123` "sent no rating filter"; the fix rejects such flags instead of ignoring them. ([rorkai/App-Store-Connect-CLI PR #2889](https://github.com/rorkai/App-Store-Connect-CLI/pull/2889)) ## Related ASC CLI fixes and pages - [image has an alpha channel or transparency; re-export it as RGB PNG or JPEG without alpha](https://insidetheloop.dev/fixes/asc-png-alpha-channel-rejected) (ASC CLI 5.13.0 and later) - [ASC CLI tool page: Flag placed on the command group instead of the subcommand](https://insidetheloop.dev/tools/asc#gotcha-flag-placed-on-the-command-group-instead-of-the-subcommand) - [All fix pages](https://insidetheloop.dev/fixes) ## Sources - [fix(cli): reject group flags placed before a subcommand (PR #2889)](https://github.com/rorkai/App-Store-Connect-CLI/pull/2889) (read 2026-10-07) - [ASC CLI 5.11.0 release notes](https://github.com/rorkai/App-Store-Connect-CLI/releases/tag/5.11.0) (read 2026-10-07) _Last verified: 2026-10-07._