WebAppInstallForceList

Article
2025-05-09

Configure list of force-installed Web Apps

Supported versions

On Windows and macOS since 80 or later

Description

Setting the policy specifies a list of web apps that install silently, without user interaction. Users can't turn off the policy or uninstall these web apps.

Each list item of the policy is an object with a mandatory member: url (the URL of the web app to install)

and 6 optional members:

default_launch_container (for how the web app opens—a new tab is the default)
create_desktop_shortcut (True if you want to create Linux and Microsoft Windows desktop shortcuts).
fallback_app_name (Starting with Microsoft Edge version 90, lets you permanently override the app name if it is not a Progressive Web App (PWA) or temporarily override the app name if authentication is required before installation can be completed. If both custom_name and fallback_app_name are provided, the latter will be ignored.)
custom_name (Starting with Microsoft Edge version 112 on all desktop platforms, lets you permanently override the app name for all web apps and PWAs.)
custom_icon (Starting with Microsoft Edge version 112 on all desktop platforms, lets you to override the app icon of installed apps. The icons have to be square, maximal 1 MB in size, and in one of the following formats: jpeg, png, gif, webp, ico. The hash value has to be the SHA256 hash of the icon file. The url should be accessible without authentication to ensure the icon can be used upon app installation.)
install_as_shortcut (Starting with Microsoft Edge version 107). If enabled, the given url will be installed as a shortcut, as if done via the "Create Shortcut..." option in the desktop browser GUI. Note that when installed as a shortcut it won't be updated if the manifest in url changes. If disabled or unset, the web app at the given url will be installed normally. (This is not currently supported in Microsoft Edge.)

Supported features

Can be mandatory: Yes
Can be recommended: No
Dynamic Policy Refresh: Yes
Per Profile: Yes
Applies to a profile that is signed in with a Microsoft account: No

Data type

Dictionary

Windows information and settings

Group Policy (ADMX) info

GP unique name: WebAppInstallForceList
GP name: Configure list of force-installed Web Apps
GP path (Mandatory): Administrative Templates/Microsoft Edge
GP path (Recommended): N/A
GP ADMX file name: MSEdge.admx

Example value

[{"create_desktop_shortcut": true, "default_launch_container": "window", "url": "https://www.contoso.com/maps"}, {"default_launch_container": "tab", "url": "https://app.contoso.edu"}, {"default_launch_container": "window", "fallback_app_name": "Editor", "url": "https://app.contoso.edu/editor"}, {"custom_name": "Spreadsheets", "default_launch_container": "window", "install_as_shortcut": true, "url": "https://app.contoso.edu/sheets"}, {"custom_icon": {"hash": "c28f469c450e9ab2b86ea47038d2b324c6ad3b1e9a4bd8960da13214afd0ca38", "url": "https://mydomain.example.com/sunny_icon.png"}, "url": "https://weather.example.com"}]

Registry settings

Path (Mandatory): SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge
Path (Recommended): N/A
Value name: WebAppInstallForceList
Value type: REG_SZ

Example registry value

[{"create_desktop_shortcut": true, "default_launch_container": "window", "url": "https://www.contoso.com/maps"}, {"default_launch_container": "tab", "url": "https://app.contoso.edu"}, {"default_launch_container": "window", "fallback_app_name": "Editor", "url": "https://app.contoso.edu/editor"}, {"custom_name": "Spreadsheets", "default_launch_container": "window", "install_as_shortcut": true, "url": "https://app.contoso.edu/sheets"}, {"custom_icon": {"hash": "c28f469c450e9ab2b86ea47038d2b324c6ad3b1e9a4bd8960da13214afd0ca38", "url": "https://mydomain.example.com/sunny_icon.png"}, "url": "https://weather.example.com"}]

Expanded example registry value

[
  {
    "create_desktop_shortcut": true,
    "default_launch_container": "window",
    "url": "https://www.contoso.com/maps"
  },
  {
    "default_launch_container": "tab",
    "url": "https://app.contoso.edu"
  },
  {
    "default_launch_container": "window",
    "fallback_app_name": "Editor",
    "url": "https://app.contoso.edu/editor"
  },
  {
    "custom_name": "Spreadsheets",
    "default_launch_container": "window",
    "install_as_shortcut": true,
    "url": "https://app.contoso.edu/sheets"
  },
  {
    "custom_icon": {
      "hash": "c28f469c450e9ab2b86ea47038d2b324c6ad3b1e9a4bd8960da13214afd0ca38",
      "url": "https://mydomain.example.com/sunny_icon.png"
    },
    "url": "https://weather.example.com"
  }
]

Mac information and settings

Preference Key name: WebAppInstallForceList
Example value:

<key>WebAppInstallForceList</key>
<array>
  <dict>
    <key>create_desktop_shortcut</key>
    <true/>
    <key>default_launch_container</key>
    <string>window</string>
    <key>url</key>
    <string>https://www.contoso.com/maps</string>
  </dict>
  <dict>
    <key>default_launch_container</key>
    <string>tab</string>
    <key>url</key>
    <string>https://app.contoso.edu</string>
  </dict>
  <dict>
    <key>default_launch_container</key>
    <string>window</string>
    <key>fallback_app_name</key>
    <string>Editor</string>
    <key>url</key>
    <string>https://app.contoso.edu/editor</string>
  </dict>
  <dict>
    <key>custom_name</key>
    <string>Spreadsheets</string>
    <key>default_launch_container</key>
    <string>window</string>
    <key>install_as_shortcut</key>
    <true/>
    <key>url</key>
    <string>https://app.contoso.edu/sheets</string>
  </dict>
  <dict>
    <key>custom_icon</key>
    <dict>
      <key>hash</key>
      <string>c28f469c450e9ab2b86ea47038d2b324c6ad3b1e9a4bd8960da13214afd0ca38</string>
      <key>url</key>
      <string>https://mydomain.example.com/sunny_icon.png</string>
    </dict>
    <key>url</key>
    <string>https://weather.example.com</string>
  </dict>
</array>

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