Distributing Tauri Applications for Windows

This skill covers Windows distribution for Tauri v2 applications, including MSI/NSIS installer creation, customization, and Microsoft Store submission.

Installer Formats Overview

Tauri supports two Windows installer formats:

Format	Extension	Build Platform	Notes
WiX MSI	`.msi`	Windows only	Traditional Windows installer
NSIS	`-setup.exe`	Cross-platform	Can build on Linux/macOS

Building Installers

Standard Build (Windows)

bash

npm run tauri build
# or
yarn tauri build
# or
pnpm tauri build
# or
cargo tauri build

Target Architectures

bash

# 64-bit (default)
npm run tauri build -- --target x86_64-pc-windows-msvc

# 32-bit
npm run tauri build -- --target i686-pc-windows-msvc

# ARM64 (requires additional VS build tools)
npm run tauri build -- --target aarch64-pc-windows-msvc

Cross-Platform NSIS Build (Linux/macOS)

NSIS installers can be built on non-Windows systems:

Prerequisites (Linux):

bash

# Install NSIS and build tools (Debian/Ubuntu)
sudo apt install nsis lld llvm clang

# Install Windows Rust target
rustup target add x86_64-pc-windows-msvc

# Install cargo-xwin
cargo install --locked cargo-xwin

Prerequisites (macOS):

bash

# Install via Homebrew
brew install nsis llvm

# Add LLVM to PATH
export PATH="/opt/homebrew/opt/llvm/bin:$PATH"

# Install Windows Rust target
rustup target add x86_64-pc-windows-msvc

# Install cargo-xwin
cargo install --locked cargo-xwin

Build command:

bash

npm run tauri build -- --runner cargo-xwin --target x86_64-pc-windows-msvc

WebView2 Installation Modes

Configure how WebView2 runtime is installed on end-user machines:

Mode	Internet Required	Size Impact	Best For
`downloadBootstrapper`	Yes	0 MB	Default, smallest installer
`embedBootstrapper`	Yes	~1.8 MB	Better Windows 7 support
`offlineInstaller`	No	~127 MB	Offline/air-gapped environments
`fixedVersion`	No	~180 MB	Controlled enterprise deployment
`skip`	No	0 MB	Not recommended

Configuration

json

{
  "bundle": {
    "windows": {
      "webviewInstallMode": {
        "type": "embedBootstrapper"  // or: downloadBootstrapper, offlineInstaller, fixedVersion
      }
    }
  }
}

For

fixedVersion

, add the path:

"path": "./WebView2Runtime"

WiX MSI Customization

Custom WiX Template

Replace the default template:

json

{
  "bundle": {
    "windows": {
      "wix": {
        "template": "./windows/custom-template.wxs"
      }
    }
  }
}

WiX Fragments

Add custom functionality via XML fragments:

1. Create fragment file (

src-tauri/windows/fragments/registry.wxs

xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Wix xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/2006/wi">
  <Fragment>
    <ComponentGroup Id="MyFragmentRegistryEntries">
      <Component Id="MyRegistryEntry" Directory="INSTALLDIR">
        <RegistryKey Root="HKCU" Key="Software\MyApp">
          <RegistryValue Type="string" Name="InstallPath" Value="[INSTALLDIR]" KeyPath="yes"/>
        </RegistryKey>
      </Component>
    </ComponentGroup>
  </Fragment>
</Wix>

2. Reference in configuration:

json

{
  "bundle": {
    "windows": {
      "wix": {
        "fragmentPaths": ["./windows/fragments/registry.wxs"],
        "componentRefs": ["MyFragmentRegistryEntries"]
      }
    }
  }
}

Internationalization (WiX)

json

{
  "bundle": {
    "windows": {
      "wix": {
        "language": ["en-US", "fr-FR", "de-DE"],  // Single: "fr-FR"
        "localePath": "./windows/locales"  // Optional: custom locale files
      }
    }
  }
}

NSIS Installer Customization

Install Modes

Mode	Admin Required	Install Location	Use Case
`perUser`	No	`%LOCALAPPDATA%`	Default, no elevation
`perMachine`	Yes	`%PROGRAMFILES%`	System-wide install
`both`	Yes	User choice	Flexible deployment

json

{
  "bundle": {
    "windows": {
      "nsis": {
        "installMode": "perMachine"
      }
    }
  }
}

Installer Hooks

Extend installation with custom NSIS scripts:

1. Create hooks file (

src-tauri/windows/hooks.nsh

nsis

!macro NSIS_HOOK_PREINSTALL
  ; Run before file installation
  DetailPrint "Preparing installation..."
!macroend

!macro NSIS_HOOK_POSTINSTALL
  ; Run after installation completes
  DetailPrint "Configuring application..."
  ; Example: Install VC++ Redistributable
  ReadRegStr $0 HKLM "SOFTWARE\Microsoft\VisualStudio\14.0\VC\Runtimes\x64" "Installed"
  ${If} $0 != "1"
    ExecWait '"$INSTDIR\vc_redist.x64.exe" /quiet /norestart'
  ${EndIf}
!macroend

!macro NSIS_HOOK_PREUNINSTALL
  ; Run before uninstallation
  DetailPrint "Cleaning up..."
!macroend

!macro NSIS_HOOK_POSTUNINSTALL
  ; Run after uninstallation
  DetailPrint "Removal complete"
!macroend

2. Reference in configuration:

json

{
  "bundle": {
    "windows": {
      "nsis": {
        "installerHooks": "./windows/hooks.nsh"
      }
    }
  }
}

Internationalization (NSIS)

NSIS installers support multiple languages in a single file:

json

{
  "bundle": {
    "windows": {
      "nsis": {
        "languages": ["English", "French", "German", "Spanish"],
        "displayLanguageSelector": true
      }
    }
  }
}

Minimum WebView2 Version

Require a specific WebView2 version:

json

{
  "bundle": {
    "windows": {
      "nsis": {
        "minimumWebview2Version": "110.0.1531.0"
      }
    }
  }
}

Complete Configuration Example

json

{
  "bundle": {
    "active": true,
    "targets": ["msi", "nsis"],
    "icon": ["icons/icon.ico"],
    "windows": {
      "certificateThumbprint": "YOUR_CERTIFICATE_THUMBPRINT",
      "timestampUrl": "http://timestamp.digicert.com",
      "webviewInstallMode": {
        "type": "embedBootstrapper"
      },
      "wix": {
        "language": ["en-US", "de-DE"],
        "fragmentPaths": ["./windows/fragments/registry.wxs"],
        "componentRefs": ["MyRegistryEntries"]
      },
      "nsis": {
        "installMode": "both",
        "installerHooks": "./windows/hooks.nsh",
        "languages": ["English", "German"],
        "displayLanguageSelector": true,
        "minimumWebview2Version": "110.0.1531.0"
      }
    }
  }
}

Special Configurations

Windows 7 Support

json

{
  "bundle": {
    "windows": {
      "webviewInstallMode": {
        "type": "embedBootstrapper"
      }
    }
  }
}

Enable Windows 7 notification support in

Cargo.toml

toml

[dependencies]
tauri = { version = "2", features = ["windows7-compat"] }

FIPS Compliance

Set environment variable before building:

PowerShell:

powershell

$env:TAURI_BUNDLER_WIX_FIPS_COMPLIANT = "true"
npm run tauri build

Command Prompt:

cmd

set TAURI_BUNDLER_WIX_FIPS_COMPLIANT=true
npm run tauri build

Microsoft Store Distribution

Requirements

Microsoft account with developer enrollment
Offline installer WebView2 mode (required by Store policy)
Publisher name different from product name

Store-Specific Configuration

Create

tauri.microsoftstore.conf.json

json

{
  "bundle": {
    "windows": {
      "webviewInstallMode": {
        "type": "offlineInstaller"
      }
    }
  },
  "identifier": "com.yourcompany.yourapp",
  "publisher": "Your Company Name"
}

Generate Store Icons

bash

npm run tauri icon /path/to/app-icon.png

This generates all required icon sizes including Microsoft Store assets.

Build for Store

bash

npm run tauri build -- --config tauri.microsoftstore.conf.json

Submission Process

Build with offline installer configuration
Sign installer with valid code signing certificate
Create app listing in Partner Center (Apps and Games)
Reserve unique app name
Upload installer to distribution service
Link installer URL in Store listing
Submit for certification

Publisher Name Constraint

Your publisher name cannot match your product name. If your bundle identifier is

com.myapp.myapp

, explicitly set a different publisher:

json

{
  "identifier": "com.myapp.myapp",
  "publisher": "MyApp Software Inc"
}

Code Signing

Using Certificate Thumbprint

json

{
  "bundle": {
    "windows": {
      "certificateThumbprint": "YOUR_CERTIFICATE_THUMBPRINT",
      "timestampUrl": "http://timestamp.digicert.com"
    }
  }
}

Environment Variables

bash

# Certificate path
export TAURI_SIGNING_PRIVATE_KEY_PASSWORD="your-password"

# Or via tauri.conf.json

Timestamp Servers

Common timestamp servers:

DigiCert:
```
http://timestamp.digicert.com
```
Sectigo:
```
http://timestamp.sectigo.com
```

GlobalSign:

http://timestamp.globalsign.com/tsa/r6advanced1

Troubleshooting

MSI Build Fails on Non-Windows

MSI files can only be built on Windows using WiX Toolset. Use NSIS for cross-platform builds.

WebView2 Not Installing

Check webview install mode configuration
Verify internet connectivity for bootstrapper modes
For offline mode, ensure installer size is acceptable

NSIS Cross-Compilation Errors

Verify NSIS is installed and in PATH
Check LLVM/clang installation
Ensure Windows Rust target is installed
Verify cargo-xwin is installed

Certificate Not Found

Verify certificate is installed in Windows certificate store
Check thumbprint matches exactly (no spaces)
Ensure certificate has private key access

distributing-tauri-for-windows

NPX Install

Tags

SKILL.md Content

Distributing Tauri Applications for Windows

Installer Formats Overview

Building Installers

Standard Build (Windows)

Target Architectures

Cross-Platform NSIS Build (Linux/macOS)

WebView2 Installation Modes

Configuration

WiX MSI Customization

Custom WiX Template

WiX Fragments

Internationalization (WiX)

NSIS Installer Customization

Install Modes

Installer Hooks

Internationalization (NSIS)

Minimum WebView2 Version

Complete Configuration Example

Special Configurations

Windows 7 Support

FIPS Compliance

Microsoft Store Distribution

Requirements

Store-Specific Configuration

Generate Store Icons

Build for Store

Submission Process

Publisher Name Constraint

Code Signing

Using Certificate Thumbprint

Environment Variables

Timestamp Servers

Troubleshooting

MSI Build Fails on Non-Windows

WebView2 Not Installing

NSIS Cross-Compilation Errors

Certificate Not Found