Olive/.github/skills/publish-extension/references/store-publishing.md

Microsoft Store Publishing Guide

Complete step-by-step guide for publishing your Command Palette extension to the Microsoft Store.

Step 1: Set Up Microsoft Store

1. Go to Partner Center
2. Navigate to Apps and Games → New product → MSIX or PWA app
3. Reserve your app name (e.g., My Extension for Command Palette)
4. Once created, go to Product Management → Product Identity
5. Copy these three values — you'll need them in the next step:

Partner Center Field	Where It Goes
Package/Identity/Name	Package.appxmanifest → Identity Name and .csproj → AppxPackageIdentityName
Package/Identity/Publisher	Package.appxmanifest → Identity Publisher and .csproj → AppxPackagePublisher
Package/Properties/PublisherDisplayName	Package.appxmanifest → Properties PublisherDisplayName

Step 2: Prepare the Extension

Update Package.appxmanifest

Replace the placeholder identity values with your Partner Center values:

<Identity
  Name="YOUR_PACKAGE_IDENTITY_NAME_HERE"
  Publisher="YOUR_PACKAGE_IDENTITY_PUBLISHER_HERE"
  Version="0.0.1.0" />

And update the publisher display name:

<Properties>
  <DisplayName>Your Extension Name</DisplayName>
  <PublisherDisplayName>YOUR_PUBLISHER_DISPLAY_NAME_HERE</PublisherDisplayName>
  <!-- ... -->
</Properties>

Update .csproj

Add or update the following properties in your .csproj file:

<PropertyGroup>
  <AppxPackageIdentityName>YOUR_PACKAGE_IDENTITY_NAME_HERE</AppxPackageIdentityName>
  <AppxPackagePublisher>YOUR_PACKAGE_IDENTITY_PUBLISHER_HERE</AppxPackagePublisher>
  <AppxPackageVersion>0.0.1.0</AppxPackageVersion>
</PropertyGroup>

Update Image Assets ItemGroup

Ensure all image assets are included in the package by updating the ItemGroup:

<ItemGroup>
  <Content Include="Assets\**\*.png" />
</ItemGroup>

Tip: The Assets folder should contain your Store logos and extension icons at the required sizes (44x44, 150x150, etc.). You can generate these from a single high-resolution image.

Step 3: Build MSIX Packages

Build for both x64 and ARM64 architectures:

# x64 build
dotnet build --configuration Release -p:GenerateAppxPackageOnBuild=true -p:Platform=x64 -p:AppxPackageDir="AppPackages\x64\"

# ARM64 build
dotnet build --configuration Release -p:GenerateAppxPackageOnBuild=true -p:Platform=ARM64 -p:AppxPackageDir="AppPackages\ARM64\"

Verify the MSIX files were created:

dir AppPackages -Recurse -Filter "*.msix"

You should see two .msix files, one for each architecture.

Step 4: Create MSIX Bundle

Create the bundle mapping file

Create a file named bundle_mapping.txt that maps each MSIX to its architecture:

[Files]
"AppPackages\x64\YourExtension_0.0.1.0_x64\YourExtension_0.0.1.0_x64.msix" "YourExtension_0.0.1.0_x64.msix"
"AppPackages\ARM64\YourExtension_0.0.1.0_ARM64\YourExtension_0.0.1.0_ARM64.msix" "YourExtension_0.0.1.0_ARM64.msix"

Note: Update the paths and filenames to match your actual build output. Check the AppPackages directory structure after building.

Run makeappx

makeappx bundle /f bundle_mapping.txt /p YourExtension_0.0.1.0_Bundle.msixbundle

Tip: makeappx.exe is included with the Windows SDK. If it's not in your PATH, find it at: C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\bin\<version>\x64\makeappx.exe

Step 5: Submit to Partner Center

1. Go to Partner Center

2. Navigate to your app → Start a new submission

3. In Packages, upload your .msixbundle file

4. In Store Listings → Description, include a note like:

   YourExtension integrates with the Windows Command Palette to provide [describe your extension's functionality]. Requires PowerToys with Command Palette enabled.

5. In Notes for certification, add testing instructions:

   This extension requires Microsoft PowerToys (available from the Microsoft Store or https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys) with the Command Palette feature enabled. To test:

   1. Install PowerToys and enable Command Palette
   2. Install this extension
   3. Open Command Palette (Win+Alt+Space by default)
   4. Search for [your extension's commands]

6. Set Availability and pricing as appropriate

7. Click Submit for certification

Certification typically takes 1–3 business days.

Validation Checklist

Before submitting, verify:

• Partner Center identity values match exactly in both Package.appxmanifest and .csproj
• AppxPackageVersion is set correctly and incremented from any previous submission
• Both x64 and ARM64 MSIX files are built successfully
• MSIX bundle is created without errors
• Extension installs and runs correctly from the MSIX package locally
• Store listing includes clear description mentioning Command Palette integration
• Testing instructions mention the PowerToys/Command Palette prerequisite
• All required Store logos and screenshots are provided
• Privacy policy URL is set (if your extension accesses network or user data)

Store-Only Discovery Limitations

Important: Command Palette cannot currently search for extensions published only to the Microsoft Store via its built-in browse experience. Users can find Store-published extensions through:

• Direct Store link shared by the developer
• The Store's extension tag URL:

  ms-windows-store://assoc/?Tags=AppExtension-com.microsoft.commandpalette
  

• Searching the Store app directly

For discoverability within Command Palette's browse experience, also publish to WinGet. See winget-publishing.md for details.

Updating Your Extension

To publish an update:

1. Increment the version in .csproj (AppxPackageVersion) and Package.appxmanifest
2. Rebuild MSIX packages for both architectures
3. Recreate the MSIX bundle with updated filenames
4. Create a new submission in Partner Center and upload the new bundle
5. Submit for certification

The Store will automatically update users who have installed your extension.