Skill v1.0.0

version: "1.0.0" name: winapp-manifest description: Create and edit Windows app manifest files (Package.appxmanifest or appxmanifest.xml) that define app identity, capabilities, and visual assets, or generate new assets from existing images. Use when creating a Windows app manifest for any app type (GUI, console, CLI tool, service), adding Windows capabilities, generating new app icons and assets, or adding execution aliases, file associations, protocol handlers, or other app extensions.

When to use

Use this skill when:

• Creating `Package.appxmanifest` for a project that doesn't have one yet
• Generating app icon assets from a single source image
• Understanding manifest structure for package identity and capabilities

Prerequisites

• winapp CLI installed
• Optional: a source image (PNG or SVG, at least 400x400 pixels) for custom app icons

Key concepts

`Package.appxmanifest` is the key prerequisite for most winapp commands — it's more important than winapp.yaml. It declares:

• Package identity — name, publisher, version
• App entry point — which executable to launch
• Capabilities — what the app can access (internet, file system, etc.)
• Visual assets — icons for Start menu, taskbar, installers
• Extensions — share target, startup tasks, file associations, etc.

Two manifest templates:

• `packaged` (default) — for full MSIX distribution
• `sparse` — for desktop apps that need package identity without full MSIX containment (uses AllowExternalContent)

`winapp init` also generates a manifest as part of full project setup. Use winapp manifest generate when you only need the manifest without SDK setup or winapp.yaml.

Usage

Generate a new manifest

# Defaults — uses current folder name, current user as publisher
winapp manifest generate
 
# Into a specific directory
winapp manifest generate ./my-project
 
# Customize identity
winapp manifest generate --package-name "MyApp" --publisher-name "CN=Contoso" --version "2.0.0.0"
 
# Set entry point and description
winapp manifest generate --executable myapp.exe --description "My awesome app"
 
# Generate a sparse manifest (for desktop apps needing identity without full MSIX)
winapp manifest generate --template sparse
 
# Overwrite existing manifest
winapp manifest generate --if-exists overwrite

Output:

• Package.appxmanifest — the manifest file
• Assets/ — default app icons in required sizes (Square44x44Logo, Square150x150Logo, Wide310x150Logo, etc.)

Update app icons from a source image

# Generate all required icon sizes from one source image
winapp manifest update-assets ./my-logo.png
 
# SVG source images produce the best quality at all sizes
winapp manifest update-assets ./my-logo.svg
 
# Specify manifest location (if not in current directory)
winapp manifest update-assets ./my-logo.png --manifest ./path/to/Package.appxmanifest
 
# Generate light theme variants from a separate image
winapp manifest update-assets ./my-logo.png --light-image ./my-logo-light.png
 
# Use the same image for both (generates all MRT light theme qualifiers)
winapp manifest update-assets ./my-logo.png --light-image ./my-logo.png

The source image should be at least 400x400 pixels (PNG or SVG recommended). The command reads the manifest to determine which asset sizes are needed and generates:

• 5 scale variants per asset (100%, 125%, 150%, 200%, 400%)
• 14 plated + 14 unplated targetsize variants for the app icon (44x44)
• app.ico — multi-resolution ICO file for shell integration. If an existing .ico file is present in the assets directory, it is replaced in-place (preserving the original filename)
• With --light-image: light theme variants using the correct MRT qualifiers per asset type

Add an execution alias

Execution aliases let users launch the app by typing its name in a terminal (e.g. myapp).

# Add alias inferred from the Executable attribute in the manifest
winapp manifest add-alias
 
# Specify the alias name explicitly
winapp manifest add-alias --name myapp
 
# Target a specific manifest file
winapp manifest add-alias --manifest ./path/to/Package.appxmanifest

This adds a uap5:AppExecutionAlias extension to the manifest. If the alias already exists, the command reports it and exits successfully.

When combined with `winapp run --with-alias` or the WinAppRunUseExecutionAlias MSBuild property, this enables apps to run in the current terminal with inherited stdin/stdout/stderr instead of opening a new window.

Manifest structure overview

A typical Package.appxmanifest looks like:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Package xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/foundation/windows10"
         xmlns:uap="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/uap/windows10"
         xmlns:rescap="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/foundation/windows10/restrictedcapabilities">
  <Identity Name="MyApp" Publisher="CN=MyPublisher" Version="1.0.0.0" />
  <Properties>
    <DisplayName>My App</DisplayName>
    <PublisherDisplayName>My Publisher</PublisherDisplayName>
    <Logo>Assets\StoreLogo.png</Logo>
  </Properties>
  <Resources>
    <Resource Language="en-us" />
  </Resources>
  <Applications>
    <Application Id="App" Executable="myapp.exe" EntryPoint="Windows.FullTrustApplication">
      <uap:VisualElements DisplayName="My App" Description="My Application"
        Square150x150Logo="Assets\Square150x150Logo.png"
        Square44x44Logo="Assets\Square44x44Logo.png" BackgroundColor="transparent" />
    </Application>
  </Applications>
  <Capabilities>
    <rescap:Capability Name="runFullTrust" />
  </Capabilities>
</Package>

Key fields to edit:

• Identity.Name — unique package name (no spaces)
• Identity.Publisher — must match your certificate exactly
• Application.Executable — your app's exe filename
• Capabilities — add capabilities as needed (internetClient, broadFileSystemAccess, etc.)

Tips

• Always ensure Identity.Publisher matches your signing certificate — use winapp cert generate --manifest to auto-match
• The sparse template adds a <uap10:AllowExternalContent>true</uap10:AllowExternalContent> element (under <Properties>) for apps that need identity but run outside the MSIX container
• You can manually edit Package.appxmanifest after generation — it's a standard XML file
• Image assets must match the paths referenced in the manifest — update-assets handles this automatically
• For logos, transparent PNGs or SVGs work best. SVG source images are rendered as vectors directly at each target size, producing pixel-perfect results. Use a square image for best results across all sizes.
• `$targetnametoken$` placeholder: When winapp manifest generate creates Package.appxmanifest, it sets Application.Executable to $targetnametoken$.exe by default. This is a valid placeholder that gets automatically resolved by winapp package --executable <name> at packaging time — you rarely need to override it during manifest generation. If --executable is provided to winapp manifest generate, winapp reads FileVersionInfo from the actual exe to auto-fill package name, description, publisher, and extract an icon, so the exe must already exist on disk.

Related skills

• After generating a manifest, see winapp-signing for certificate setup and winapp-package to create the MSIX installer
• Not sure which command to use? See winapp-troubleshoot for a command selection flowchart

Troubleshooting

CLI reference

Run winapp <command> --help for current command options, or winapp --cli-schema for the complete machine-readable command schema.