Windows UAC Configuration

Relevant Platforms: Windows

Windows User Account Control (UAC) determines the execution privileges of your Wails application. By default, Wails v3 applications include explicit UAC configuration in their Windows manifest, ensuring consistent behavior across different machines.

UAC Execution Levels

Windows applications can request different execution levels through their manifest file. Wails v3 automatically includes UAC configuration with a default execution level that you can customize based on your application’s needs.

Available Execution Levels

Level	Description	Use Case
asInvoker	Runs with the same privileges as the parent process	Default for most applications
highestAvailable	Runs with the highest privileges available to the user	Applications that may need elevated access
requireAdministrator	Always requires administrator privileges	System utilities, installers

Default Configuration

Wails v3 applications include a default UAC configuration in their Windows manifest:

<trustInfo xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v3">
    <security>
        <requestedPrivileges>
            <requestedExecutionLevel level="asInvoker" uiAccess="false"/>
        </requestedPrivileges>
    </security>
</trustInfo>

This configuration ensures your application:

• Runs with the same privileges as the launching process
• Does not require elevation by default
• Works consistently across different machines
• Does not trigger UAC prompts for normal users

Customizing UAC Configuration

Since Wails v3 encourages users to customize their build assets, you can modify the UAC configuration by editing your Windows manifest template directly.

Locating the Manifest Template

The Windows manifest template is located at:

build/windows/wails.exe.manifest

Modifying the Execution Level

To change the execution level, edit the level attribute in the requestedExecutionLevel element:

build/windows/wails.exe.manifest

<trustInfo xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v3">
    <security>
        <requestedPrivileges>
            <requestedExecutionLevel level="requireAdministrator" uiAccess="false"/>
        </requestedPrivileges>
    </security>
</trustInfo>

Examples

Standard Application (Default)

Most applications should use the default asInvoker level:

<requestedExecutionLevel level="asInvoker" uiAccess="false"/>

System Utility

Applications that need elevated access when available:

<requestedExecutionLevel level="highestAvailable" uiAccess="false"/>

Administrative Tool

Applications that always require administrator privileges:

<requestedExecutionLevel level="requireAdministrator" uiAccess="false"/>

UI Access

The uiAccess attribute controls whether your application can interact with higher-privilege UI elements. In most cases, this should remain false.

Set to true only if your application needs to:

• Send input to other applications
• Drive the UI of other applications
• Access UI elements of higher-privilege processes

UI Access Requirements

Setting uiAccess="true" requires your application to be:

• Digitally signed with a certificate from a trusted certificate authority
• Installed in a secure location (Program Files or Windows\System32)

Building with Custom UAC Settings

After modifying your manifest template, build your application normally:

wails3 build

The build process will automatically embed your custom UAC configuration into the executable.

Verifying UAC Configuration

You can verify that your UAC settings are properly embedded using the go-winres tool:

go-winres extract --in your-app.exe --out extracted-resources/

Then examine the extracted manifest file to confirm your UAC configuration is present.

Manifest Persistence

Unlike some other frameworks, Wails v3’s UAC configuration is embedded directly into the executable during compilation, ensuring it persists when the application is copied to other machines.

Troubleshooting

UAC Prompts Not Appearing

If you set requireAdministrator but don’t see UAC prompts:

• Verify the manifest is properly embedded in your executable
• Check that you’re not running from an already-elevated process
• Ensure the manifest syntax is valid XML

Application Not Starting

If your application fails to start after UAC changes:

• Check the manifest syntax for XML errors
• Verify the execution level value is valid
• Try reverting to asInvoker to isolate the issue

Inconsistent Behavior Across Machines

If UAC behavior differs between machines:

• Ensure the manifest is embedded in the executable (not external)
• Check that the executable wasn’t modified after building
• Verify Windows UAC settings are enabled on the target machine