Build a Standalone Desktop Executable with WebviewJS

The WebviewJS CLI’s --build command packages your application into a single self-contained executable. The target machine does not need Node.js, Deno, or Bun installed — the binary includes your code and the chosen runtime. This makes it straightforward to distribute desktop applications to end users without asking them to install a JavaScript runtime first.

The CLI is available as both the webview command and the webviewjs command. Both are identical — use whichever name is more convenient.

Install the CLI

Install the package globally to add the webview and webviewjs commands to your PATH, or use npx for one-off builds without a global install.

# Global install
npm install -g @webviewjs/webview

# One-off with npx (no global install needed)
npx webview --build --input src/index.js --name myapp

Quick start

Point the CLI at your entry file, give the output binary a name, and let it build.

webview --build --input src/index.js --name myapp

The executable is written to dist/ by default. On Windows a .exe extension is added automatically.

Choosing a runtime

Use --runtime (short: -R) to select the compilation tool. When --runtime is omitted, the CLI infers the runtime from its own execution environment: bun if run under Bun, deno if run under Deno, and node otherwise. For most users running via npm or npx, the default is node.

Node.js (default)
Deno
Bun

Node.js compiles via the Single Executable Application (SEA) workflow. The CLI automates every step: generating the blob config, injecting it with postject, and re-signing the binary on macOS and Windows.

webview --build --runtime node --input src/index.js --name myapp --output dist

No additional tools beyond node and npx are required. postject is downloaded automatically via npx during the build.

Requires deno on your PATH. Uses deno compile to produce a self-contained binary that bundles the Deno runtime.

webview --build --runtime deno --input src/index.ts --name myapp --output dist

The CLI runs:

deno compile --allow-all --no-check --output dist/myapp src/index.ts

--allow-all grants all Deno permissions. Restrict them in your own build script if needed.

Requires bun on your PATH. Uses bun build --compile to produce a portable executable.

webview --build --runtime bun --input src/index.ts --name myapp --output dist

The CLI runs:

bun build --compile src/index.ts --outfile dist/myapp

On Windows, Bun appends .exe automatically if the name does not already include it.

All CLI options

Flag	Short	Default	Description
`--build`	`-b`	—	Build the project into a standalone executable
`--runtime`	`-R`	inferred	Runtime: `node`, `deno`, or `bun` (defaults to the current runtime)
`--name`	`-n`	`webviewjs`	Output executable name
`--input`	`-i`	`./index.js`	Entry file path
`--output`	`-o`	`./dist`	Output directory
`--resources`	`-r`	—	JSON asset map file path (Node.js runtime only)
`--dry-run`	`-d`	—	Print what would be done without executing
`--help`	`-h`	—	Show help text
`--version`	`-v`	—	Show the CLI version

Run --dry-run before a real build to preview every command the CLI would execute. This is useful for verifying that paths, names, and runtime flags are correct before committing to a full compilation.

webview --build --runtime node --input src/main.js --name myapp --dry-run

Bundling assets (Node.js only)

Node.js SEA supports embedding static assets in the binary via the --resources flag. Create a JSON file that maps asset names to file paths on disk. assets.json

{
  "icon.png":    "./assets/icon.png",
  "config.json": "./config.json"
}

Pass the file to the CLI:

webview --build --runtime node --resources assets.json --input src/index.js --name myapp

Inside your script, read the embedded assets with the node:sea API:

const { getAsset } = require('node:sea');

const iconBuffer  = getAsset('icon.png');
const configBytes = getAsset('config.json');
const config      = JSON.parse(Buffer.from(configBytes).toString('utf8'));

Asset bundling is only available with the Node.js runtime. Deno and Bun include source files directly in their compilation step.

Platform notes

Platform	Node SEA	Deno compile	Bun compile
Windows	✅ `.exe` added automatically	✅ `.exe` added automatically	✅ `.exe` added automatically
macOS	✅ Re-signed with `codesign -s -`	✅ Ad-hoc signed automatically	✅ Use `codesign` after building
Linux	✅	✅	✅

Cross-compilation:

Deno and Bun support a --target flag that you can pass via a custom build script for cross-compilation to a different OS or architecture. The WebviewJS CLI does not forward --target for you.
Node SEA does not support cross-compilation. Build on the target operating system.

Installation — system requirements and first-time setup
Quick Start — build and run your first WebviewJS window

Get Started

Guides

Platform Notes

Build a Standalone Desktop Executable with WebviewJS

Install the CLI

Quick start

Choosing a runtime

All CLI options

Bundling assets (Node.js only)

Platform notes

​Install the CLI

​Quick start

​Choosing a runtime

​All CLI options

​Bundling assets (Node.js only)

​Platform notes

​Related pages

Install the CLI

Quick start

Choosing a runtime

All CLI options

Bundling assets (Node.js only)

Platform notes

Related pages