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This is my directory structure where renderer.js is included by index.html . The python scripts visitor.py and download.py are called from renderer.js via python-shell . Once I bundle, it is not able to find the python scripts

  |_ index.html
  |_ styles.css
  |_ main.js
  |_ package.json
  |_ dist/
  |_ node_modules/
  |_ renderer.js
  |_ visitor.py
  |_ download.py
I tried putting everything in files: [...] in package.json under build > files and then ran npm run dist.
I also tried copying python files to dist folder explicitly and then ran npm run dist.
None are working.
  
/Application/test.app/Contents/Resources/app.asar/remderer.js:226
  Error: python: can't open file 'visitor.py': [Error 2] No such file or
  directory
This is my package.json
  "name": "test",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "description": "",
  "main": "main.js",
  "scripts": {
    "start": "electron .",
    "pack": "build --dir",
    "dist": "build"
  "author": "",
  "license": "ISC",
  "build": {
    "appId": "com.example.app",
    "files": [
      "dist/",
      "node_modules/",
      "index.html",
      "main.js",
      "package.json",
      "renderer.js",
      "styles.css",
      "visitor.py",
      "download.py"
    "dmg": {
      "contents": [
          "x": 110,
          "y": 150
          "x": 240,
          "y": 150,
          "type": "link",
          "path": "/Applications"
    "linux": {
      "target": [
        "AppImage",
        "deb"
    "win": {
      "target": "squirrel",
      "icon": "build/icon.ico"
  "dependencies": {
    "csv-parse": "^2.5.0",
    "electron-css": "^0.6.0",
    "npm": "^6.1.0",
    "python-shell": "^0.5.0",
  "devDependencies": {
    "electron": "^2.0.3",
    "electron-builder": "^20.19.1"
This is the electron-builder I am talking about
https://github.com/electron-userland/electron-builder

                @dev is right you need to user the extraResources attribute to write the python files into a external folder. The files inside the asar archive are readonly, so even if you can read the file the pyc cannot be created. Check the asar limitations here
– ChesuCR
                Nov 20, 2018 at 10:30
Reason
Actually electron-builder IS bundled your python file, but due to asar, your python-shell can NOT find your python file, so cause the error.
How to fix
Solution 1:
Easiest but not recommend by official: disable asar
How to disable asar
change you package.json to:
  "build": {
    "appId": "com.example.app",
    "asar": false,
then in your renderer.js, which contain python-shell code, maybe like this:
import {PythonShell} from 'python-shell';
PythonShell.run('visitor.py', null, function (err) {
  if (err) throw err;
  console.log('finished');
should working now.
internal logic
after disable asar, the all related file path is not contain asar, become this:
/Application/test.app/Contents/Resources/app/visitor.py
/Application/test.app/Contents/Resources/app/renderer.js
that is, .app file structure is:
|_ test.app
    |_ Contents
        |_ Resources
            |_ app
                |_ styles.css
                |_ main.js
                |_ package.json
                |_ dist/
                |_ node_modules/
                |_ renderer.js
                |_ visitor.py
                |_ download.py
Solution 2:
keep enable asar, put extra files into unpack:
how to asar unpack
change you package.json to:
  "build": {
    "appId": "com.example.app",
    "asar": true,
    "asarUnpack": [
      "visitor.py",
      "download.py"
      "renderer.js"
the packaged .app file structure is:
|_ test.app
    |_ Contents
        |_ Resources
            |_ app.asar             # a single compressed binary file
            |_ app.asar.unpacked    # a folder/directory, contain unpacked origin files
                |_ visitor.py
                |_ download.py
                |_ renderer.js
your renderer.js, maybe NOT need change, and should working.
more details about asarUnpack please refer official doc: Overridable per Platform Options
PS: some other asar and related trying, can refer my Chinese post: 【已解决】mac中PyInstaller打包后的二进制文件在electron-builder打包后app中有些无法通过child_process的execFile运行
                I too have the same problem @ishandutta2007 has posted. So the first solution you have mentioned seems to fix the issue because by 'asar:false' you don't let the builder bundle the source code at all. Hence the scripts are located without any issue. The second solution also doesn't seem right[no offense : )] to me because you just exclude those files from bundling. Any user who installs the application can view your scripts. I'm still searching for a sleek solution where I can make my caller point to the bundled python scripts.
– NIV
                Mar 9, 2021 at 13:30
if you want to put those files by creating directory then use extraResources
    "extraResources": [
        "from":"source path",
        "to":"some directory name"
for more info refer
        
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