Microsoft Store Developer CLI (msstore)

The Microsoft Store Developer CLI (msstore) is a cross-platform command-line interface for publishing and managing applications in the Microsoft Store. It integrates with Partner Center APIs and supports automated publishing workflows for various application types.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:

• Configure Store credentials for API access
• List applications in your Store account
• Check the status of a submission
• Publish submissions to the Store
• Package applications for Store submission
• Initialize projects for Store publishing
• Manage package flights (beta testing)
• Set up CI/CD pipelines for automated Store publishing
• Manage gradual rollouts of submissions
• Update submission metadata programmatically

Prerequisites

• Windows 10+, macOS, or Linux
• .NET 9 Desktop Runtime (Windows) or .NET 9 Runtime (macOS/Linux)
• Partner Center account with appropriate permissions
• Azure AD app registration with Partner Center API access
• msstore CLI installed via one of these methods:
  • Microsoft Store: Download
  • WinGet: winget install "Microsoft Store Developer CLI"
  • Manual: Download from GitHub Releases

Partner Center Setup

Before using msstore, you need to create an Azure AD application with Partner Center access:

1. Go to Partner Center
2. Navigate to Account settings > User management > Azure AD applications
3. Create a new application and note the Tenant ID, Client ID, and Client Secret
4. Grant the application appropriate permissions (Manager or Developer role)

Core Commands Reference

info - Print Configuration

Display the current credential configuration.

msstore info

Options: Option Description -v, --verbose Print verbose output

reconfigure - Configure Credentials

Configure or update Microsoft Store API credentials.

msstore reconfigure [options]

Options: Option Description -t, --tenantId Azure AD Tenant ID -s, --sellerId Partner Center Seller ID -c, --clientId Azure AD Application Client ID -cs, --clientSecret Client Secret for authentication -ct, --certificateThumbprint Certificate thumbprint (alternative to client secret) -cfp, --certificateFilePath Certificate file path (alternative to client secret) -cp, --certificatePassword Certificate password --reset Reset credentials without full reconfiguration Examples:

# Configure with client secret
msstore reconfigure --tenantId $TENANT_ID --sellerId $SELLER_ID --clientId $CLIENT_ID --clientSecret $CLIENT_SECRET
# Configure with certificate
msstore reconfigure --tenantId $TENANT_ID --sellerId $SELLER_ID --clientId $CLIENT_ID --certificateFilePath ./cert.pfx --certificatePassword MyPassword

settings - CLI Settings

Change settings of the Microsoft Store Developer CLI.

msstore settings [options]

Options: Option Description -t, --enableTelemetry Enable (true) or disable (false) telemetry

Set Publisher Display Name

msstore settings setpdn <publisherDisplayName>

Sets the default Publisher Display Name for the init command.

apps - Application Management

List and retrieve application information.

List Applications

msstore apps list

Lists all applications in your Partner Center account.

Get Application Details

msstore apps get <productId>

Arguments: Argument Description productId The Store product ID (e.g., 9NBLGGH4R315) Example:

# Get details of a specific app
msstore apps get 9NBLGGH4R315

submission - Submission Management

Manage Store submissions. Sub-Command Description status Get submission status get Get submission metadata and package info getListingAssets Get listing assets of a submission updateMetadata Update submission metadata poll Poll submission status until complete publish Publish a submission delete Delete a submission

Get Submission Status

msstore submission status <productId>

Get Submission Details

msstore submission get <productId>

Update Metadata

msstore submission updateMetadata <productId> <metadata>

Where <metadata> is a JSON string with the updated metadata. Because JSON contains characters that shells interpret (quotes, braces, etc.), you must quote and/or escape the value appropriately:

• Bash/Zsh: Wrap the JSON in single quotes so the shell passes it through literally.

  msstore submission updateMetadata 9NBLGGH4R315 '{"description":"My updated app"}'
  

• PowerShell: Use single quotes (or escape double quotes inside a double-quoted string).

  msstore submission updateMetadata 9NBLGGH4R315 '{"description":"My updated app"}'
  

• cmd.exe: Escape each inner double quote with a backslash.

  msstore submission updateMetadata 9NBLGGH4R315 "{\"description\":\"My updated app\"}"
  

Tip: For complex or multi-line metadata, save the JSON to a file and pass its contents instead to avoid quoting issues:

msstore submission updateMetadata 9NBLGGH4R315 "$(cat metadata.json)"

Options: Option Description -s, --skipInitialPolling Skip initial status polling

Publish Submission

msstore submission publish <productId>

Poll Submission

msstore submission poll <productId>

Polls until the submission status is PUBLISHED or FAILED.

Delete Submission

msstore submission delete <productId>

Options: Option Description --no-confirm Skip confirmation prompt

init - Initialize Project for Store

Initialize a project for Microsoft Store publishing. Automatically detects project type and configures Store identity.

msstore init <pathOrUrl> [options]

Arguments: Argument Description pathOrUrl Project directory path or PWA URL Options: Option Description -n, --publisherDisplayName Publisher Display Name --package Also package the project --publish Package and publish (implies --package) -f, --flightId Publish to a specific flight -prp, --packageRolloutPercentage Gradual rollout percentage (0-100) -a, --arch Architecture(s): x86, x64, arm64 -o, --output Output directory for packages -ver, --version Version to use when building Supported Project Types:

• Windows App SDK / WinUI 3
• UWP
• .NET MAUI
• Flutter
• Electron
• React Native for Desktop
• PWA (Progressive Web Apps) Examples:

# Initialize WinUI project
msstore init ./my-winui-app
# Initialize PWA
msstore init https://contoso.com --output ./pwa-package
# Initialize and publish
msstore init ./my-app --publish

package - Package for Store

Package an application for Microsoft Store submission.

msstore package <pathOrUrl> [options]

Arguments: Argument Description pathOrUrl Project directory path or PWA URL Options: Option Description -o, --output Output directory for the package -a, --arch Architecture(s): x86, x64, arm64 -ver, --version Version for the package Examples:

# Package for default architecture
msstore package ./my-app
# Package for multiple architectures
msstore package ./my-app --arch x64,arm64 --output ./packages
# Package with specific version
msstore package ./my-app --version 1.2.3.0

publish - Publish to Store

Publish an application to the Microsoft Store.

msstore publish <pathOrUrl> [options]

Arguments: Argument Description pathOrUrl Project directory path or PWA URL Options: Option Description -i, --inputFile Path to existing .msix or .msixupload file -id, --appId Application ID (if not initialized) -nc, --noCommit Keep submission in draft state -f, --flightId Publish to a specific flight -prp, --packageRolloutPercentage Gradual rollout percentage (0-100) Examples:

# Publish project
msstore publish ./my-app
# Publish existing package
msstore publish ./my-app --inputFile ./packages/MyApp.msixupload
# Publish as draft
msstore publish ./my-app --noCommit
# Publish with gradual rollout
msstore publish ./my-app --packageRolloutPercentage 10

flights - Package Flight Management

Manage package flights (beta testing groups). Sub-Command Description list List all flights for an app get Get flight details delete Delete a flight create Create a new flight submission Manage flight submissions

List Flights

msstore flights list <productId>

Get Flight Details

msstore flights get <productId> <flightId>

Create Flight

msstore flights create <productId> <friendlyName> --group-ids <group-ids>

Options: Option Description -g, --group-ids Flight group IDs (comma-separated) -r, --rank-higher-than Flight ID to rank higher than

Delete Flight

msstore flights delete <productId> <flightId>

Flight Submissions

# Get flight submission
msstore flights submission get <productId> <flightId>
# Publish flight submission
msstore flights submission publish <productId> <flightId>
# Check flight submission status
msstore flights submission status <productId> <flightId>
# Poll flight submission
msstore flights submission poll <productId> <flightId>
# Delete flight submission
msstore flights submission delete <productId> <flightId>

Flight Rollout Management

# Get rollout status
msstore flights submission rollout get <productId> <flightId>
# Update rollout percentage
msstore flights submission rollout update <productId> <flightId> <percentage>
# Halt rollout
msstore flights submission rollout halt <productId> <flightId>
# Finalize rollout (100%)
msstore flights submission rollout finalize <productId> <flightId>

Common Workflows

Workflow 1: First-Time Store Setup

# 1. Install the CLI
winget install "Microsoft Store Developer CLI"
# 2. Configure credentials (get these from Partner Center)
msstore reconfigure --tenantId $TENANT_ID --sellerId $SELLER_ID --clientId $CLIENT_ID --clientSecret $CLIENT_SECRET
# 3. Verify configuration
msstore info
# 4. List your apps to confirm access
msstore apps list

Workflow 2: Initialize and Publish New App

# 1. Navigate to project
cd my-winui-app
# 2. Initialize for Store (creates/updates app identity)
msstore init .
# 3. Package the application
msstore package . --arch x64,arm64
# 4. Publish to Store
msstore publish .
# 5. Check submission status
msstore submission status <productId>

Workflow 3: Update Existing App

# 1. Build your updated application
dotnet publish -c Release
# 2. Package and publish
msstore publish ./my-app
# Or publish from existing package
msstore publish ./my-app --inputFile ./artifacts/MyApp.msixupload

Workflow 4: Gradual Rollout

# 1. Publish with initial rollout percentage
msstore publish ./my-app --packageRolloutPercentage 10
# 2. Monitor and increase rollout
msstore submission poll <productId>
# 3. (After validation) Finalize to 100%
# This completes via Partner Center or submission update

Workflow 5: Beta Testing with Flights

# 1. Create a flight group in Partner Center first
# Then create a flight
msstore flights create <productId> "Beta Testers" --group-ids "group-id-1,group-id-2"
# 2. Publish to the flight
msstore publish ./my-app --flightId <flightId>
# 3. Check flight submission status
msstore flights submission status <productId> <flightId>
# 4. After testing, publish to production
msstore publish ./my-app

Workflow 6: CI/CD Pipeline Integration

# GitHub Actions example
name: Publish to Store
on:
  release:
    types: [published]
jobs:
  publish:
    runs-on: windows-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - name: Setup .NET
        uses: actions/setup-dotnet@v4
        with:
          dotnet-version: '9.0.x'
      - name: Install msstore CLI
        run: winget install "Microsoft Store Developer CLI" --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements
      - name: Configure Store credentials
        run: |
          msstore reconfigure --tenantId ${{ secrets.TENANT_ID }} --sellerId ${{ secrets.SELLER_ID }} --clientId ${{ secrets.CLIENT_ID }} --clientSecret ${{ secrets.CLIENT_SECRET }}
      - name: Build application
        run: dotnet publish -c Release
      - name: Publish to Store
        run: msstore publish ./src/MyApp

Integration with winapp CLI

The winapp CLI (v0.2.0+) integrates with msstore via the winapp store subcommand:

# These commands are equivalent:
msstore reconfigure --tenantId xxx --clientId xxx --clientSecret xxx
winapp store reconfigure --tenantId xxx --clientId xxx --clientSecret xxx
# List apps
msstore apps list
winapp store apps list
# Publish
msstore publish ./my-app
winapp store publish ./my-app

Use winapp store when you want a unified CLI experience for both packaging and publishing.

Troubleshooting

Issue Solution Authentication failed Verify credentials with msstore info; re-run msstore reconfigure App not found Ensure the product ID is correct; run msstore apps list to verify Insufficient permissions Check Azure AD app role in Partner Center (needs Manager or Developer) Package validation failed Ensure package meets Store requirements; check Partner Center for details Submission stuck Run msstore submission poll <productId> to check status Flight not found Verify flight ID with msstore flights list <productId> Rollout percentage invalid Value must be between 0 and 100 Init fails for PWA Ensure URL is publicly accessible and has valid web app manifest

Environment Variables

The CLI supports environment variables for credentials: Variable Description MSSTORE_TENANT_ID Azure AD Tenant ID MSSTORE_SELLER_ID Partner Center Seller ID MSSTORE_CLIENT_ID Azure AD Application Client ID MSSTORE_CLIENT_SECRET Client Secret

References

• Microsoft Store Developer CLI Documentation
• CLI Commands Reference
• GitHub Repository
• Partner Center API
• App Submission API
• Package Flights Overview
• Gradual Package Rollout

GitHub Owner

Owner: microsoft

GitHub Links

• Website: https://opensource.microsoft.com
• Email: opensource@microsoft.com
• Verified domains: microsoft, opensource.microsoft.com, microsoft.com