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CLI

electron-builder

Build

Commands:
  electron-builder build                    Build                                [default]
  electron-builder install-app-deps         Install app deps
  electron-builder node-gyp-rebuild         Rebuild own native code
  electron-builder publish                  Publish a list of artifacts
  electron-builder create-self-signed-cert  Create self-signed code signing cert for Windo
                                  ws apps
  electron-builder start                    Run application in a development mode using el
                                  ectron-webpack
  electron-builder clear-cache              Clear the electron-builder default cache direc
                                  tory
  electron-builder migrate-schema           Migrate build config from v26 to v27 format

Building:
  -m, -o, --mac, --macos       Build for macOS, accepts target list (see https:/
                               /www.electron.build/mac).                 [array]
  -l, --linux                  Build for Linux, accepts target list (see https:/
                               /www.electron.build/linux)                [array]
  -w, --win, --windows         Build for Windows, accepts target list (see https
                               ://www.electron.build/win)                [array]
      --x64                    Build for x64                           [boolean]
      --ia32                   Build for ia32                          [boolean]
      --armv7l                 Build for armv7l                        [boolean]
      --arm64                  Build for arm64                         [boolean]
      --universal              Build for universal                     [boolean]
      --dir                    Build unpacked dir. Useful to test.     [boolean]
      --prepackaged, --pd      The path to prepackaged app (to pack in a distrib
                               utable format)
      --projectDir, --project  The path to project directory. Defaults to curren
                               t working directory.
  -c, --config                 The path to an electron-builder config. Defaults
                               to `electron-builder.yml` (or `json`, or `json5`,
                                or `js`, or `ts`), see https://www.electron.buil
                               d/configuration

Publishing:
  -p, --publish  Publish artifacts, see https://www.electron.build/publish
                [choices: "onTag", "onTagOrDraft", "always", "never", undefined]

Other:
      --help     Show help                                             [boolean]
      --version  Show version number                                   [boolean]

Examples:
  electron-builder -mwl                     build for macOS, Windows and Linux
  electron-builder --linux deb tar.xz       build deb and tar.xz for Linux
  electron-builder --win --arm64            build for Windows arm64
  electron-builder -c.extraMetadata.foo=ba  set package.json property `foo` to `
  r                                         bar`
  electron-builder --config.nsis.unicode=f  configure unicode options for NSIS
  alse

See https://electron.build for more documentation.

For other commands please see help using --help arg, e.g. ./node_modules/.bin/electron-builder install-app-deps --help

tip

npx is bundled with Node.js, so you can simply use npx electron-builder.

Requirements

electron-builder v27 requires Node.js >=22.12.0. Upgrading from v26? Review the v27 breaking changes, then follow the migration walkthrough.

migrate-schema​

New in v27. Rewrites your build configuration from the v26 shape to the v27 shape in place, applying every config-level breaking change (see the walkthrough).

electron-builder migrate-schema            # apply changes in place
electron-builder migrate-schema --dry-run  # preview without writing (alias: -n)
  • Auto-detects your config: the package.json build key, or electron-builder.{yml,yaml,json,json5,toml,js,cjs,mjs,ts}. Pass --config <path> for a non-default file and --project-dir <dir> for the project root.
  • Rewrites static configs (json/json5/yaml/package.json) and programmatic ones (.js/.ts/.cjs/.mjs, via an AST codemod that preserves comments and formatting when the config reduces to a single object literal).
  • TOML is detected but not rewritten (the toml library is read-only) — it prints the required changes for you to apply. JSON5 is re-serialized as JSON (comments are not preserved).
Removed CLI flags

The v22-era --em.build / --em.directories flags were removed — pass build config inline with -c (e.g. -c.directories.output=dist). Implicit publishing was also removed: pass --publish explicitly.

Prepend npx to sample commands below if you run them from Terminal and not from package.json scripts.

build for macOS, Windows and Linux

electron-builder -mwl

build deb and tar.xz for Linux

electron-builder --linux deb tar.xz

build NSIS 32-bit installer for Windows (Electron <= 43 only)

electron-builder --windows nsis:ia32

Electron 44 removed Windows ia32 builds — ia32 requires electronVersion <= 43.x (supported until the v43 series reaches end-of-life in January 2027).

set package.json property foo to bar

electron-builder -c.extraMetadata.foo=bar

configure unicode options for NSIS

electron-builder -c.nsis.unicode=false

Target​

Without target configuration, electron-builder builds Electron app for current platform and current architecture using default target.

  • macOS - DMG and ZIP for Squirrel.Mac.
  • Windows - NSIS.
  • Linux:
    • if you build on Windows or macOS: Snap and AppImage for x64.
    • if you build on Linux: Snap and AppImage for current architecture.

Platforms and archs can be configured using CLI args, or in the configuration.

For example, if you don't want to pass --x64 and --arm64 flags each time, but instead build by default NSIS target for all archs for Windows (add ia32 only when staying on Electron <= 43):

Configuration

package.json

"build": {
  "win": {
    "target": [
      {
        "target": "nsis",
        "arch": [
          "x64",
          "arm64"
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "mac": {
    "target": [
      {
        "target": "dmg",
        "arch": [
          "universal"
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

electron-builder.yml

win:
  target:
    - target: nsis
      arch:
        - x64
        - arm64
mac:
  target:
    - target: dmg
      arch: universal

electron-builder.config.js

module.exports = {
  "win": {
    "target": [
      {
        "target": "nsis",
        "arch": [
          "x64",
          "arm64"
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "mac": {
    "target": [
      {
        "target": "dmg",
        "arch": [
          "universal"
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

and use

build -wl

TargetConfiguration​

  • target String - The target name. e.g. snap.
  • arch "x64" | "ia32" | "armv7l" | "arm64" | "universal" - The arch or list of archs.