---
title: Taskbar Customization
description: Customize the look and feel of your app's Windows taskbar presence.
slug: windows-taskbar
hide_title: true
---

# Taskbar Customization

## Overview

Electron has APIs to configure the app's icon in the Windows taskbar. This API
supports both Windows-only features like [creation of a `JumpList`](#jumplist),
[custom thumbnails and toolbars](#thumbnail-toolbars),
[icon overlays](#icon-overlays-in-taskbar), and the so-called
["Flash Frame" effect](#flash-frame), and cross-platform features
like [recent documents][recent-documents] and
[application progress][progress-bar].

## JumpList

Windows allows apps to define a custom context menu that shows up when users
right-click the app's icon in the taskbar. That context menu is called
`JumpList`. You specify custom actions in the `Tasks` category of JumpList,
as quoted from [MSDN][msdn-jumplist]:

> Applications define tasks based on both the program's features and the key
> things a user is expected to do with them. Tasks should be context-free, in
> that the application does not need to be running for them to work. They
> should also be the statistically most common actions that a normal user would
> perform in an application, such as compose an email message or open the
> calendar in a mail program, create a new document in a word processor, launch
> an application in a certain mode, or launch one of its subcommands. An
> application should not clutter the menu with advanced features that standard
> users won't need or one-time actions such as registration. Do not use tasks
> for promotional items such as upgrades or special offers.
>
> It is strongly recommended that the task list be static. It should remain the
> same regardless of the state or status of the application. While it is
> possible to vary the list dynamically, you should consider that this could
> confuse the user who does not expect that portion of the destination list to
> change.

![Taskbar JumpList](../images/windows-taskbar-jumplist.png)

> NOTE: The screenshot above is an example of general tasks for Microsoft Edge

Unlike the dock menu in macOS which is a real menu, user tasks in Windows work
like application shortcuts. For example, when a user clicks a task, the program
will be executed with specified arguments.

To set user tasks for your application, you can use
[app.setUserTasks][setusertaskstasks] API.

#### Examples

##### Set user tasks

Starting with a working application from the
[tutorial starter code][tutorial-starter-code], update the `main.js` file with the
following lines:

```js
const { app } = require('electron')

app.setUserTasks([
  {
    program: process.execPath,
    arguments: '--new-window',
    iconPath: process.execPath,
    iconIndex: 0,
    title: 'New Window',
    description: 'Create a new window'
  }
])
```

##### Clear tasks list

To clear your tasks list, you need to call `app.setUserTasks` with an empty
array in the `main.js` file.

```js
const { app } = require('electron')

app.setUserTasks([])
```

> NOTE: The user tasks will still be displayed even after closing your
application, so the icon and program path specified for a task should exist until your application is uninstalled.

[msdn-jumplist]: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/shell/taskbar-extensions#tasks

### Thumbnail Toolbars

On Windows, you can add a thumbnail toolbar with specified buttons to a taskbar
layout of an application window. It provides users with a way to access a
particular window's command without restoring or activating the window.

As quoted from [MSDN][msdn-thumbnail]:

> This toolbar is the familiar standard toolbar common control. It has a
> maximum of seven buttons. Each button's ID, image, tooltip, and state are defined
> in a structure, which is then passed to the taskbar. The application can show,
> enable, disable, or hide buttons from the thumbnail toolbar as required by its
> current state.
>
> For example, Windows Media Player might offer standard media transport controls
> such as play, pause, mute, and stop.

![Thumbnail toolbar](../images/windows-taskbar-thumbnail-toolbar.png)

> NOTE: The screenshot above is an example of thumbnail toolbar of Windows
Media Player

To set thumbnail toolbar in your application, you need to use
[BrowserWindow.setThumbarButtons][setthumbarbuttons]

#### Examples

##### Set thumbnail toolbar

Starting with a working application from the
[tutorial starter code][tutorial-starter-code], update the `main.js` file with the
following lines:

```js
const { BrowserWindow, nativeImage } = require('electron')

const path = require('node:path')

const win = new BrowserWindow()

win.setThumbarButtons([
  {
    tooltip: 'button1',
    icon: nativeImage.createFromPath(path.join(__dirname, 'button1.png')),
    click () { console.log('button1 clicked') }
  }, {
    tooltip: 'button2',
    icon: nativeImage.createFromPath(path.join(__dirname, 'button2.png')),
    flags: ['enabled', 'dismissonclick'],
    click () { console.log('button2 clicked.') }
  }
])
```

##### Clear thumbnail toolbar

To clear thumbnail toolbar buttons, you need to call
`BrowserWindow.setThumbarButtons` with an empty array in the `main.js` file.

```js
const { BrowserWindow } = require('electron')

const win = new BrowserWindow()
win.setThumbarButtons([])
```

[msdn-thumbnail]: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/shell/taskbar-extensions#thumbnail-toolbars

### Icon Overlays in Taskbar

On Windows, a taskbar button can use a small overlay to display application
status.

As quoted from [MSDN][msdn-icon-overlay]:

> Icon overlays serve as a contextual notification of status, and are intended
> to negate the need for a separate notification area status icon to communicate
> that information to the user. For instance, the new mail status in Microsoft
> Outlook, currently shown in the notification area, can now be indicated
> through an overlay on the taskbar button. Again, you must decide during your
> development cycle which method is best for your application. Overlay icons are
> intended to supply important, long-standing status or notifications such as
> network status, messenger status, or new mail. The user should not be
> presented with constantly changing overlays or animations.

![Overlay on taskbar button](../images/windows-taskbar-icon-overlay.png)

> NOTE: The screenshot above is an example of overlay on a taskbar button

To set the overlay icon for a window, you need to use the
[BrowserWindow.setOverlayIcon][setoverlayicon] API.

#### Example

Starting with a working application from the
[tutorial starter code][tutorial-starter-code], update the `main.js` file with the
following lines:

```js
const { BrowserWindow, nativeImage } = require('electron')

const win = new BrowserWindow()

win.setOverlayIcon(nativeImage.createFromPath('path/to/overlay.png'), 'Description for overlay')
```

[msdn-icon-overlay]: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/shell/taskbar-extensions#icon-overlays

### Flash Frame

On Windows, you can highlight the taskbar button to get the user's attention.
This is similar to bouncing the dock icon in macOS.

As quoted from [MSDN][msdn-flash-frame]:

> Typically, a window is flashed to inform the user that the window requires
> attention but that it does not currently have the keyboard focus.

To flash the BrowserWindow taskbar button, you need to use the
[BrowserWindow.flashFrame][flashframe] API.

#### Example

Starting with a working application from the
[tutorial starter code][tutorial-starter-code], update the `main.js` file with the
following lines:

```js
const { BrowserWindow } = require('electron')

const win = new BrowserWindow()

win.once('focus', () => win.flashFrame(false))
win.flashFrame(true)
```

> NOTE: Don't forget to call `win.flashFrame(false)` to turn off the flash.
In the above example, it is called when the window comes into focus,
but you might use a timeout or some other event to disable it.

[msdn-flash-frame]: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/winuser/nf-winuser-flashwindow#remarks
[setthumbarbuttons]: ../api/browser-window.md#winsetthumbarbuttonsbuttons-windows
[setusertaskstasks]: ../api/app.md#appsetusertaskstasks-windows
[setoverlayicon]: ../api/browser-window.md#winsetoverlayiconoverlay-description-windows
[flashframe]: ../api/browser-window.md#winflashframeflag
[recent-documents]: ./recent-documents.md
[progress-bar]: ./progress-bar.md
[tutorial-starter-code]: ../tutorial/tutorial-2-first-app.md#final-starter-code
