xcodebuild -exportArchive: exportOptionsPlist error for key 'method': expected one of {}

I suspected xcodebuild tool initially, but it turned out the archive file was invaid. When I opened the archive file in Xcode and tried to export an ipa file manually, I noticed that "Upload to App Store" and "Validate" buttons were disabled. After clicking the "Export" button, it gave me two options: "Save Built Products" and "Export as an Xcode Archive", but there was no Export ad-hoc distribution and the other regular options.

It turned out there were few library files along my .app file in the archive. Xcode considers this a generic archive and not an app archive. Check the Build Phases in your project settings for copying header and library files.

For more details, see https://developer.apple. com/library/ios/technotes/tn2215/_index.html

I had this issue in one of my projects. After updating Cocoapods from 0.38.2 to 0.39.0 it was gone.

Also, I had a different related issue. Exporting was failing with the following error:

2015-10-22 17:16:12.568 xcodebuild[91172:2171408] [MT] IDEDistribution: -[IDEDistributionLogging _createLoggingBundleAtPath:]: Created bundle at path '/var/folders/_l/2rl169m16p717gzldvh7n0600000gq/T/MyDriveEU_2015-10-22_17-16-12.568.xcdistributionlogs'.
2015-10-22 17:16:12.860 xcodebuild[91172:2171408] [MT] IDEDistribution: Step failed: <IDEDistributionSigningAssetsStep: 0x7fbc13f0c970>: Error Domain=IDEDistributionErrorDomain Code=1 "The operation couldn’t be completed. (IDEDistributionErrorDomain error 1.)"
error: exportArchive: The operation couldn’t be completed. (IDEDistributionErrorDomain error 1.)

Error Domain=IDEDistributionErrorDomain Code=1 "The operation couldn’t be completed. (IDEDistributionErrorDomain error 1.)"

** EXPORT FAILED **

It turned out that xcodebuild didn't like teamID parameter I added to the exportOptions.plist. After I removed it, the app was exported successfully.

In my case one of my static libs did not have Skip Install enabled and this resulted in the same problem. When I set in xcode Skip Install to Yes for that project I fixed that problem.