How to change publisher name?

Publisher name and app/package identities are handled in different places, and not all of them are changeable after publication.

1. Publisher name vs. PublisherDisplayName in the manifest
   • <PublisherDisplayName> in the appx/appxmanifest is only a friendly name shown to users. It is localizable and can be changed in the manifest as needed.
   • However, the actual publisher identity that Store and Partner Center validate against is derived from the publisher account and certificate, not just PublisherDisplayName. Changing only PublisherDisplayName without aligning it with the publisher account/certificate will cause package upload/validation failures.
2. App identity and reserved name cannot be changed after publish
   • For Store / GDK titles, the reserved Name is used to generate the app identity and Package Family Name, and this identity is static for the lifetime of the product and cannot be changed once published.
   • Even if company information is updated in the organization profile, the existing app identity and package family name remain tied to the original publisher identity.
3. Changing the name shown in the Store (product/solution name)
   • If the goal is to change the name customers see in the Store, this is done by reserving a new name and updating the package and listings, not by changing the publisher identity:
     • Reserve a new app/solution name in Partner Center.
     • Update the package (manifest) to use the new name where required.
     • Create and publish a new submission with the updated package.
     • Update Store/Marketplace listings to use the new name via the Product name dropdown on each Store listing page.
   • For MSI/EXE apps and Marketplace solutions, once the new name is published, older names can be deleted or released, subject to the requirement that at least one reserved name remains.
4. Renaming a published solution/app (Store / Marketplace)
   • Microsoft Marketplace solution:
     • Reserve a new name for the solution.
     • Update the solution package to replace the old name with the new one and upload it in a new submission.
     • In each language’s Store listing, select the new name from Product name and update any textual mentions.
     • After publishing with the new name, delete any unused names; optionally mark the new name as alias so it appears as the main name in Partner Center.
   • MSI/EXE app in Microsoft Store:
     • Reserve a new app name.
     • Create a new submission using the new name.
     • On each Store listing page, select the new name from Product name and update descriptions.
     • After publishing with the new name, delete older names if no longer needed.
5. Changing the technical publisher in the package (MSIX)
   • If the publisher certificate/ID itself has changed (for example, due to a new company identity), MSIX packages must be re-signed with a certificate that matches the new publisher.
   • The Modify package publisher script from the MSIX Toolkit can update the publisher in the manifest before re-signing, but it is limited to MSIX apps (not bundles). This is a packaging-level change and must still align with the publisher identity known to Partner Center.
6. Practical guidance for the described scenario
   • If packages fail to upload after changing PublisherDisplayName, revert the manifest to match the existing publisher identity and certificate, then upload again.
   • To change what users see in the Store (app/solution name), follow the “rename published solution/app” flow: reserve a new name, update package and listings, and publish a new submission.
   • The underlying publisher identity and app identity for an already-published product cannot be changed; a new product entry would be required if a fundamentally different publisher identity is needed.

References:

• Initial configuration in Partner Center
• Manage app name reservations for MSI/EXE app
• Manage names in Partner Center
• PublisherDisplayName (Windows 10)
• Modify package publisher script