Why did my Microsoft Store submission fail certification?
Partner Center gives you a certification report that names the test that failed or the policy your app didn't meet, so start there. The common causes Microsoft lists are an app that crashes or looks unfinished, no test account for the testers, a missing privacy policy, a description that doesn't match the app and inaccurate age rating answers. Fix the problem and create a new submission to go through certification again.
The report tells you what failed. Below are the causes Microsoft names most often and what fixes each one.
- Read the certification report first. It says which test or policy the app failed.
- Errors before certification, like a package name that isn’t reserved, show up on the submission itself.
- Many of the causes Microsoft lists come down to the app not working for the tester, or the listing not matching the app.
- After fixing it, you create a new submission to start certification again.
Where do I find out why it failed?
Microsoft's certification docs say you get a certification report when certification finishes, and if the app didn't pass, it shows which test failed or which policy wasn't met. Problems found earlier, during preprocessing, show as an error message on the submission. If the report isn't clear, Microsoft's submission errors page says you can email reportapp@microsoft.com with your app ID or reply to the report email.
Common causes and how to fix them
| What failed | What Microsoft asks for | How to fix it |
|---|---|---|
| The package name | The name in the package has to be one of your reserved names, and the identity values in the manifest must match exactly, case included. | Check Product identity in Partner Center, reserve the name if needed and rebuild the package with those values. |
| Security tests | Packages are scanned for viruses and malware. | Run current antivirus software on your build machine and rebuild the package on a clean system. |
| Technical compliance | Tested with the Windows App Certification Kit. | Run the kit on your package before you submit and fix what it reports. |
| Crashes or hangs | Products must start promptly, stay responsive and not close unexpectedly (policy 10.4.2). | Test on several configurations, including with no network connection. |
| Testers couldn't sign in | A working demo account in the Notes for certification, and any server the app needs must be up (10.3). | Add a test account and the steps to reach hidden or locked features, and keep your service online during review. |
| The app looks unfinished | No incomplete sections or links to pages under construction. | Submit only when the app is finished. Mentioning upcoming features in the description is fine. |
| No privacy policy | Required if the app accesses personal information, and always for Desktop Bridge and Win32 products (10.5.1). | Publish a privacy policy and enter its URL in Partner Center. |
| The listing | The title, description, screenshots and search terms must accurately reflect the app (10.1). | Describe what the app does. Keep marketing text out of the title, and use at most seven relevant search terms with no pricing words. |
| Localization | The description must be localized in each language you declare (10.7). | Translate the description, or remove listing languages you don't want to support. |
| Age ratings | Complete and accurate answers to the questionnaire (11.11). | Answer again and match what the app really contains. |
| A restricted capability | An explanation on the Submission options page of why the app needs it. | Explain it in more detail in a new submission, or ship packages that don’t declare it. |
| Accessibility | Don't declare the app accessible unless you engineered and tested it for that. | Remove the declaration until it is true. |
How to catch problems before you submit
- Run the Windows App Certification Kit. It's part of the Windows SDK, and appcert.exe test -appxpackagepath runs it on a package from the command line.
- Open the app with no network connection and make sure it doesn't crash.
- Write Notes for certification with a test account, how to reach anything hidden, and what changed in an update. A real person reads them.
- Read your description and screenshots next to the app and remove anything it doesn't do.
- Keep the last number of the package version at 0, like 1.4.0.0. Microsoft reserves it for the Store.
Where StoreFast helps
StoreFast can't make an app pass review, but it catches some mistakes before anything reaches Microsoft. When you drop a package, it checks that the package name matches the app and that the version is higher than the live one and ends in .0. The Store listing page checks every field against the Store's limits and warns about pricing words and other products' names in search terms. Your notes for certification are kept on the app and sent with every submission, updates included.
If certification fails, the app's page shows the errors Partner Center reported, and StoreFast emails you unless you've turned that off. You fix the problem and publish the next update from the same page.
Questions
- Where do I see why my app failed certification?
- In the certification report in Partner Center. Microsoft says it tells you which test failed or which policy was not met. You can also email reportapp@microsoft.com with your app ID, or reply to the certification report email.
- Do I have to start over after a failed certification?
- You fix the problem and create a new submission for the app, which starts certification again.
- Does a Win32 or desktop app need a privacy policy?
- Yes. Microsoft's policies say product types that inherently have access to personal information must always have a privacy policy, and they name Desktop Bridge and Win32 products. You enter its URL in Partner Center.
- What does "The name found in the package is not one of your reserved app names" mean?
- The name in your package doesn't match a name you reserved for this app in Partner Center. Check the Product identity page, reserve the name under Manage app name reservations if needed, and build the package with the exact identity values, which are case-sensitive.
- Can StoreFast fix a failed certification?
- No. A crash, a missing test account or a policy problem has to be fixed in your app or in Partner Center. StoreFast catches some mistakes before sending, like the wrong package name, a version that isn't higher than the live one or a listing over its limits, and shows you the errors Partner Center reports.
Catch the easy mistakes before Microsoft does
StoreFast checks the package and listing before sending and tells you when a submission fails. Try it free for 7 days, no card needed.
Sources
Facts about Microsoft's tools were checked against these pages on October 2, 2026.