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This guide shows how to run the Qalti CLI in a CI pipeline (GitHub Actions). It includes parallel simulator runs and an example of running a test on a real iOS device. You can check out the full demo repository here: github.com/qalti/qalti Below is how a real CI run looks like under the hood with 4 workers: Qalti demo

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What you can do

  • Parallel simulator execution
  • Run tests on a real device
  • Produce Allure-formatted reports that you can upload to any QA system

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Authentication for CI

Qalti requires your OpenRouter API key for test execution. Set it in your CI environment: 
export OPENROUTER_API_KEY="sk-or-v1-..."
Or pass it explicitly with --token.

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Install Qalti in CI

Qalti is a macOS app, and the CLI is included in the bundle. You can download and install it in your CI pipeline with this bash script: 
curl -L -o Qalti.dmg https://app.qalti.com/releases/Qalti.dmg
hdiutil attach Qalti.dmg -nobrowse -quiet -mountpoint /Volumes/Qalti
cp -R /Volumes/Qalti/Qalti.app /Applications/Qalti.app
hdiutil detach /Volumes/Qalti -quiet

# Run the CLI directly from the app bundle
/Applications/Qalti.app/Contents/MacOS/Qalti cli --help
/Applications/Qalti.app/Contents/Resources/QaltiScheduler --help

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Minimal CLI example

This is the easiest way to run your test: 
export OPENROUTER_API_KEY="sk-or-v1-..."
/Applications/Qalti.app/Contents/MacOS/Qalti cli change_appearance.test --token "$OPENROUTER_API_KEY"
where change_appearance.test is a test file with steps in English: 
Open Settings
Scroll down to find Display & Brightness
Tap it
Change Appearance
Verify Appearance is changed
To learn more, run /Applications/Qalti.app/Contents/MacOS/Qalti cli --help 
Qalti CLI - Run iOS tests from command line

USAGE:
    qalti cli <test-file> --token OPENROUTER_API_KEY [options]

ARGUMENTS:
    <test-file>              Path to test file (.test, .txt, or .json)

OPTIONS:
    --token, -t <token>      OpenRouter API key (or set OPENROUTER_API_KEY env var)
    --model <model>           AI model to use (default: gpt-4.1)
                            Available: gpt-5, gpt-5-mini, gpt-5-nano, gpt-4.1,
                            gemini-2.5-pro, claude-4-sonnet, claude-3.5-sonnet
    --prompts-dir <dir>       Custom prompts directory
    --report-path <file>      Output report path (default: ./reports/test_TIMESTAMP.json)
    --allure-dir <dir>        Generate Allure report files in specified directory
    
DEVICE SELECTION:
    --udid <udid>             Device UDID (takes precedence)
    --device-name <name>      Device name (e.g., "iPhone 16")
    --os <version>            OS version (e.g., "iOS 18.2")
    --type <type>             Device type: simulator (default) or real
    
OTHER OPTIONS:
    --app-path <path>         App bundle to install before testing (.app or .ipa)
    --iterations <n>          Max test iterations (default: 50)
    --verbose, -v             Enable verbose output
    --help, -h                Show this help

EXAMPLES:
    # Basic usage
    qalti cli ./tests/login.test --token sk-or-v1-xxx
    
    # Specific device and model
    qalti cli ./tests/login.test --token sk-or-v1-xxx --device-name "iPhone 16" --model claude-4-sonnet
    
    # Using UDID with app install
    qalti cli ./tests/app.test --udid 12345-67890 --app-path ./MyApp.app --verbose
    
    # Custom prompts and report location
    qalti cli ./tests/checkout.test --prompts-dir ./custom-prompts --report-path ./reports/checkout-run.json

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Parallel simulator runs (QaltiScheduler)

Use QaltiScheduler to execute tests in parallel: 
/Applications/Qalti.app/Contents/Resources/QaltiScheduler \
  --tests "./tests" \
  --device-name "iPhone 16" \
  --os "18.3" \
  --workers 4 \
  --model "gpt-4.1" \
  --token "$OPENROUTER_API_KEY" \
  --app-path "./SyncUps-simulator.zip" \
  --allure-dir "./reports/allure"

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CI example (GitHub Actions)

This workflow example shows how you can use Qalti in your CI pipelines: .github/workflows/qalti.yml — it’s short, commented, and shows how to:
  • Set up Qalti
  • Run tests on simulators and on a real device
  • Export Allure results and upload artifacts
You can check recent runs in the Qalti Actions dashboard to see it in action.

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Allure reports

Qalti outputs results in Allure format if you set the --allure-dir flag. You can upload them to your QA system of choice. As an example, we use TestOps Cloud and upload via allurectl. Allure report in TestOps Cloud

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