Building & Distribution
Compile your desktop app into a native executable and distribute it to users.
Compile
Build a production-ready native executable with a single command:
$grit compile
This auto-detects your desktop project and runs wails build. The output binary is placed in build/bin/.
You can also run wails build directly for more control over build flags.
Build Output
| Platform | Output |
|---|---|
| Windows | build/bin/myapp.exe |
| macOS | build/bin/myapp.app |
| Linux | build/bin/myapp |
Cross-Platform Builds
Build for a specific platform using the -platform flag:
# Windows$wails build -platform windows/amd64# macOS (Intel)$wails build -platform darwin/amd64# macOS (Apple Silicon)$wails build -platform darwin/arm64# Linux$wails build -platform linux/amd64
Windows Installer (grit package)
Build a distributable Windows installer in one step with grit package. It compiles the app and produces an NSIS installer (.exe), auto-detecting makensis on your PATH.
$grit package
This produces a .exe installer that handles installation, Start Menu shortcuts, and uninstallation. If NSIS is not installed, run grit package --no-installer to build just the raw binary. Under the hood you can still call wails build -nsis directly for finer control.
Installed apps can update themselves — see the Auto-Update guide for shipping new releases in-app.
Production Tips
App Icon
Place your icon at build/appicon.png (1024x1024). Wails automatically converts it for each platform during build.
Environment Config
The .env file is read at runtime from the working directory. For production, either bundle it alongside the executable or use OS environment variables.
Embedded Assets
The React frontend is embedded into the Go binary via //go:embed all:frontend/dist. No separate files need to be distributed — everything is in one executable.
Database & Uploads Location
SQLite creates app.db in the working directory (override with the DB_DSN env var). Native file uploads are written to the OS app-data directory, so they stay writable even when the binary lives in a read-only install location.
Wails Configuration
The wails.json file controls build settings:
{"name": "myapp","outputfilename": "myapp","frontend:install": "npm install","frontend:build": "npm run build","frontend:dev:watcher": "npm run dev","frontend:dev:serverUrl": "auto","author": {"name": "Your Name"}}