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) npm run tauri build

or

yarn tauri build

or

pnpm tauri build

or

cargo tauri build

Target Architectures

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):

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):

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:

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 { "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:

{ "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):

1. Reference in configuration:

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

Internationalization (WiX) { "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 { "bundle": { "windows": { "nsis": { "installMode": "perMachine" } } } }

Installer Hooks

Extend installation with custom NSIS scripts:

1. Create hooks file (src-tauri/windows/hooks.nsh):

!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

1. Reference in configuration:

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

Internationalization (NSIS)

NSIS installers support multiple languages in a single file:

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

Minimum WebView2 Version

Require a specific WebView2 version:

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

Complete Configuration Example { "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 { "bundle": { "windows": { "webviewInstallMode": { "type": "embedBootstrapper" } } } }

Enable Windows 7 notification support in Cargo.toml:

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

FIPS Compliance

Set environment variable before building:

PowerShell:

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

Command Prompt:

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:

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

Generate Store Icons npm run tauri icon /path/to/app-icon.png

This generates all required icon sizes including Microsoft Store assets.

Build for Store 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:

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

Code Signing Using Certificate Thumbprint { "bundle": { "windows": { "certificateThumbprint": "YOUR_CERTIFICATE_THUMBPRINT", "timestampUrl": "http://timestamp.digicert.com" } } }

Environment Variables

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