---
title: "Releasing for Windows"
description: "Build a Shorebird Windows release, then package an MSIX from that output without letting package:msix rebuild the app with stock Flutter."
---

To submit an app to the Microsoft Store, you need an **MSIX** package. [`package:msix`](https://pub.dev/packages/msix) is a common way to produce that file from a Flutter Windows build. By default it runs `flutter build windows` with the Flutter SDK on your `PATH`, not Shorebird’s Flutter. That rebuild is not a Shorebird release, so patches will not apply.

Build with Shorebird first, then tell `package:msix` to package the existing output.

## Step 1: Create a Shorebird Windows release

[Section titled “Step 1: Create a Shorebird Windows release”](#step-1-create-a-shorebird-windows-release)

```
shorebird release windows
```

The Windows executable is written to `build/windows/x64/runner/Release`. See [Create a Release](/code-push/release/) for flavors, targets, and `--flutter-version`.

## Step 2: Disable the MSIX rebuild

[Section titled “Step 2: Disable the MSIX rebuild”](#step-2-disable-the-msix-rebuild)

Add [`package:msix`](https://pub.dev/packages/msix) as a dev dependency if you do not already use it:

```
flutter pub add dev:msix
```

Then set `build_windows: false` in the `msix_config` section of `pubspec.yaml`:

```
msix_config:
  display_name: My App
  publisher_display_name: Example
  publisher: CN=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000
  identity_name: com.example.myapp
  msix_version: 1.0.0.0
  store: true
  build_windows: false
```

`build_windows: false` skips `flutter build windows` and packages the directory Shorebird already produced.

Copy `identity_name`, `publisher`, and `publisher_display_name` from Partner Center (Product identity). With `store: true`, `package:msix` refuses to build if any of them is missing. The fourth part of `msix_version` must be `0` for Store submissions.

## Step 3: Create the MSIX package

[Section titled “Step 3: Create the MSIX package”](#step-3-create-the-msix-package)

```
dart run msix:create
```

Submit the generated `.msix` file to the Microsoft Store.

Caution

After `shorebird release windows`, do not run `flutter build windows`, or `msix:create` without `build_windows: false`. Those commands rebuild with non-Shorebird Flutter and overwrite the build output, so the resulting MSIX will not receive patches.