# Wails — Build Desktop Apps with Go and Web Technologies

> Wails lets you create beautiful desktop applications using Go for the backend and any web frontend. Uses the OS native WebView (like Tauri) producing ~8MB binaries. No Electron bloat, full Go power, and access to native APIs via bindings.

## Install

Save the content below to `.claude/skills/` or append to your `CLAUDE.md`:

## Quick Use

```bash
go install github.com/wailsapp/wails/v2/cmd/wails@latest
wails init -n myapp -t svelte-ts
cd myapp
wails dev                    # Hot-reload dev mode
wails build                  # Production binary
```

Go backend:
```go
type App struct { ctx context.Context }

func (a *App) Greet(name string) string {
    return fmt.Sprintf("Hello %s from Go!", name)
}
```

Svelte frontend:
```svelte
<script lang="ts">
import { Greet } from "../wailsjs/go/main/App";
let result = "";
async function greet() {
    result = await Greet("William");
}
</script>
<button on:click={greet}>{result || "Click me"}</button>
```

## Intro

Wails lets you build beautiful desktop applications using Go for the backend and any web frontend (React, Vue, Svelte, etc.). Like Tauri but for Go developers. Uses the OS native WebView instead of bundling Chromium, producing ~8MB binaries. Created by Lea Anthony.

- **Repo**: https://github.com/wailsapp/wails
- **Stars**: 33K+
- **Language**: Go
- **License**: MIT

## What Wails Does

- **Go backend** — full Go power for business logic
- **Web frontend** — React, Vue, Svelte, Lit, vanilla
- **OS WebView** — WebKit (macOS/Linux), WebView2 (Windows)
- **Auto-bindings** — Go functions callable from JS
- **Events** — Go ↔ JS event system
- **Menus** — native application menus
- **Dialogs** — open/save file, message box
- **Hot reload** — `wails dev` for live development
- **Cross-compile** — build for all platforms

## Comparison

| Framework | Backend | Binary Size |
|---|---|---|
| Wails | Go | ~8MB |
| Tauri | Rust | ~3-10MB |
| Electron | Node.js | ~150MB |
| Neutralino | C++ | ~2MB |

## FAQ

**Q: Wails vs Tauri?**
A: Same philosophy (OS WebView + non-JS backend); Wails uses Go, Tauri uses Rust. Go is easier to pick up; Rust is more low-level and safer. Choose the language you're comfortable with.

## Sources

- Docs: https://wails.io/docs
- GitHub: https://github.com/wailsapp/wails
- License: MIT

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Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/wails-build-desktop-apps-go-web-technologies-42404fb6
Author: AI Open Source