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Publishing Browser Tabs

This app is a Command Palette extension distributed as MSIX.

Partner Center values

In Partner Center, create a new MSIX or PWA app and reserve the product name. In the product, open Product management > Product identity and copy these exact values:

  • Package/Identity/Name
  • Package/Identity/Publisher
  • Package/Properties/PublisherDisplayName

Apply them locally:

.\scripts\set-store-identity.ps1 `
  -WorkspaceFolder . `
  -IdentityName "<Package/Identity/Name>" `
  -Publisher "<Package/Identity/Publisher>" `
  -PublisherDisplayName "<Package/Properties/PublisherDisplayName>" `
  -DisplayName "wcp-browsertabs" `
  -Version "0.0.1.0"

Build the Store bundle

version.txt is the source of truth for the app version. Store/MSIX package versions use the same version with a trailing .0 revision. For example, version.txt value 0.0.3 packages as 0.0.3.0.

powershell -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass `
  -File .\scripts\package-store-bundle.ps1 `
  -WorkspaceFolder .

For a new Store submission, bump the MSIX package version while packaging:

powershell -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass `
  -File .\scripts\package-store-bundle.ps1 `
  -WorkspaceFolder . `
  -BumpVersion

Release Please owns normal release version bumps. Store submissions should come from GitHub Release artifacts. Pull request bundles are validation-only and should not be uploaded to Partner Center.

Upload the generated .msixbundle from artifacts\store\<timestamp>\ to the Partner Center Packages page.

Published v0.0.2 bundle:

artifacts\store\20260514-183636\WcpBrowserTabs_0.0.2.0_Bundle.msixbundle

Partner Center automation

Store packages can be uploaded from GitHub Releases with the manual partner-center-submit workflow. It is intentionally not triggered by release, push, or pull request events.

Required GitHub environment:

partner-center-production

Required environment secrets:

PARTNER_CENTER_TENANT_ID
PARTNER_CENTER_CLIENT_ID
PARTNER_CENTER_CLIENT_SECRET
PARTNER_CENTER_APPLICATION_ID

PARTNER_CENTER_APPLICATION_ID is the Store ID for this app from Partner Center. The Entra application must be associated with the Partner Center account and granted the Partner Center role required to manage app submissions.

Workflow inputs:

tag             GitHub Release tag containing one .msixbundle asset
mode            draft or submit
confirm_submit  must be SUBMIT when mode is submit
dry_run         validates release asset discovery without calling Partner Center

Use mode=draft first. Draft mode creates a new Partner Center submission from the latest published submission, uploads the release package archive, updates the package reference, and stops. It does not request certification.

Use mode=submit only after a draft upload has been verified. Submit mode requires confirm_submit=SUBMIT, commits the submission, and starts Store ingestion/certification.

Important operational rules:

  • Do not manually edit a Partner Center submission created by the API. If manual edits are needed, delete the API-created draft and create a new submission.
  • Do not run another submission while one is already in certification, preprocessing, publishing, or another active state.
  • If Partner Center throttles requests, the script honors Retry-After and backs off before retrying.
  • PR validation bundles are still not submission candidates; submit only GitHub Release artifacts.

Partner Center submission checklist

The bundle only completes the Packages page. Partner Center also requires these sections before Submit for certification is enabled.

Pricing and availability

  • Markets: all possible markets
  • Audience: public audience
  • Discoverability: available and discoverable in the Microsoft Store
  • Schedule: release as soon as possible; stop acquisition never
  • Base price: Free
  • Free trial: none
  • Sale pricing: none
  • Organizational licensing: leave default unless you want to opt out

Properties

  • Category: Productivity
  • Subcategory: Utilities & tools, if Partner Center offers it
  • Privacy policy URL: recommended even if Partner Center does not force it
  • Website: https://www.alexdresko.com/
  • Support contact info: use your preferred support email or website
  • Product declarations: leave unchecked unless one applies
  • System requirements: no special hardware

Age ratings

Answer the age-rating questionnaire truthfully for a productivity utility:

  • Not a game
  • No violence, sexual content, controlled substances, gambling, or user-generated content
  • No account sign-in
  • No purchases
  • No location, camera, microphone, contacts, or library access

Packages

Upload:

artifacts\store\<timestamp>\WcpBrowserTabs_<version>.0_Bundle.msixbundle

After upload, confirm the package validates and is offered for Windows Desktop. Do not enable Xbox, Holographic, or Team device families.

Store listing

Use this draft listing copy.

Short description:

Switch to open Chrome, Edge, and Firefox tabs directly from Windows Command Palette.

Description:

Browser Tabs integrates with Windows Command Palette to make open browser tabs searchable from one launcher. It discovers open Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Firefox tabs on your Windows desktop, shows matching tabs in Command Palette, and switches directly to the selected tab.

This extension requires Microsoft PowerToys Command Palette to be installed and enabled. Browser tab discovery runs locally on your device using Windows UI Automation. Browser Tabs does not send your browser tab data to a remote service.

What's new in this version:

Initial Microsoft Store release.

Features:

Search open Chrome tabs
Search open Microsoft Edge tabs
Search open Firefox tabs
Switch directly to a selected tab
Highlights currently active tabs
Runs locally as a Command Palette extension

Keywords:

command palette, powertoys, browser tabs, chrome, edge, firefox, tab switcher, productivity

Screenshots:

  • Required: at least one Desktop screenshot.
  • Recommended: four or more Desktop screenshots.
  • Format: PNG.
  • Size: 1366 x 768 pixels or larger.
  • Limit: 50 MB per image.
  • Capture Command Palette showing Browser Tabs search results, a filtered search, an active tab tag, and the extension entry point.

Uploadable Store art prepared locally:

store-assets\store-logo-300x300.png
store-assets\super-hero-1920x1080.png

Use store-assets\store-logo-300x300.png for the 1:1 app tile icon. It is recommended because the Store prioritizes the uploaded 300 x 300 image over the icon included in the package.

The package also contains these MSIX visual assets:

Assets\StoreLogo.png                         50 x 50
Assets\Square44x44Logo.png                   44 x 44
Assets\Square44x44Logo.scale-200.png         88 x 88
Assets\Square150x150Logo.png                150 x 150
Assets\Square150x150Logo.scale-200.png      300 x 300
Assets\SmallTile.png                         71 x 71
Assets\Wide310x150Logo.png                  310 x 150
Assets\Wide310x150Logo.scale-200.png        620 x 300
Assets\LargeTile.png                        310 x 310
Assets\SplashScreen.png                     620 x 300
Assets\SplashScreen.scale-200.png          1240 x 600

Recommended screenshot set:

01-command-palette-browser-tabs-results.png
02-filter-open-tabs-by-title.png
03-switch-to-selected-tab.png
04-empty-state-or-extension-entry.png

Suggested captions:

Search open Chrome, Edge, and Firefox tabs from Windows Command Palette.
Filter browser tabs by title, browser, or window text.
Switch directly to the selected browser tab.
Runs locally as a PowerToys Command Palette extension.

Submission options

  • Publishing hold: publish as soon as certification passes
  • Notes for certification: paste the certification note below
  • Restricted capabilities: provide the runFullTrust explanation below

Certification note:

Browser Tabs is a Windows Command Palette extension, not a standalone app. Its app-list entry is disabled intentionally because users launch it through Microsoft PowerToys Command Palette. If the package executable is launched directly, it shows an informational dialog explaining that Browser Tabs must be opened from Command Palette.

To test it, install and enable Microsoft PowerToys Command Palette, open Chrome, Microsoft Edge, or Firefox with several tabs, launch Command Palette, open Browser Tabs, search for a tab title, and select a result. The extension should bring the browser window forward and activate the selected tab. No account, network service, or test credentials are required.

Restricted capability explanation for runFullTrust:

Browser Tabs declares runFullTrust because Command Palette extensions use an out-of-process COM server and packaged COM registration. The extension runs as a desktop Command Palette extension, enumerates local Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Firefox window/tab UI Automation elements, and activates the selected local browser tab. It does not use runFullTrust to elevate privileges, install services, modify system settings, or access user files.

Useful Microsoft docs: