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Tauri permissions generator

Tauri shell permission: shell:default

The shell plugin (tauri-plugin-shell) opens URLs and paths in the operating system's default handler and runs external programs. shell:default covers the open command; spawning or executing a process additionally needs the plugin's execute or spawn permission with a scope entry that names each program the app may run and the arguments it may pass.

This is the widest grant on the page. An app that only needs to open a link in the browser should keep shell:default and nothing more; an app that must run a binary should allow-list that one binary and validate its arguments in the scope, because a shell grant without a scope is a way for a compromised webview to run anything on the machine.

Shell at a glance

Permission
shell:default
Cargo crate
tauri-plugin-shell
npm bindings
@tauri-apps/plugin-shell
Builder call
.plugin(tauri_plugin_shell::init())
What it enables
Open URLs and paths in the OS default handler, and run allow-listed commands.
What it widens
Launches other programs and opens URLs. The most powerful grant here — allow-list the exact commands rather than shipping the default.

The four files that must agree

Capability file

src-tauri/capabilities/default.json
{
  "$schema": "../gen/schemas/desktop-schema.json",
  "identifier": "default",
  "description": "Capabilities granted to the main window.",
  "windows": [
    "main"
  ],
  "permissions": [
    "core:default",
    "shell:default"
  ]
}

core:default is the baseline every window has; the plugin permission is the one line this page adds.

Cargo dependency

src-tauri/Cargo.toml
[dependencies]
tauri = { version = "2", features = [] }
serde = { version = "1", features = ["derive"] }
serde_json = "1"
tauri-plugin-shell = "2"

Plugin registration

src-tauri/src/lib.rs
#[cfg_attr(mobile, tauri::mobile_entry_point)]
pub fn run() {
    tauri::Builder::default()
        .plugin(tauri_plugin_shell::init())
        .run(tauri::generate_context!())
        .expect("error while running tauri application");
}

A crate that is declared but never registered is dead weight; one registered without its permission is a runtime denial.

Frontend bindings

terminal
npm install @tauri-apps/plugin-shell

shell:default, answered

The longer version is in the guide Tauri 2 permissions: capabilities without the runtime denials.

What does shell:default grant in Tauri 2?
shell:default is the default permission set of tauri-plugin-shell. It open URLs and paths in the OS default handler, and run allow-listed commands. Tauri 2 denies every command that is not listed in a capability file, so without this line the plugin's commands fail at runtime even though the crate compiles and is registered.
Why does my shell call fail with a permission error?
Three files have to agree: tauri-plugin-shell in Cargo.toml, .plugin(tauri_plugin_shell::init()) in src/lib.rs, and shell:default in the capability file under src-tauri/capabilities/. The ACL is checked when a command is invoked, not when the app is built, so a missing permission string compiles cleanly and denies at runtime. The frontend also needs @tauri-apps/plugin-shell installed to call it.
Is shell:default safe to ship?
Launches other programs and opens URLs. The most powerful grant here — allow-list the exact commands rather than shipping the default. Permissions are additive on top of core:default, so the least-privilege shape is to grant only the plugins the app calls, and to prefer the plugin's granular allow-* permissions over the default set wherever a command or path can be named.

Combine it with the rest of your capability file

The Tauri permissions generator builds the whole file from the same catalogue — tick every plugin the app calls, add a custom title bar's window permissions, and copy the capability JSON, Cargo dependencies, builder chain and npm install line together. In the Nodlume workspace the same selection is what the Desktop export writes into src-tauri.

Open the generator

Other Tauri 2 plugin permissions

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