winapp-cli

Original：🇺🇸 English

Translated

Windows App Development CLI (winapp) for building, packaging, and deploying Windows applications. Use when asked to initialize Windows app projects, create MSIX packages, generate AppxManifest.xml, manage development certificates, add package identity for debugging, sign packages, or access Windows SDK build tools. Supports .NET, C++, Electron, Rust, Tauri, and cross-platform frameworks targeting Windows.

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Sourcegithub/awesome-copilot

Added on2026-02-07

NPX Install

npx skill4agent add github/awesome-copilot winapp-cli

SKILL.md Content

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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)

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.

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.

Usage Examples

Example 1: Initialize and Package a Windows App

bash

# Initialize workspace with defaults
winapp init

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

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

Example 2: Debug with Package Identity

bash

# 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

yaml

# 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

bash

# 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

Run
winapp init
first - Always initialize your project before using other commands to ensure SDK setup, manifest, and certificates are configured.
Re-run
create-debug-identity
after manifest changes - Package identity must be recreated whenever AppxManifest.xml is modified.
Use
--no-prompt
for CI/CD - Prevents interactive prompts in automated pipelines by using default values.
Use
winapp restore
for shared projects - Recreates the exact environment state defined in
```
winapp.yaml
```
across machines.
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

bash

cd my-project
winapp init
# Creates: AppxManifest.xml, development certificate, SDK configuration, winapp.yaml

Pattern: Package with Existing Certificate

bash

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

Pattern: Self-Contained Deployment

bash

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

Pattern: Update Package Versions

bash

# 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 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

winapp-cli

NPX Install

Tags

SKILL.md Content

Windows App Development CLI

When to Use This Skill

Prerequisites

Core Capabilities

1. Project Initialization (
`winapp init`
)

2. MSIX Packaging (
`winapp pack`
)

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

4. Manifest Management (
`winapp manifest`
)

5. Certificate Management (
`winapp cert`
)

6. Package Signing (
`winapp sign`
)

7. SDK Build Tools Access (
`winapp tool`
)

Usage Examples

Example 1: Initialize and Package a Windows App

Example 2: Debug with Package Identity

Example 3: CI/CD Pipeline Setup

Example 4: Electron App Integration

Guidelines

Common Patterns

Pattern: Initialize New Project

Pattern: Package with Existing Certificate

Pattern: Self-Contained Deployment

Pattern: Update Package Versions

Limitations

Windows APIs Enabled by Package Identity

Troubleshooting

References

winapp-cli

NPX Install

Tags

SKILL.md Content

Windows App Development CLI

When to Use This Skill

Prerequisites

Core Capabilities

1. Project Initialization (winapp init)

2. MSIX Packaging (winapp pack)

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

4. Manifest Management (winapp manifest)

5. Certificate Management (winapp cert)

6. Package Signing (winapp sign)

7. SDK Build Tools Access (winapp tool)

Usage Examples

Example 1: Initialize and Package a Windows App

Example 2: Debug with Package Identity

Example 3: CI/CD Pipeline Setup

Example 4: Electron App Integration

Guidelines

Common Patterns

Pattern: Initialize New Project

Pattern: Package with Existing Certificate

Pattern: Self-Contained Deployment

Pattern: Update Package Versions

Limitations

Windows APIs Enabled by Package Identity

Troubleshooting

References

1. Project Initialization (
`winapp init`
)

2. MSIX Packaging (
`winapp pack`
)

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

4. Manifest Management (
`winapp manifest`
)

5. Certificate Management (
`winapp cert`
)

6. Package Signing (
`winapp sign`
)

7. SDK Build Tools Access (
`winapp tool`
)