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Whether you're just getting started or you're a professional developer troubleshooting a tricky issue, you're not alone. Connect with the Windows developer community, access expert resources, and find solutions to help you build great apps.
Quick guide
Use this table to find the right resource for your scenario:
| If you need to... | Go here |
|---|---|
| Start building a WinUI 3 app | Get started with the Windows App SDK |
| See controls, patterns, and code samples | WinUI 3 Gallery |
| Browse working code samples | Windows App SDK samples on GitHub |
| Check what's new or changed | Windows App SDK stable channel release notes |
| Package, sign, or distribute your app | Windows App Development CLI (winapp CLI) |
| Report a bug in the Windows App SDK | Windows App SDK issues on GitHub |
| Report a bug in WinUI | WinUI issues on GitHub |
| Ask a technical question | Microsoft Q&A or Stack Overflow |
| Publish an app to the Microsoft Store | Create a developer account |
Getting started
New to Windows app development? These resources help you go from zero to a running app:
- Get started with the Windows App SDK - Set up your development environment and create your first app
- WinUI 3 Gallery - Explore WinUI 3 controls, design patterns, and code samples in an interactive app
- Windows App SDK samples - Browse working code examples covering common scenarios
- Create a WinUI project from the command line - Use
dotnet newtemplates to scaffold a WinUI app without Visual Studio
Developer tools
These tools help you build, package, and ship Windows apps from any editor or framework:
- Windows App Development CLI (winapp CLI) (open-source, preview) - Package, sign, and manage Windows apps from the command line. Works with WinUI, WPF, Electron, Rust, Flutter, and more. Read the announcement blog post.
- WinApp VS Code extension (preview) - Run, debug, and package Windows apps directly in VS Code.
- WinUI agent plugin for GitHub Copilot and Claude Code (open-source, preview) - AI-assisted scaffolding, building, and iteration for WinUI apps.
- AI Dev Gallery (open-source) - Interactive samples for on-device AI on Windows, including Windows AI APIs.
- Dev Home (open-source) - Set up your development environment, manage dev drives, and monitor system performance.
Debugging with GitHub Copilot
GitHub Copilot can help you diagnose and fix bugs in your Windows apps. Whether you're hitting a XAML binding failure, an unexpected crash, or confusing API behavior, try asking Copilot directly in Visual Studio or VS Code. Here are some sample prompts to get you started:
| Scenario | Sample prompt |
|---|---|
| XAML data binding not updating | "My x:Bind property isn't updating the UI when the value changes. The property is in my ViewModel. What am I missing?" |
| App crashes on launch | "My WinUI 3 app throws an unhandled exception during startup. Here's the stack trace — what's the likely cause?" |
| Async/await deadlock | "My UI freezes when I call an async method. How do I avoid blocking the dispatcher thread in a WinUI app?" |
| Packaging or deployment error | "I'm getting error 0x80073CFD when deploying my MSIX package. What does this mean and how do I fix it?" |
| API returning unexpected results | "The StorageFolder.GetFilesAsync call returns an empty list even though the folder has files. What permissions or capabilities might I be missing?" |
| Memory leak investigation | "My app's memory usage keeps growing. How do I find which objects aren't being garbage collected in a WinUI 3 app?" |
Tip
For best results, paste relevant code snippets or error messages along with your prompt. Copilot works best when it has specific context about your problem.
To learn more about using AI-assisted development tools with Windows apps, see Build native Windows apps with AI agents.
Documentation and reference
Official documentation, API references, and release notes for experienced developers:
- Windows App SDK documentation - Comprehensive SDK docs covering APIs, deployment, and packaging
- Windows App SDK API reference - WinRT API reference for the Windows App SDK
- Windows App SDK stable channel release notes - What's new, fixed, and changed in each release
- WinUI 3 controls and patterns - Design guidance and XAML control reference
- Package identity overview - Understand packaged, packaged with external location, and unpackaged deployment options
Community support
Connect with other Windows developers to ask questions, share knowledge, and get help:
- Windows App Development Discord - Real-time chat with other Windows developers
- Microsoft Q&A - Ask technical questions and get answers from Microsoft experts and the community
- Windows App SDK repository - Connect with other developers and the Windows App SDK team
- WinUI 3 GitHub repository - Get help and share feedback about WinUI
- Stack Overflow - Browse thousands of answered questions tagged with Windows App SDK
Stay connected
Follow the latest news, updates, and tips from the Windows developer team.
Social media
| Platform | Accounts |
|---|---|
| Bluesky | Windows Developer Docs · Microsoft Developer · .NET · Windows Insider |
| Windows Developers · Microsoft Developers | |
| @windowsdeveloper · @microsoftdeveloper · @dotnet.developers |
Blogs and videos
- Windows Developer Blog - Official announcements and deep dives
- #ifdef Windows Blog - Hands-on tutorials and tool announcements
- Windows Developer YouTube - Video tutorials and conference sessions
- Microsoft Developer YouTube - Broader Microsoft developer content
- .NET YouTube - .NET tutorials and updates
Partner Center and Store support
If you're publishing apps to the Microsoft Store or need help with Partner Center accounts, submissions, or certification:
Store publishers
- Partner Center dashboard - Manage your apps and submissions
- Partner Center support (Copilot) - Get help with Partner Center accounts and Store submissions (requires Partner Center account)
- Report app certification issues - Contact the certification team about specific app failures
Enterprise support
For organizations with support contracts:
- Create a support incident - (requires Microsoft support contract)
Application compatibility
If your app isn't working correctly on Windows or you need help modernizing an existing application:
- App Assure - Free Microsoft engineering support to help your apps work on Windows 10, Windows 11, and Microsoft Edge
Collaborate with us on GitHub
The source for this content can be found on GitHub, where you can also create and review issues and pull requests. For more information, see our contributor guide.
Windows developer