Windows App Development CLI

The Windows App Development CLI (winapp) is a command-line interface for managing Windows SDKs, MSIX packaging, generating app identity, manifests, certificates, and using build tools with any app framework. It bridges the gap between cross-platform development and Windows-native capabilities.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:

• Initialize a Windows app project with SDK setup, manifests, and certificates
• Create MSIX packages from application directories
• Generate or manage AppxManifest.xml files
• Create and install development certificates for signing
• Add package identity for debugging Windows APIs
• Sign MSIX packages or executables
• Access Windows SDK build tools from any framework
• Build Windows apps using cross-platform frameworks (Electron, Rust, Tauri, Qt)
• Set up CI/CD pipelines for Windows app deployment
• Access Windows APIs that require package identity (notifications, Windows AI, shell integration)
• Publish apps to the Microsoft Store via winapp store
• Create external catalogs for asset management
• Set up .NET (csproj) projects with Windows App SDK via NuGet

Prerequisites

• Windows 10 or later
• winapp CLI installed via one of these methods:
  • WinGet: winget install Microsoft.WinAppCli --source winget
  • NPM (for Electron): npm install @microsoft/winappcli --save-dev
  • GitHub Actions/Azure DevOps: Use setup-WinAppCli action
  • Manual: Download from GitHub Releases

Core Capabilities

1. Project Initialization (winapp init)

Initialize a directory with required assets (manifest, certificates, libraries) for building a modern Windows app. Supports SDK installation modes: stable, preview, experimental, or none.

2. MSIX Packaging (winapp pack)

Create MSIX packages from prepared directories with optional signing, certificate generation, and self-contained deployment bundling.

3. Package Identity for Debugging (winapp create-debug-identity)

Add temporary package identity to executables for debugging Windows APIs that require identity (notifications, Windows AI, shell integration) without full packaging.

4. Manifest Management (winapp manifest)

Generate AppxManifest.xml files and update image assets from source images, automatically creating all required sizes and aspect ratios. Supports manifest placeholders for dynamic content and qualified names in AppxManifest for flexible app identity definitions.

5. Certificate Management (winapp cert)

Generate development certificates and install them to the local machine store for signing packages.

6. Package Signing (winapp sign)

Sign MSIX packages and executables with PFX certificates, with optional timestamp server support.

7. SDK Build Tools Access (winapp tool)

Run Windows SDK build tools with properly configured paths from any framework or build system.

8. Microsoft Store Integration (winapp store)

Run Microsoft Store Developer CLI commands directly from winapp, enabling store submission, package validation, and publishing workflows without leaving the CLI.

9. External Catalog Creation (winapp create-external-catalog)

Create external catalogs to streamline asset management for developers, separating catalog data from the main package.

Usage Examples

Example 1: Initialize and Package a Windows App

# Initialize workspace with defaults
winapp init
# Note: init no longer auto-generates a certificate (v0.2.0+). Generate one explicitly:
winapp cert generate

# Build your application (framework-specific)
# ...

# Create signed MSIX package
winapp pack ./build-output --generate-cert --output MyApp.msix

Example 2: Debug with Package Identity

# Add debug identity to executable for testing Windows APIs
winapp create-debug-identity ./bin/MyApp.exe

# Run your app - it now has package identity
./bin/MyApp.exe

Example 3: CI/CD Pipeline Setup

# GitHub Actions example
- name: Setup winapp CLI
  uses: microsoft/setup-WinAppCli@v1

- name: Initialize and Package
  run: |
    winapp init --no-prompt
    winapp pack ./build-output --output MyApp.msix

Example 4: Electron App Integration

# Install via npm
npm install @microsoft/winappcli --save-dev

# Initialize and add debug identity for Electron
npx winapp init
npx winapp node add-electron-debug-identity

# Package for distribution
npx winapp pack ./out --output MyElectronApp.msix

Guidelines

1. Run winapp init first - Always initialize your project before using other commands to ensure SDK setup and manifest are configured. Note: as of v0.2.0, winapp init no longer generates a development certificate automatically. Run winapp cert generate explicitly when you need to sign with a dev certificate.
2. Re-run create-debug-identity after manifest changes - Package identity must be recreated whenever AppxManifest.xml is modified.
3. Use --no-prompt for CI/CD - Prevents interactive prompts in automated pipelines by using default values.
4. Use winapp restore for shared projects - Recreates the exact environment state defined in winapp.yaml across machines.
5. Generate assets from a single image - Use winapp manifest update-assets with one logo to generate all required icon sizes.

Common Patterns

Pattern: Initialize New Project

cd my-project
winapp init
# Creates: AppxManifest.xml, SDK configuration, winapp.yaml
# Note: .NET (csproj) projects skip winapp.yaml and configure NuGet packages in the .csproj directly

# Generate a dev signing certificate explicitly (no longer done by init)
winapp cert generate

Pattern: Package with Existing Certificate

winapp pack ./build-output --cert ./mycert.pfx --cert-password secret --output MyApp.msix

Pattern: Self-Contained Deployment

# Bundle Windows App SDK runtime with the package
winapp pack ./my-app --self-contained --generate-cert

Pattern: Update Package Versions

# Update to latest stable SDKs
winapp update

# Or update to preview SDKs
winapp update --setup-sdks preview

Limitations

• Windows 10 or later required (Windows-only CLI)
• Package identity debugging requires re-running create-debug-identity after any manifest changes
• Self-contained deployment increases package size by bundling the Windows App SDK runtime
• Development certificates are for testing only; production requires trusted certificates
• Some Windows APIs require specific capability declarations in the manifest
• winapp init no longer auto-generates a certificate (v0.2.0+); run winapp cert generate explicitly
• .NET (csproj) projects skip winapp.yaml; SDK packages are configured in the project file directly
• winapp CLI uses the NuGet global cache for packages (not %userprofile%/.winapp/packages)
• winapp CLI is in public preview and subject to change

Windows APIs Enabled by Package Identity

Package identity unlocks access to powerful Windows APIs:

API Category	Examples
Notifications	Interactive native notifications, notification management
Windows AI	On-device LLM, text/image AI APIs (Phi Silica, Windows ML)
Shell Integration	Explorer, Taskbar, Share sheet integration
Protocol Handlers	Custom URI schemes (yourapp://)
Device Access	Camera, microphone, location (with consent)
Background Tasks	Run when app is closed
File Associations	Open file types with your app

Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
Certificate not trusted	Run winapp cert install <cert-path> to install to local machine store
Package identity not working	Run winapp create-debug-identity after any manifest changes
SDK not found	Run winapp restore or winapp update to ensure SDKs are installed
Signing fails	Verify certificate password and ensure cert is not expired

References

• GitHub Repository
• Full CLI Documentation
• .NET Project Guide
• Sample Applications
• Windows App SDK
• MSIX Packaging Overview
• Package Identity Overview