Creating a New PowerToys Utility - Microsoft PowerToys

This guide covers the complete process of creating a new PowerToys utility. Follow each section in order for best results.

Overview

A PowerToys module is a self-contained utility integrated into the PowerToys ecosystem. Modules can be:

UI-only: Standalone applications launched on-demand (e.g., ColorPicker)
Background service: Always-running services (e.g., Awake, LightSwitch)
Hybrid: Combination of UI and background logic (e.g., ShortcutGuide, FancyZones)
C++/C# interop: Mixed native and managed code (e.g., PowerRename)

Prerequisites

Before starting:

✅ Complete the Getting Started guide
✅ Successfully build and run PowerToys.slnx
✅ Understand debugging techniques
✅ Familiarize yourself with coding style

Optional:

WiX v5 toolset (for building installer)
Multiple monitors (for testing multi-display utilities)

Planning Your Module

1. Design Decisions

Answer these questions before coding:

Question	Consider
What does the module do?	Clear, focused functionality
How does it start?	On-demand, at startup, event-triggered?
Does it need UI?	Settings only, main UI, both?
What’s the lifecycle?	Always running, launched temporarily?
What language?	C++ (performance), C# (ease), or both?
Similar modules?	Study existing modules with similar patterns

2. Study Similar Modules

UI-only modules:

ColorPicker - Simple activation and UI
PowerOCR - On-demand text recognition
MeasureTool - Overlay-based measurement

Background services:

Awake - Keep-alive service
LightSwitch - System theme monitor
AlwaysOnTop - Window state management

Hybrid modules:

FancyZones - Service + editor UI
ShortcutGuide - Background + overlay
Workspaces - Complex UI + window management

C++/C# interop:

PowerRename - Explorer extension + UI
FileLocksmith - Shell integration + UI
ImageResizer - Context menu + processing

Explore similar modules in src/modules/ to understand patterns and best practices.

Module Architecture

Folder Structure

Create your module under src/modules/:

src/modules/YourModule/
├── YourModule.sln                    # Module solution (optional)
├── YourModuleModuleInterface/        # Required: Module interface DLL
│   ├── dllmain.cpp
│   ├── YourModuleModuleInterface.vcxproj
│   └── resource.h
├── YourModule/                       # Optional: Main service/app
│   ├── YourModule.cpp
│   ├── YourModule.vcxproj or .csproj
│   └── Settings/
├── YourModuleUI/                     # Optional: UI component
│   ├── App.xaml.cs
│   ├── MainWindow.xaml
│   └── YourModuleUI.csproj
└── Tests/                            # Recommended: Unit tests
    ├── YourModule-UnitTests/
    └── YourModule-UITests/

Step 1: Create Module Interface

The Module Interface is required - it’s how PowerToys Runner communicates with your module.

Using the Project Template

Use the module template:

cd tools\project_template
# Follow template instructions

Copy generated files to src\modules\YourModule\YourModuleModuleInterface\
Update all GUIDs in project files
Update namespaces and class names

Module Interface Structure

Key components in dllmain.cpp:

1. Settings Structure

struct ModuleSettings
{
    bool enabled = true;
    std::wstring hotkey = L"";
    int customValue = 100;
    // Add your settings here
};

2. Module Class

class YourModule : public PowertoyModuleIface
{
private:
    bool m_enabled = false;
    HANDLE m_hEvent = nullptr;
    ModuleSettings m_settings;

public:
    YourModule()
    {
        init_settings();
    }

    ~YourModule()
    {
        if (m_hEvent)
        {
            CloseHandle(m_hEvent);
        }
    }

    // Implement PowertoyModuleIface methods...
};

3. Required Methods

Module Identification:

virtual PCWSTR get_name() override
{
    return L"YourModule";
}

virtual PCWSTR get_key() override
{
    return L"YourModule"; // Must match everywhere
}

GPO Policy Support:

virtual powertoys_gpo::gpo_rule_configured_t gpo_policy_enabled_configuration() override
{
    return powertoys_gpo::getConfiguredYourModuleEnabledValue();
}

You must add your module to GPO settings in src/common/GPOWrapper/GPOWrapper.cpp

Lifecycle Management:

virtual void enable() override
{
    m_enabled = true;
    // Start your module's functionality
    StartService();
}

virtual void disable() override
{
    m_enabled = false;
    // Clean up resources
    StopService();
}

virtual bool is_enabled() override
{
    return m_enabled;
}

virtual bool is_enabled_by_default() const override
{
    return false; // or true if enabled by default
}

Settings Management:

void init_settings()
{
    try
    {
        PowerToysSettings::PowerToyValues settings =
            PowerToysSettings::PowerToyValues::load_from_settings_file(get_key());
        
        if (settings.is_bool_value(L"enabled"))
        {
            m_settings.enabled = settings.get_bool_value(L"enabled").value();
        }
        
        // Load other settings...
    }
    catch (...)
    {
        // Use defaults
    }
}

virtual bool get_config(wchar_t* buffer, int* buffer_size) override
{
    HINSTANCE hinstance = reinterpret_cast<HINSTANCE>(&__ImageBase);
    
    PowerToysSettings::Settings settings(hinstance, get_name());
    settings.set_description(L"Description of your module");
    
    return settings.serialize_to_buffer(buffer, buffer_size);
}

virtual void set_config(const wchar_t* config) override
{
    try
    {
        auto settingsObject = json::JsonValue::Parse(config).GetObjectW();
        
        if (settingsObject.HasKey(L"enabled"))
        {
            m_settings.enabled = settingsObject.GetNamedBoolean(L"enabled");
        }
        
        // Save settings...
        save_settings();
    }
    catch (...)
    {
        Logger::error(L"Failed to parse settings");
    }
}

Hotkey Support (optional):

virtual size_t get_hotkeys(Hotkey* hotkeys, size_t buffer_size) override
{
    if (m_hotkey.win && buffer_size >= 1)
    {
        hotkeys[0] = m_hotkey;
        return 1;
    }
    return 0;
}

virtual bool on_hotkey(size_t hotkeyId) override
{
    if (m_enabled && hotkeyId == 0)
    {
        // Launch your module
        LaunchUI();
        return true;
    }
    return false;
}

Export Module

At the end of dllmain.cpp:

extern "C" __declspec(dllexport) PowertoyModuleIface* __cdecl powertoy_create()
{
    return new YourModule();
}

Step 2: Register Module with Runner

Your module must be registered in multiple locations:

1. `src/runner/modules.h`

Add to the module list:

enum class PowertoyModule
{
    FancyZones,
    ShortcutGuide,
    // ... other modules
    YourModule,  // Add here
};

2. `src/runner/modules.cpp`

Add module loading:

const std::array<std::wstring_view, module_count> module_names = {
    L"FancyZones",
    L"ShortcutGuide",
    // ... other modules
    L"YourModule",  // Add here
};

const std::array<std::wstring_view, module_count> module_dlls = {
    L"modules/FancyZones/fancyzones.dll",
    L"modules/ShortcutGuide/ShortcutGuide.dll",
    // ... other modules
    L"modules/YourModule/YourModuleModuleInterface.dll",  // Add here
};

3. `src/common/logger/logger.h`

Add logging category:

namespace LogSettings
{
    constexpr const wchar_t* fancyZonesLogPath = L"FancyZones\\Logs";
    constexpr const wchar_t* shortcutGuideLogPath = L"ShortcutGuide\\Logs";
    // ... other modules
    constexpr const wchar_t* yourModuleLogPath = L"YourModule\\Logs";  // Add here
}

4. `src/runner/settings_window.h` and `.cpp`

Add to settings enumeration and mapping.

Search for an existing module name (e.g., “FancyZones”) in these files to find all locations that need updates.

Step 3: Build Module Service/UI

This is the main functionality of your module.

C++ Service Example

// YourModule.cpp
#include <common/logger/logger.h>
#include "Settings.h"

int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance, HINSTANCE, LPSTR, int)
{
    LoggerHelpers::init_logger(L"YourModule", L"YourModule", LogSettings::yourModuleLogPath);
    
    Logger::info(L"YourModule starting...");
    
    // Initialize and run your service
    ModuleSettings::instance().LoadSettings();
    
    // Main service loop
    MSG msg;
    while (GetMessage(&msg, nullptr, 0, 0))
    {
        TranslateMessage(&msg);
        DispatchMessage(&msg);
    }
    
    Logger::info(L"YourModule exiting...");
    return 0;
}

C# WinUI App Example

Create WinUI 3 Blank App project:

// App.xaml.cs
using Microsoft.UI.Xaml;
using ManagedCommon;

public partial class App : Application
{
    public App()
    {
        InitializeComponent();
        
        // Initialize logging
        Logger.InitializeLogger("\\YourModule\\Logs");
        Logger.LogInfo("YourModule UI starting");
    }

    protected override void OnLaunched(LaunchActivatedEventArgs args)
    {
        m_window = new MainWindow();
        m_window.Activate();
    }

    private Window m_window;
}

// MainWindow.xaml.cs
using Microsoft.UI.Xaml;
using ManagedCommon;

public sealed partial class MainWindow : Window
{
    public MainWindow()
    {
        InitializeComponent();
        LoadSettings();
    }

    private void LoadSettings()
    {
        // Load from %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\PowerToys\YourModule\settings.json
        var settingsPath = Path.Combine(
            Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.LocalApplicationData),
            "Microsoft", "PowerToys", "YourModule", "settings.json");
        
        // Parse and apply settings
    }
}

Project Configuration

Set the output path in your .vcxproj or .csproj:

<PropertyGroup>
  <OutputPath>..\..\..\..\$(Platform)\$(Configuration)\YourModule\</OutputPath>
  <TargetName>PowerToys.YourModule</TargetName>
</PropertyGroup>

Step 4: Settings Integration

Integrate your module with PowerToys Settings UI.

1. Create Settings Classes

src/settings-ui/Settings.UI.Library/YourModuleProperties.cs:

using System.Text.Json.Serialization;

public class YourModuleProperties
{
    [JsonPropertyName("enabled")]
    public bool IsEnabled { get; set; } = true;

    [JsonPropertyName("hotkey")]
    public HotkeySettings Hotkey { get; set; } = new HotkeySettings();

    [JsonPropertyName("custom_value")]
    public int CustomValue { get; set; } = 100;
}

src/settings-ui/Settings.UI.Library/YourModuleSettings.cs:

using System.Text.Json.Serialization;

public class YourModuleSettings : BasePTModuleSettings
{
    public const string ModuleName = "YourModule";

    [JsonPropertyName("properties")]
    public YourModuleProperties Properties { get; set; }

    public YourModuleSettings()
    {
        Name = ModuleName;
        Version = "1.0";
        Properties = new YourModuleProperties();
    }
}

2. Create ViewModel

src/settings-ui/Settings.UI/ViewModels/YourModuleViewModel.cs:

using Microsoft.PowerToys.Settings.UI.Library;
using Settings.UI.Library;

public class YourModuleViewModel : Observable
{
    private YourModuleSettings Settings { get; set; }
    private GeneralSettings GeneralSettings { get; set; }

    public YourModuleViewModel(ISettingsUtils settingsUtils, ISettingsRepository<GeneralSettings> generalSettings)
    {
        // Load settings
        Settings = settingsUtils.GetSettingsOrDefault<YourModuleSettings>(YourModuleSettings.ModuleName);
        GeneralSettings = generalSettings.SettingsConfig;
    }

    public bool IsEnabled
    {
        get => Settings.Properties.IsEnabled;
        set
        {
            if (Settings.Properties.IsEnabled != value)
            {
                Settings.Properties.IsEnabled = value;
                OnPropertyChanged();
                SaveSettings();
            }
        }
    }

    private void SaveSettings()
    {
        var settingsUtils = new SettingsUtils();
        settingsUtils.SaveSettings(Settings.ToJsonString(), YourModuleSettings.ModuleName);
        
        // Notify runner
        NotifyPropertyChanged();
    }
}

3. Create Settings Page

src/settings-ui/Settings.UI/SettingsXAML/Views/YourModulePage.xaml:

<Page
    x:Class="Microsoft.PowerToys.Settings.UI.Views.YourModulePage"
    xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
    xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
    xmlns:controls="using:Microsoft.PowerToys.Settings.UI.Controls">

    <controls:SettingsPageControl
        x:Uid="YourModule"
        ModuleImageSource="ms-appx:///Assets/Modules/YourModule.png">
        
        <controls:SettingsPageControl.ModuleContent>
            <StackPanel Orientation="Vertical">
                
                <!-- Enable toggle -->
                <controls:SettingsGroup x:Uid="YourModule_Enable">
                    <controls:SettingsCard>
                        <ToggleSwitch
                            x:Uid="YourModule_EnableToggle"
                            IsOn="{x:Bind ViewModel.IsEnabled, Mode=TwoWay}" />
                    </controls:SettingsCard>
                </controls:SettingsGroup>

                <!-- Additional settings -->
                <controls:SettingsGroup x:Uid="YourModule_Settings">
                    <controls:SettingsCard x:Uid="YourModule_CustomValue">
                        <Slider
                            Value="{x:Bind ViewModel.CustomValue, Mode=TwoWay}"
                            Minimum="0"
                            Maximum="200" />
                    </controls:SettingsCard>
                </controls:SettingsGroup>

            </StackPanel>
        </controls:SettingsPageControl.ModuleContent>
    </controls:SettingsPageControl>
</Page>

4. Add Resource Strings

src/settings-ui/Settings.UI/Strings/en-us/Resources.resw:

<data name="YourModule.Header" xml:space="preserve">
  <value>Your Module</value>
</data>
<data name="YourModule.Description" xml:space="preserve">
  <value>Description of what your module does</value>
</data>
<data name="YourModule_EnableToggle.Header" xml:space="preserve">
  <value>Enable Your Module</value>
</data>
<data name="YourModule_CustomValue.Header" xml:space="preserve">
  <value>Custom Setting</value>
</data>

Step 5: OOBE Page

Create Out-of-Box Experience page for new users. src/settings-ui/Settings.UI/SettingsXAML/OOBE/Views/OobeYourModule.xaml:

<Page
    x:Class="Microsoft.PowerToys.Settings.UI.OOBE.Views.OobeYourModule"
    xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
    xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml">

    <StackPanel Orientation="Vertical" Spacing="16">
        <TextBlock
            x:Uid="Oobe_YourModule_Title"
            Style="{StaticResource OobeTitleStyle}" />
        
        <TextBlock
            x:Uid="Oobe_YourModule_Description"
            Style="{StaticResource OobeDescriptionStyle}" />

        <Image
            Source="ms-appx:///Assets/Modules/YourModule.gif"
            MaxHeight="400" />
    </StackPanel>
</Page>

Add to src/settings-ui/Settings.UI/OOBE/Enums/PowerToysModules.cs:

public enum PowerToysModules
{
    Overview = 0,
    FancyZones,
    // ... other modules
    YourModule,  // Add here
}

Step 6: Installer Integration

Add your module to the WiX installer.

1. Create WiX Component File

installer/PowerToysInstallerVNext/YourModule.wxs:

<Wix xmlns="http://wixtoolset.org/schemas/v4/wxs">
  <Fragment>
    <ComponentGroup Id="YourModuleComponentGroup" Directory="INSTALLFOLDER">
      <!--YourModuleFiles_Component_Def-->
    </ComponentGroup>
  </Fragment>
</Wix>

2. Update Product.wxs

installer/PowerToysInstallerVNext/Product.wxs: Add to <Feature Id="CoreFeature">:

<ComponentGroupRef Id="YourModuleComponentGroup" />

3. Update File Generation Script

installer/PowerToysInstallerVNext/generateFileComponents.ps1: Add at the end:

# Your Module
Generate-FileList -fileDepsJson "" -fileListName YourModuleFiles -wxsFilePath $PSScriptRoot\YourModule.wxs -depsPath "$PSScriptRoot..\..\..\$platform\Release\YourModule"
Generate-FileComponents -fileListName "YourModuleFiles" -wxsFilePath $PSScriptRoot\YourModule.wxs -regroot $registryroot

Step 7: Build and Test

Build Your Module

# Build module interface and service
cd src\modules\YourModule
..\..\..\tools\build\build.ps1 -Configuration Debug

# Build entire solution
cd ..\..\..  # Back to root
.\tools\build\build.ps1 -Configuration Debug

Debug Your Module

Set runner as startup project
Start debugging (F5)
Enable your module in Settings
Attach to your module’s process:
- Press Ctrl+Alt+P
- Search for PowerToys.YourModule.exe
- Attach debugger

See Debugging Guide for details.

Test Scenarios

Module appears in Settings UI
Enable/disable works correctly
Settings persist after restart
Hotkey activation works (if applicable)
Module starts with PowerToys
Module logs correctly
No crashes or memory leaks
Works in elevated and non-elevated modes
OOBE page displays correctly

Step 8: Testing

Write comprehensive tests for your module.

Unit Tests

Create test project: src/modules/YourModule/Tests/YourModule-UnitTests/ See Testing Guide for details.

UI Tests

Create UI test project: src/modules/YourModule/Tests/YourModule-UITests/ See Testing Guide for details.

Fuzz Tests (if applicable)

If your module handles file I/O or user input, implement fuzz tests. See Testing Guide for details.

Step 9: Documentation

Developer Documentation

Create doc/devdocs/modules/your-module.md:

# Your Module

## Overview
Brief description of what the module does.

## Architecture
- Module interface: How it integrates with runner
- Service: Main functionality
- UI: User interface components

## Key Files
- `YourModuleModuleInterface.dll` - Runner interface
- `PowerToys.YourModule.exe` - Main service
- Settings integration files

## Building
Special build instructions if any.

## Testing
How to test the module.

## Known Issues
Any known limitations or issues.

User Documentation

The PowerToys team will create Microsoft Learn documentation for users.

Common Pitfalls

Module Not Loading

Symptoms: Module doesn’t appear in Settings Check:

Module registered in modules.h and modules.cpp
DLL path correct in module_dlls array
Module key matches everywhere
Module interface exports powertoy_create() correctly

Settings Not Persisting

Symptoms: Settings reset after restart Check:

Settings saved to correct path: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\PowerToys\YourModule\settings.json
JSON serialization correct
Settings loaded in init_settings()
File watcher implemented for settings changes

Module Crashes Runner

Symptoms: PowerToys crashes when module loads Check:

No exceptions in module constructor
Proper error handling in interface methods
Resources cleaned up in destructor
No memory leaks
Logs show error details

Hotkey Not Working

Symptoms: Hotkey doesn’t activate module Check:

Hotkey parsed correctly in settings
get_hotkeys() returns correct hotkey
on_hotkey() handles activation
Module is enabled
No conflicting hotkeys

Checklist

Before submitting your module:

Code Complete

Quality

Testing

Builds successfully
Unit tests pass
UI tests pass (if applicable)
Fuzz tests implemented (if handling file I/O)
Tested in Debug and Release
Tested elevated and non-elevated
Tested on multiple monitors (if applicable)
Tested clean install

Integration

Next Steps

Building

Build your module and PowerToys

Debugging

Debug your module effectively

Testing

Write comprehensive tests

Contributing

Submit your module via pull request

Getting Help

If you need assistance:

Check existing modules for examples
Review developer documentation
Open an issue with tag Needs-Team-Response
Join discussions in the PowerToys repository

Thank you for contributing to PowerToys! 🎉

Architecture

Development Guide

Plugin Development

​Overview

​Prerequisites

​Planning Your Module

​1. Design Decisions

​2. Study Similar Modules

​Module Architecture

​Folder Structure

​Step 1: Create Module Interface

​Using the Project Template

​Module Interface Structure

​1. Settings Structure

​2. Module Class

​3. Required Methods

​Export Module

​Step 2: Register Module with Runner

​1. src/runner/modules.h

​2. src/runner/modules.cpp

​3. src/common/logger/logger.h

​4. src/runner/settings_window.h and .cpp

​Step 3: Build Module Service/UI

​C++ Service Example

​C# WinUI App Example

​Project Configuration

​Step 4: Settings Integration

​1. Create Settings Classes

​2. Create ViewModel

​3. Create Settings Page

​4. Add Resource Strings

​Step 5: OOBE Page

​Step 6: Installer Integration

​1. Create WiX Component File

​2. Update Product.wxs

​3. Update File Generation Script

​Step 7: Build and Test

​Build Your Module

​Debug Your Module

​Test Scenarios

​Step 8: Testing

​Unit Tests

​UI Tests

​Fuzz Tests (if applicable)

​Step 9: Documentation

​Developer Documentation

​User Documentation

​Common Pitfalls

​Module Not Loading

​Settings Not Persisting

​Module Crashes Runner

​Hotkey Not Working

​Checklist

​Code Complete

​Quality

​Testing

​Integration

​Next Steps

Building

Debugging

Testing

Contributing

​Getting Help

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Overview

Prerequisites

Planning Your Module

1. Design Decisions

2. Study Similar Modules

Module Architecture

Folder Structure

Step 1: Create Module Interface

Using the Project Template

Module Interface Structure

1. Settings Structure

2. Module Class

3. Required Methods

Export Module

Step 2: Register Module with Runner

1. `src/runner/modules.h`

2. `src/runner/modules.cpp`

3. `src/common/logger/logger.h`

4. `src/runner/settings_window.h` and `.cpp`

Step 3: Build Module Service/UI

C++ Service Example

C# WinUI App Example

Project Configuration

Step 4: Settings Integration

1. Create Settings Classes

2. Create ViewModel

3. Create Settings Page

4. Add Resource Strings

Step 5: OOBE Page

Step 6: Installer Integration

1. Create WiX Component File

2. Update Product.wxs

3. Update File Generation Script

Step 7: Build and Test

Build Your Module

Debug Your Module

Test Scenarios

Step 8: Testing

Unit Tests

UI Tests

Fuzz Tests (if applicable)

Step 9: Documentation

Developer Documentation

User Documentation

Common Pitfalls

Module Not Loading

Settings Not Persisting

Module Crashes Runner

Hotkey Not Working

Checklist

Code Complete

Quality

Testing

Integration

Next Steps

Getting Help