tauri-windows-bundle

MSIX packaging tool for Tauri apps - create Windows Store ready bundles with multiarch support.

Features

• MSIX Packaging - Create Store-ready MSIX packages
• Multiarch Support - Build for x64 and arm64 in one bundle
• tauri.conf.json Integration - Automatically reads app name, version, icons, and resources
• Code Signing - Support for PFX certificates and Windows certificate store
• Resource Indexing - Optional resources.pri generation for qualified assets
• Windows Extensions - Share Target, File Associations, Protocol Handlers, Startup Task, Context Menus, Background Tasks, App Execution Alias, App Services, Toast Activation, Autoplay, Print Task Settings, Thumbnail/Preview Handlers

Prerequisites

• Rust with Windows targets
• Windows SDK (for signing)

# Install Rust targets for multiarch builds
rustup target add x86_64-pc-windows-msvc
rustup target add aarch64-pc-windows-msvc

Bundled msixbundle-cli

On Windows (x64 and arm64) the msixbundle-cli binary is shipped automatically as an optionalDependencies sidecar (@choochmeque/msixbundle-cli-win32) — no separate install is needed.

If you're on macOS or Linux (e.g. cross-compiling), or if you installed with --omit=optional (npm) / --no-optional (pnpm/yarn), the build command falls back to whatever msixbundle-cli is on your PATH and prompts to cargo install msixbundle-cli if it's missing.

Installation

# One-time setup (use @latest to ensure newest version)
npx @choochmeque/tauri-windows-bundle@latest init

# Or install as dev dependency
npm install -D @choochmeque/tauri-windows-bundle

Tip: Use @latest with npx to bypass cached versions: npx @choochmeque/tauri-windows-bundle@latest --version

Usage

Initialize

npx @choochmeque/tauri-windows-bundle init

This creates:

• src-tauri/gen/windows/bundle.config.json - MSIX-specific configuration
• src-tauri/gen/windows/AppxManifest.xml.template - Manifest template
• src-tauri/gen/windows/Assets/ - Icons (copied from src-tauri/icons/ or placeholders)
• Adds @choochmeque/tauri-windows-bundle as devDependency
• Adds tauri:windows:build script to package.json

Note: If Tauri icons exist in src-tauri/icons/, they are automatically copied. The wide tile (310x150) is generated by centering the square icon.

Windows-specific icons: Set bundle.icon in tauri.windows.conf.json (or tauri.conf.json) to point at a different folder, and init will derive the asset source from there. For example, with

// tauri.windows.conf.json
{ "bundle": { "icon": ["icons/windows/32x32.png", "icons/windows/icon.ico"] } }

init uses src-tauri/icons/windows/ (the parent dir of the first .png entry, resolved against src-tauri/) as the asset source. Inside that folder it looks for the MSIX-named files Tauri generates via tauri icon:

• Direct copy: StoreLogo.png, Square44x44Logo.png, Square150x150Logo.png (each missing file becomes a placeholder).
• Wide tile (Wide310x150Logo.png) is generated from the first square icon found: Square150x150Logo.png → Square142x142Logo.png → icon.png → 128x128.png.
• Variant source (when --scale / --target-size / --unplated / --light-unplated is set): icon.png → Square310x310Logo.png → 128x128.png.

If bundle.icon has no .png entries, the default src-tauri/icons/ is used.

Icon variants (optional)

Pass one or more flags to init to also generate the suffixed asset variants Windows uses for DPI scaling, taskbar/Start icons, and theme-aware tiles:

npx @choochmeque/tauri-windows-bundle init --all-variants

Variants are sourced from the highest-resolution Tauri icon found, in this order: src-tauri/icons/icon.png → Square310x310Logo.png → 128x128.png. If none are present, variant generation is skipped with a warning.

Passing any variant flag also flips resourceIndex.enabled to true in the generated bundle.config.json, because Windows only resolves suffixed assets through a resources.pri file built by --makepri.

Configure

Edit src-tauri/gen/windows/bundle.config.json:

{
  "publisher": "CN=YourCompany",
  "publisherDisplayName": "Your Company Name",
  "capabilities": {
    "general": ["internetClient"]
  },
  "signing": {
    "pfx": null,
    "pfxPassword": null
  },
  "resourceIndex": {
    "enabled": false,
    "keepConfig": false
  }
}

executableName (optional) pins the exe filename when derivation is wrong. Without it the name resolves from mainBinaryName in tauri.conf.json, then the first [[bin]] (else [package]) name in src-tauri/Cargo.toml, and only as a last resort from the product name.

publisher and publisherDisplayName are optional in bundle.config.json. If omitted, publisher falls back to bundle.publisher from tauri.conf.json or tauri.windows.conf.json. If publisherDisplayName is omitted, it defaults to the resolved publisher value.

Capabilities are validated at build time. Three types are supported:

{
  "capabilities": {
    "general": ["internetClient", "internetClientServer", "privateNetworkClientServer"],
    "device": ["webcam", "microphone", "location", "bluetooth"],
    "restricted": ["broadFileSystemAccess", "allowElevation"]
  }
}

• general - Standard capabilities (<Capability>)
• device - Device access (<DeviceCapability>)
• restricted - Requires Store approval (<rescap:Capability>)

Note: runFullTrust is always auto-added (required for Tauri apps).

resourceIndex.enabled generates resources.pri via msixbundle-cli --makepri before packing. Enable this when using qualified assets (for example, scale-specific logos like Square44x44Logo.scale-200.png).

resourceIndex.keepConfig keeps generated priconfig.xml in each AppxContent directory for debugging.

Auto-read from tauri.conf.json / tauri.windows.conf.json:

• displayName ← productName
• version ← version (auto-converted to 4-part: 1.0.0 → 1.0.0.0)
• description ← bundle.shortDescription
• publisher ← bundle.publisher (fallback when not in bundle.config.json)
• icons ← bundle.icon
• resources ← bundle.resources (array entries keep their layout; leading ../ maps to _up_/ and an absolute root to _root_/, matching where Tauri's resolveResource() looks at runtime)
• externalBin ← bundle.externalBin (sidecars staged beside the exe with the -<target-triple> suffix stripped; a missing declared sidecar fails the build)
• signing ← bundle.windows.certificateThumbprint

Platform-specific config: Values in tauri.windows.conf.json override tauri.conf.json using JSON Merge Patch (RFC 7396). This lets you define Windows-specific settings like identifier, productName, or bundle.publisher separately.

Build

# Build x64 only (default, uses cargo, release mode)
pnpm tauri:windows:build

# Build multiarch bundle (x64 + arm64)
pnpm tauri:windows:build --arch x64,arm64

# Debug build (release is default)
pnpm tauri:windows:build --debug

# Use different build runner (pnpm, npm, yarn, bun, etc.)
pnpm tauri:windows:build --runner pnpm
pnpm tauri:windows:build --runner npm

# Re-derive Assets/ from bundle.icon (overwrites manual edits in
# src-tauri/gen/windows/Assets/). Variant flags configured at init are
# replayed from bundle.config.json's `assets.variants`.
pnpm tauri:windows:build --regenerate-assets

By default build copies whatever is in src-tauri/gen/windows/Assets/ verbatim, so hand-edited tile icons persist across builds. Pass --regenerate-assets to refresh that directory from the icons folder resolved via bundle.icon (the same logic init uses).

Output

target/msix/
├── MyApp_x64.msix
├── MyApp_arm64.msix      # if --arch x64,arm64
└── MyApp.msixbundle      # combined bundle

CLI Reference

npx @choochmeque/tauri-windows-bundle init [options]
  -p, --path <path>    Path to Tauri project
  --scale              Generate .scale-100/125/150/200/400 PNG variants
  --target-size        Generate .targetsize-16/20/24/30/32/36/40/48/60/64/72/80/96/256 PNG variants for Square44x44Logo
  --unplated           Generate _altform-unplated targetsize variants
  --light-unplated     Generate _altform-lightunplated targetsize variants
  --all-variants       Shortcut for all four variant families above

npx @choochmeque/tauri-windows-bundle build [options]
  --arch <archs>        Architectures (comma-separated: x64,arm64) [default: x64]
  --debug               Build in debug mode (release is default)
  --min-windows <ver>   Minimum Windows version [default: 10.0.17763.0]
  --runner <runner>     Build runner (cargo, pnpm, npm, yarn, bun) [default: cargo]
  --verbose             Show full build output instead of spinner
  --regenerate-assets   Regenerate gen/windows/Assets/ from bundle.icon
                        (overwrites manual edits)

npx @choochmeque/tauri-windows-bundle extension list
  -p, --path <path>    Path to Tauri project

npx @choochmeque/tauri-windows-bundle extension add <type>
  <type>               Extension type (see below)
  -p, --path <path>    Path to Tauri project

npx @choochmeque/tauri-windows-bundle extension remove <type> [name]
  <type>               Extension type (see below)
  [name]               Extension identifier (required for most types)
  -p, --path <path>    Path to Tauri project

Extension types:
  file-association     Associate file types with your app
  protocol             Register URL protocol handlers (myapp://)
  share-target         Receive shared content from other apps
  startup-task         Run app on Windows login
  context-menu         Add right-click menu items in Explorer
  background-task      Run tasks when app is not in foreground
  app-execution-alias  Run app from command line (e.g., myapp)
  app-service          Allow other apps to call into your app
  toast-activation     Handle toast notification clicks
  autoplay             Launch when media/device is inserted
  print-task-settings  Custom print settings UI
  thumbnail-handler    Custom file thumbnails in Explorer
  preview-handler      Custom file previews in Explorer

Windows Extensions

File Associations

npx @choochmeque/tauri-windows-bundle extension add file-association
# Prompts for: name, extensions, description

Alternatively, declare file associations in tauri.conf.json under the standard bundle.fileAssociations key and they are picked up automatically at build time:

{
  "bundle": {
    "fileAssociations": [
      { "ext": ["ics"], "name": "iCalendar", "description": "iCalendar event file" },
    ],
  },
}

bundle.config.json entries are merged on top and win on a name collision, so existing Windows-only overrides keep working.

Protocol Handlers

npx @choochmeque/tauri-windows-bundle extension add protocol
# Prompts for: protocol name, display name

Share Target

# Enable
npx @choochmeque/tauri-windows-bundle extension add share-target

# Disable
npx @choochmeque/tauri-windows-bundle extension remove share-target

Startup Task

Run your app automatically when Windows starts.

# Enable
npx @choochmeque/tauri-windows-bundle extension add startup-task

# Disable
npx @choochmeque/tauri-windows-bundle extension remove startup-task

Context Menu

Add right-click menu items in Windows Explorer.

npx @choochmeque/tauri-windows-bundle extension add context-menu
# Prompts for: menu name, file types, display name

Background Task

Run tasks when app is not in foreground.

npx @choochmeque/tauri-windows-bundle extension add background-task
# Prompts for: task name, type (timer/systemEvent/pushNotification)

List Extensions

npx @choochmeque/tauri-windows-bundle extension list

App Execution Alias

Run your app from command line (e.g., myapp instead of full path).

npx @choochmeque/tauri-windows-bundle extension add app-execution-alias
# Prompts for: alias name

App Service

Allow other apps to call into your app.

npx @choochmeque/tauri-windows-bundle extension add app-service
# Prompts for: service name

Toast Activation

Handle toast notification clicks and actions, including cold-start activations from Action Center after the app has exited.

# Enable
npx @choochmeque/tauri-windows-bundle extension add toast-activation
# Prompts for: CLSID (leave empty to auto-generate from app identifier)

# Disable
npx @choochmeque/tauri-windows-bundle extension remove toast-activation

Emits both the com:Extension Category="windows.comServer" (so Windows knows which exe to launch on activation) and the desktop:Extension Category="windows.toastNotificationActivation" (binding the toast click to the CLSID).

Autoplay

Launch your app when media or devices are inserted.

npx @choochmeque/tauri-windows-bundle extension add autoplay
# Prompts for: verb, action display name, event type (content/device)

Print Task Settings

Add custom print settings UI.

# Enable
npx @choochmeque/tauri-windows-bundle extension add print-task-settings

# Disable
npx @choochmeque/tauri-windows-bundle extension remove print-task-settings

Thumbnail Handler

Provide custom thumbnails for your file types in Explorer.

npx @choochmeque/tauri-windows-bundle extension add thumbnail-handler
# Prompts for: CLSID, file types

Preview Handler

Provide custom file previews in Explorer.

npx @choochmeque/tauri-windows-bundle extension add preview-handler
# Prompts for: CLSID, file types

List Extensions

npx @choochmeque/tauri-windows-bundle extension list

Remove Extension

npx @choochmeque/tauri-windows-bundle extension remove file-association myfiles
npx @choochmeque/tauri-windows-bundle extension remove protocol myapp
npx @choochmeque/tauri-windows-bundle extension remove context-menu open-with-myapp
npx @choochmeque/tauri-windows-bundle extension remove background-task sync-task
npx @choochmeque/tauri-windows-bundle extension remove app-execution-alias myapp
npx @choochmeque/tauri-windows-bundle extension remove app-service com.myapp.service
npx @choochmeque/tauri-windows-bundle extension remove autoplay open

Code Signing

Option 1: PFX Certificate

{
  "signing": {
    "pfx": "path/to/certificate.pfx",
    "pfxPassword": null
  }
}

Set password via environment variable:

export MSIX_PFX_PASSWORD=your-password

Option 2: Windows Certificate Store

Use thumbprint from tauri.conf.json:

{
  "bundle": {
    "windows": {
      "certificateThumbprint": "ABC123..."
    }
  }
}

GitHub Actions

Example workflow for automated MSIX builds.

Note: Run npx @choochmeque/tauri-windows-bundle@latest init locally first to generate the required configuration files, then commit them to your repository.

name: Build Windows MSIX

on:
  push:
    tags:
      - 'v*'
  workflow_dispatch:

jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: windows-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4

      - name: Setup pnpm
        uses: pnpm/action-setup@v4

      - name: Setup Node.js
        uses: actions/setup-node@v4
        with:
          node-version: '20'
          cache: 'pnpm'

      - name: Setup Rust
        uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@stable
        with:
          targets: x86_64-pc-windows-msvc, aarch64-pc-windows-msvc

      # Caches the cargo registry and build artifacts; cuts warm build times
      # to a fraction of the cold ones.
      - name: Cache Rust
        uses: Swatinem/rust-cache@v2
        with:
          workspaces: src-tauri

      - name: Install dependencies
        run: pnpm install

      # On Windows runners the @choochmeque/msixbundle-cli-win32 sidecar is
      # installed automatically via optionalDependencies. On non-Windows runners
      # (or with --no-optional) install it explicitly:
      #   - run: cargo install msixbundle-cli

      - name: Build MSIX bundle
        run: pnpm tauri:windows:build --arch x64,arm64 --runner pnpm

      - name: Upload artifacts
        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
        with:
          name: msix-bundle
          path: src-tauri/target/msix/*.msixbundle

Output will be in src-tauri/target/msix/YourApp.msixbundle.

License

MIT