Yes, for external TestFlight testers

Do I need to submit test information before inviting external TestFlight testers

Yes. Apple requires TestFlight test information before you distribute a build to external testers, and the build itself must pass TestFlight App Review first. The invite step comes after that review gate, not before it. Apple also says external testing uses App Store Connect groups, builds, and tester invitations.

The part people get wrong is thinking the invite alone is enough. It is not. For external testing, Apple expects beta app description, beta app review information, and test information such as Feedback Email and Contact Information if those fields have not already been filled in. If those details are missing, the build cannot move through the external testing flow cleanly.

The sequence is practical, not decorative. You create an external group in App Store Connect, add a build, enter what testers should focus on, fill in the required review and contact fields, and then submit the build for TestFlight App Review. Apple states that builds are automatically sent for review once added to a group, and only approved builds can go to external testers.

There is a second thing people miss: Apple separates internal and external testing. Internal testers do not go through the same external review path, but external testers do. If you are only testing with your team, the external TestFlight requirement does not apply. The moment you want outside testers, the review metadata becomes part of the release process.

If you are setting up a beta program, do the paperwork first and the invites second. In App Store Connect, open your app, go to TestFlight, add the test information, create the external group, add the build, and submit it. After approval, you can invite testers by email or public link. Apple documents both paths, and both depend on the build already being approved for external testing.

The inconvenient part is that approval is build-specific. Apple says the first build you submit needs full review, and later builds for the same version might not. That means you cannot treat TestFlight review as a one-time setup task. If you change the build or the metadata in ways Apple needs to review again, you are back in the approval flow before new external testers can use it.

If you are asking because you want to move fast, the safe answer is still to prepare the test information before you invite anyone. It reduces rejections, avoids a dead invitation flow, and gives testers the context they need when they open the TestFlight app. Apple says testers see the "What to Test" information when they accept the invitation, so that field is part of the tester experience, not admin clutter.

If you also use DevConnect to find testers, the same principle applies: set up the test info and the approved build first, then bring people in. DevConnect can help with coordination, but Apple still controls whether an external TestFlight build is eligible to leave App Store Connect. Start with the review requirements, then use the invite flow. https://devconnectplatform.com

A simple example shows the order. You upload build 1.0.0, fill in beta app description, beta app review information, Feedback Email, and Contact Information, then submit. Apple approves it. Only then do you send the email invite or public link to external testers. If you send the invite first, the tester may have nothing usable to install yet, because the external review gate has not been cleared.

The short version is this: for external TestFlight testers, yes, submit the required test information before inviting them, and make sure the build has already passed TestFlight App Review. That is the order Apple documents, and it is the order that keeps the beta flow working.

What to do next

1. Open App Store Connect and select your app.
2. Go to TestFlight and create or choose an external group.
3. Add the build you want testers to use.
4. Fill out the test information and review fields.
5. Submit the build for TestFlight App Review.
6. Invite external testers only after approval.

What happens if you skip it

If the required information is missing, you delay review or block external distribution. The failure is usually not dramatic, it is administrative: no approved build, no external testing, no useful invite flow. That is why Apple keeps the test information and review details tied to external testing instead of treating them as optional notes.

What counts as external testing

Apple treats external testers as people outside App Store Connect who join through email or a public link. Those testers are different from internal testers, and their builds go through TestFlight App Review first. The invitation method changes how people enroll, but it does not remove the review requirement.