---
title: Shell Launcher XML Schema Definition (XSD)
description: Shell Launcher XSD reference article.
ms.topic: reference
ms.date: 10/31/2024
---

# Shell Launcher XML Schema Definition (XSD)

This reference article contains the latest Shell Launcher XML schema definition (XSD) and the XSD additions for each version of Windows.

## Shell Launcher XSD

Here's the latest Shell Launcher XSD, introduced in Windows 11:

```xml
<xs:schema
    elementFormDefault="qualified"
    xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema"
    xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/ShellLauncher/2018/Configuration"
    xmlns:default="http://schemas.microsoft.com/ShellLauncher/2018/Configuration"
    xmlns:V2="http://schemas.microsoft.com/ShellLauncher/2019/Configuration" targetNamespace="http://schemas.microsoft.com/ShellLauncher/2018/Configuration">

    <xs:import namespace="http://schemas.microsoft.com/ShellLauncher/2019/Configuration"/>

    <xs:complexType name="profile_list_t">
        <xs:sequence minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="1">
            <xs:choice minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="1">
                <xs:element name="DefaultProfile" type="default_profile_t"/>
                <xs:element name="Profile" type="profile_t"/>
            </xs:choice>
            <xs:element name="Profile" type="profile_t" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"/>
        </xs:sequence>
    </xs:complexType>

    <xs:complexType name="default_profile_t">
        <xs:sequence minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="1">
            <xs:element name="Shell" type="default_shell_t" minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="1"/>
        </xs:sequence>
    </xs:complexType>

    <xs:complexType name="default_shell_t">
        <xs:sequence minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="1">
            <xs:element name="DefaultAction" type="default_action_t" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1"/>
        </xs:sequence>
        <xs:attribute name="Shell" type="xs:string" use="required"/>
        <xs:attribute ref="V2:AppType"/>
        <xs:attribute ref="V2:AllAppsFullScreen"/>
    </xs:complexType>

    <xs:complexType name="custom_shell_t">
        <xs:all minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="1">
            <xs:element name="ReturnCodeActions" type="return_code_action_list_t" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1">
                <xs:unique name="ForbidDuplicatedReturnCodes">
                    <xs:selector xpath="default:ReturnCodeAction"/>
                    <xs:field xpath="@ReturnCode"/>
                </xs:unique>
            </xs:element>
            <xs:element name="DefaultAction" type="default_action_t" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1"/>
        </xs:all>
        <xs:attribute name="Shell" type="xs:string" />
        <xs:attribute ref="V2:AppType"/>
        <xs:attribute ref="V2:AllAppsFullScreen"/>
    </xs:complexType>

    <xs:complexType name="default_action_t">
        <xs:attribute name="Action" type="system_action_t" use="required"/>
    </xs:complexType>

    <xs:simpleType name="system_action_t">
        <xs:restriction base="xs:string">
            <xs:enumeration value="RestartShell" />
            <xs:enumeration value="RestartDevice" />
            <xs:enumeration value="ShutdownDevice" />
            <xs:enumeration value="DoNothing" />
        </xs:restriction>
    </xs:simpleType>

    <xs:complexType name="profile_t">
        <xs:sequence minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="1">
            <xs:element name="Shell" type="custom_shell_t" minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="1"/>
        </xs:sequence>
        <xs:attribute name="Id" type="guid_t" use="required"/>
        <xs:attribute name="Name" type="xs:string" use="optional"/>
    </xs:complexType>

    <xs:simpleType name="guid_t">
        <xs:restriction base="xs:string">
            <xs:pattern value="\{[0-9a-fA-F]{8}\-([0-9a-fA-F]{4}\-){3}[0-9a-fA-F]{12}\}"/>
        </xs:restriction>
    </xs:simpleType>

    <xs:complexType name="return_code_action_list_t">
        <xs:sequence minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="1">
            <xs:element name="ReturnCodeAction" type="return_code_action_t" minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="unbounded"/>
        </xs:sequence>
    </xs:complexType>

    <xs:complexType name="return_code_action_t">
        <xs:attribute name="ReturnCode" type="xs:integer" use="required"/>
        <xs:attribute name="Action" type="system_action_t" use="required"/>
    </xs:complexType>

    <xs:complexType name="config_list_t">
        <xs:sequence minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="1">
            <xs:element name="Config" type="config_t" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"/>
        </xs:sequence>
    </xs:complexType>

    <xs:complexType name="config_t">
        <xs:sequence minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="1">
            <xs:choice minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="1">
                <xs:element name="Account" type="account_t" minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="1">
                    <xs:key name="mutexNameOrSID">
                        <xs:selector xpath="."/>
                        <xs:field xpath="@Name|@Sid"/>
                    </xs:key>
                </xs:element>
                <xs:element name="AutoLogonAccount" type="autologon_account_t" minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="1"/>
            </xs:choice>
            <xs:element name="Profile" type="profile_id_t" minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="1"/>
        </xs:sequence>
    </xs:complexType>

    <xs:complexType name="account_t">
        <xs:attribute name="Name" type="xs:string" use="optional"/>
        <xs:attribute name="Sid" type="xs:string" use="optional"/>
    </xs:complexType>

    <xs:complexType name="autologon_account_t">
        <xs:attribute name="HiddenId" type="guid_t" fixed="{50021E57-1CE4-49DF-99A9-8DB659E2C2DD}"/>
    </xs:complexType>

    <xs:complexType name="profile_id_t">
        <xs:attribute name="Id" type="guid_t" use="required"/>
    </xs:complexType>

    <!--below is the definition of the config xml content-->
    <xs:element name="ShellLauncherConfiguration">
        <xs:complexType>
            <xs:sequence minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="1">
                <xs:element name="Profiles" type="profile_list_t" minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="1">
                    <xs:unique name="ForbidDuplicatedProfiles">
                        <xs:selector xpath="default:Profile"/>
                        <xs:field xpath="@Id"/>
                    </xs:unique>
                </xs:element>
                <xs:element name="Configs" type="config_list_t" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1">
                    <xs:unique name="ForbidDuplicatedConfigs_Name">
                        <xs:selector xpath="default:Config/default:Account"/>
                        <xs:field xpath="@Name"/>
                    </xs:unique>
                    <xs:unique name="ForbidDuplicatedConfigs_Sid">
                        <xs:selector xpath="default:Config/default:Account"/>
                        <xs:field xpath="@Sid"/>
                    </xs:unique>
                    <xs:unique name="ForbidDuplicatedAutoLogonAccount">
                        <xs:selector xpath="default:Config/default:AutoLogonAccount"/>
                        <xs:field xpath="@HiddenId"/>
                    </xs:unique>
                </xs:element>
            </xs:sequence>
        </xs:complexType>
    </xs:element>
</xs:schema>
```

## Windows 10, version 1903 additions

In Windows 10, version 1903, Shell Launcher introduced the support of both UWP and desktop apps as the custom shell.

Here's the Shell Launcher XSD for the features added in Windows 10, version 1903:

```xml
<xs:schema
    elementFormDefault="qualified"
    xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema"
    xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/ShellLauncher/2019/Configuration"
    xmlns:default="http://schemas.microsoft.com/ShellLauncher/2019/Configuration" targetNamespace="http://schemas.microsoft.com/ShellLauncher/2019/Configuration">

    <xs:attribute name="AppType">
        <xs:simpleType>
            <xs:restriction base="xs:string">
                <xs:enumeration value="UWP"/>
                <xs:enumeration value="Desktop"/>
            </xs:restriction>
        </xs:simpleType>
    </xs:attribute>

    <xs:attribute name="AllAppsFullScreen" type="xs:boolean"/>

</xs:schema>
```