Microsoft has introduced a new developer Tools, developer analytics updates, and web installers for the Microsoft Store on Windows help developers build and extend apps on the platform.
“Microsoft Store on Windows continues to evolve, shaped by continuous feedback from developers who build and extend apps on the platform. Over the past few months, that feedback has led to several updates across onboarding, publishing, distribution, and analytics.” Giorgio SardoVice President, Microsoft Store, explained.
Command-line access to Microsoft Store
Microsoft introduced the Microsoft Store Command Line Interface (CLI) to enable you to discover, install, and update apps directly from your device.
The Store CLI is only available on devices that have Microsoft Store enabled.
The Store CLI allows developers to search and filter the store catalog by category, subcategory, listing type, market, and more. You can install apps or update specific apps from the command line using a single command.
Performance and usage analysis
To provide developers with insight into app performance, Microsoft has enhanced health reporting, introduced anomaly alerts and overview dashboards, and redesigned the Partner Center usage dashboard.
Health Report supports multiple filters across app versions, OS builds, and device architectures, enabling analysis of stability patterns across different dimensions and over time.
Anomaly alerts notify developers via dashboard and email when a pattern of unusual crash or hang rates is detected, allowing for quick investigation using health reports.
A new overview dashboard shows key metrics such as installs, ratings, stability, and engagement, and provides direct access to detailed reports in Partner Center.
The redesigned usage dashboard adds detailed engagement signals such as active devices, number of sessions, and engagement duration, and adds filters for region and app version.
Web installer and enterprise deployment improvements
Microsoft has enhanced the web installer to support more deployment scenarios and improve app delivery.
For Win32 apps, the auto-open feature launches the app immediately after installation, eliminating the need to launch it manually. Expanded support for enterprise devices improves the installation logic and allows more enterprise managed devices to complete the installation.
Developers can switch to the Store Web Installer by generating an updated badge code and configuring the launch mode as follows: directly. Official badges support consistent distribution and engagement across landing pages.