Windows Packaging

NSIS Installer

The default packaging format creates an NSIS installer:

wails3 package GOOS=windows

This runs wails3 task windows:package which:

1. Builds the application
2. Generates the WebView2 bootstrapper
3. Creates an NSIS installer

Output: build/windows/nsis/<AppName>-installer.exe

MSIX Package

For Microsoft Store distribution or modern Windows deployment:

wails3 package GOOS=windows FORMAT=msix

Output: bin/<AppName>-<arch>.msix

Note

MSIX requires either makeappx.exe (Windows SDK) or the MSIX tool. Run wails3 tool msix-install-tools to set up.

Customizing the Installer

NSIS configuration is in build/windows/nsis/project.nsi. Edit this file to customize:

• Installer UI and branding
• Installation directory
• Start menu and desktop shortcuts
• File associations
• License agreement

Application metadata comes from build/windows/info.json:

{
  "fixed": {
    "file_version": "1.0.0"
  },
  "info": {
    "0000": {
      "ProductVersion": "1.0.0",
      "CompanyName": "My Company",
      "FileDescription": "My Application",
      "ProductName": "MyApp"
    }
  }
}

Code Signing

Sign your executable and installer to avoid SmartScreen warnings:

# Using the wrapper (auto-detects platform)
wails3 sign GOOS=windows

# Or using tasks directly
wails3 task windows:sign
wails3 task windows:sign:installer

Configure signing in build/windows/Taskfile.yml:

vars:
  SIGN_CERTIFICATE: "path/to/certificate.pfx"
  # Or use thumbprint for certificates in Windows store
  SIGN_THUMBPRINT: "certificate-thumbprint"
  TIMESTAMP_SERVER: "http://timestamp.digicert.com"

Store your certificate password securely:

wails3 setup signing

See Signing Applications for details.

Building for ARM

wails3 build GOOS=windows GOARCH=arm64
wails3 package GOOS=windows GOARCH=arm64

Troubleshooting

makensis not found

Install NSIS:

# Windows
winget install NSIS.NSIS

# Or download from https://nsis.sourceforge.io/

SmartScreen warning

Your executable isn’t signed. See Code Signing above.

WebView2 missing

The installer includes a WebView2 bootstrapper that downloads the runtime if needed. If you need offline installation, download the Evergreen Standalone Installer from Microsoft.