IntelliJ Platform Plugin SDK Help

Plugin Configuration File

The plugin.xml configuration file contains all the information about the plugin, which is displayed in the plugins' settings dialog, and all registered extensions, actions, listeners, etc. The sections below describe all the elements in detail.

The example plugin.xml files can be found in the IntelliJ SDK Docs Code Samples repository.

Additional Plugin Configuration Files

A plugin can contain additional configuration files beside the main plugin.xml. They have the same format, and they are included with the config-file attribute of <depends> elements specifying plugin dependencies. However, some elements and attributes required in plugin.xml are ignored in additional configuration files. If the requirements differ, the documentation below will state it explicitly. One use case for additional configuration files is when a plugin provides optional features that are only available in some IDEs and require certain modules.

Useful Resources

Please make sure to follow the guidelines from Plugin Overview page for an optimal presentation of your plugin on JetBrains Marketplace. The Busy Plugin Developers. Episode 2 discusses 5 tips for optimizing JetBrains Marketplace plugin page in more detail.

See also Marketing about widgets and badges.

Configuration Structure Overview

Deprecated elements are omitted in the list below.

idea-plugin

The plugin.xml file root element.

Required

yes

Attributes

  • url (optional; ignored in an additional config file)
    The link to the plugin homepage displayed on the plugin page in the JetBrains Marketplace.

  • require-restart (optional)

    The boolean value determining whether the plugin installation, update, or uninstallation requires an IDE restart (see Dynamic Plugins for details).
    Default value: false.

Children

id

A unique identifier of the plugin. It should be a fully qualified name similar to Java packages and must not collide with the ID of existing plugins. The ID is a technical value used to identify the plugin in the IDE and JetBrains Marketplace. Please use characters, numbers, and '.'/'-'/'_' symbols only and keep it reasonably short.

Required

no; ignored in an additional config file
It is highly recommended to set in plugin.xml file.
The element can be skipped in the source plugin.xml file if the Gradle plugin patchPluginXml task (2.x, 1.x) is enabled and configured.

Default value

Value of the <name> element.

Example
<id>com.example.framework</id>

name

The user-visible plugin display name (Title Case).

Required

yes; ignored in an additional config file

Example
<name>My Framework Support</name>

version

The plugin version displayed in the Plugins settings dialog and on the JetBrains Marketplace plugin page. Plugins uploaded to the JetBrains Marketplace must follow semantic versioning.

Required

yes; ignored in an additional config file
The element can be skipped in the source plugin.xml file if the Gradle plugin patchPluginXml task (2.x, 1.x) is enabled and configured.

Example
<version>1.3.18</version>

product-descriptor

Paid or Freemium plugin descriptor.

Required

only for paid or freemium plugins; ignored in an additional config file
Do not add <product-descriptor> element in a free plugin.

Attributes

  • code (required)
    The plugin product code used in the JetBrains Sales System. The code must be agreed with JetBrains in advance and follow the requirements.

  • release-date (required)
    Date of the major version release in the YYYYMMDD format.

  • release-version (required)
    A major version in a specific number format, for example, 20242 for the 2024.2 major release.
    See release-version constraints for more details.

  • optional (optional)
    The boolean value determining whether the plugin is a Freemium plugin.
    Default value: false.

  • eap (optional)

    Specifies the boolean value determining whether the plugin is an EAP release.
    Default value: false.

idea-version

The plugin's range of compatible IntelliJ-based IDE versions.

Required

yes; ignored in an additional config file
The element can be skipped in the source plugin.xml file if the Gradle plugin patchPluginXml task (2.x, 1.x) is enabled and configured.

Attributes

  • since-build (required)
    The lowest IDE version compatible with the plugin.

  • until-build (optional)

    The highest IDE version compatible with the plugin. Undefined value declares compatibility with all the IDEs since the version specified by the since-build (also with the future builds that may cause incompatibility errors).

Examples

  • Compatibility with a specific build number (2021.3.3) and higher versions:

    <idea-version since-build="213.7172.25"/>

  • Compatibility with versions from any of 213 branches to any of 221 branches:

    <idea-version since-build="213" until-build="221.*"/>

vendor

The vendor name or organization ID (if created) in the Plugins settings dialog and on the JetBrains Marketplace plugin page.

Required

yes; ignored in an additional config file

Attributes

  • url (optional)
    The URL to the vendor's homepage. Supports https:// and http:// scheme links.

  • email (optional)

    The vendor's email address.

Examples

  • Personal vendor with an email address provided:

    <vendor email="joe@example.com">Joe Doe</vendor>

  • Organizational vendor with a website URL and email address provided:

    <vendor url="https://mycompany.example.com" email="contact@example.com"> My Company </vendor>

description

The plugin description displayed on the JetBrains Marketplace plugin page and in the Plugins settings dialog.

Simple HTML elements, like text formatting, paragraphs, lists, etc., are allowed and must be wrapped into <![CDATA[... ]]> section.

Required

yes; ignored in an additional config file
The element can be skipped in the source plugin.xml file if the Gradle plugin patchPluginXml task (2.x, 1.x) is enabled and configured.

Example
<description><![CDATA[ Provides support for My Framework. The support includes: <ul> <li>code completion</li> <li>references</li> </ul> For more information visit the <a href="https://example.com">project site</a>. ]]></description>

change-notes

A short summary of new features, bugfixes, and changes provided with the latest plugin version. Change notes are displayed on the JetBrains Marketplace plugin page and in the Plugins settings dialog.

Simple HTML elements, like text formatting, paragraphs, lists, etc., are allowed and must be wrapped into <![CDATA[... ]]> section.

Required

no; ignored in an additional config file
The element can be skipped in the source plugin.xml file if the Gradle plugin patchPluginXml task (2.x, 1.x) is enabled and configured.

Example
<change-notes><![CDATA[ <h2>New Features</h2> <ul> <li>Feature 1</li> <li>Feature 2</li> </ul> <h2>Bug Fixes</h2> <ul> <li>Fixed issue 1</li> <li>Fixed issue 2</li> </ul> ]]></change-notes>

depends

Specifies a dependency on another plugin or a module of an IntelliJ Platform-based product. A single <idea-plugin> element can contain multiple <depends> elements.

Required

no; in most cases dependency on the platform module is needed

Attributes

  • optional (optional)
    Boolean value defining whether the dependency is optional to load the plugin in the IDE. If the dependency plugin is not installed in the current IDE, and optional is:

    • true - the plugin will be loaded

    • false (default) - the plugin will not be loaded

  • config-file (required when optional is true)

    Relative path to an additional configuration file, loaded only if the dependency plugin is installed in the current IDE.

Examples

  • Required plugin dependency:

    <depends>com.example.dependencypluginid</depends>

  • Required dependency on the IntelliJ IDEA Java Module:

    <depends>com.intellij.modules.java</depends>

  • Optional plugin dependency:

    <depends optional="true"> com.example.dependencypluginid </depends>

  • Required module dependency with additional configuration:

    <depends config-file="myPluginId-withJava.xml"> com.intellij.modules.java </depends>

  • Optional module dependency with additional configuration:

    <depends optional="true" config-file="myPluginId-withKotlin.xml"> org.jetbrains.kotlin </depends>

incompatible-with

Declares incompatibility with a provided module.

Required

no; ignored in an additional config file

Example
<incompatible-with> com.intellij.modules.appcode.ide </incompatible-with>

extensions

Defines the plugin extensions.

Required

no

Attributes

  • defaultExtensionNs (optional)

    Default extensions namespace. It allows skipping the common prefix in fully qualified extension point names. Usually, the com.intellij namespace is used when the plugin implements IntelliJ Platform extensions.

Children

The children elements are registrations of instances of extension points provided by the IntelliJ Platform or plugins.
An extension element name is defined by its extension point via name or qualifiedName attributes.
An extension element attributes depend on the extension point implementation, but all extensions support basic attributes: id, order, and os.

Examples

  • Extensions' declaration with a default namespace:

    <extensions defaultExtensionNs="com.intellij"> <applicationService serviceImplementation="com.example.Service"/> </extensions>

  • Extensions' declaration using the fully qualified extension name:

    <extensions> <com.example.vcs.myExtension implementation="com.example.MyExtension"/> </extensions>

An Extension

An extension instance registered under <extensions>.

Listed attributes are basic attributes available for all extensions. The list of actual attributes can be longer depending on the extension point implementation.

Attributes

  • id (optional)
    Unique extension identifier. It allows for referencing an extension in other attributes, for example, in order.
    To not clash with other plugins defining extensions with the same identifier, consider prepending the identifier with a prefix related to the plugin <id> or <name>, for example, id="com.example.myplugin.myExtension".

  • order (optional)
    Allows for ordering the extension relative to other instances of the same extension point. Supported values:

    • first - orders the extension as first. It is not guaranteed that the extension will be the first if multiple extensions are defined as first.

    • last - orders the extension as last. It is not guaranteed that the extension will be the last if multiple extensions are defined as last.

    • before extension_id - orders the extension before an extension with the given id

    • after extension_id - orders the extension after an extension with the given id


      Values can be combined, for example, order="after extensionY, before extensionX".

  • os (optional)

    Allows restricting an extension to a given OS. Supported values:

    • freebsd

    • linux

    • mac

    • unix

    • windows

    For example, os="windows" registers the extension on Windows only.

extensionPoints

Extension points defined by the plugin.

Required

no

Children

extensionPoint

A single extension point entry of the <extensionPoints> defined by the plugin. A single <extensionPoints> element can contain multiple <extensionPoint> elements.

Required

no

Attributes

  • name (name or qualifiedName is required)
    The extension point name that should be unique in the scope of the plugin, e.g., myExtension. The fully qualified name of the extension point is built at runtime by prepending the value of the name attribute with the plugin <id> + . prefix.
    Example: when the name is myExtension and plugin ID is com.example.myplugin, the fully qualified name of the EP will be com.example.myplugin.myExtension.
    Only one of the name and qualifiedName attributes can be specified.

  • qualifiedName (name or qualifiedName is required)
    The fully qualified name of the extension point. It should be unique between different plugins, and it is recommended to include a plugin ID to guarantee uniqueness, e.g., com.example.myplugin.myExtension.
    Only one of the name and qualifiedName attributes can be specified.

  • interface (interface or beanClass is required)
    The fully qualified name of the interface to be implemented for extending the plugin's functionality.
    Only one of the interface and beanClass attributes can be specified.

  • beanClass (interface or beanClass is required)
    The fully qualified name of the extension point bean class providing additional information to the plugin.
    The bean class specifies one or several properties annotated with the @Attribute annotation. Note that bean classes do not follow the JavaBean standard. Implement PluginAware to obtain information about the plugin providing the actual extension (see Error Handling).
    Only one of the interface and beanClass attributes can be specified.

  • dynamic (optional)
    Boolean value defining whether the extension point meets the requirements to be dynamic, which is a prerequisite for dynamic plugins.
    Default value: false.

  • area (optional)

    The scope in which the extension is instantiated. It is not recommended to use non-default values. Allowed values:

    • IDEA_APPLICATION (default)

    • IDEA_PROJECT

    • IDEA_MODULE (deprecated)

Children
with

Specifies the required parent type for class names provided in extension point tags or attributes. A single <extensionPoint> element can contain multiple <with> elements.

Required

no

Attributes

  • tag (tag or attribute is required)
    The name of the tag holding the fully qualified name of the class which parent type will be limited by the type provided in the implements attribute.
    Only one of the tag and attribute attributes can be specified.

  • attribute (tag or attribute is required)
    The name of the attribute holding the fully qualified name of the class which parent type will be limited by the type provided in the implements attribute.
    Only one of the tag and attribute attributes can be specified.

  • implements (required)

    The fully qualified name of the parent type limiting the type provided in the place specified by tag or attribute.

Example

An extension point which restricts the type provided in a myClass attribute to be an instance of com.example.ParentType, and the type provided in a someClass element to be an instance of java.lang.Comparable:

<extensionPoint name="myExtension" beanClass="com.example.MyExtension"> <with attribute="myClass" implements="com.example.ParentType"/> <with tag="someClass" implements="java.lang.Comparable"/> </extensionPoint>

When using the above extension point, an implementation could be registered as follows:

<myExtension ... myClass="com.example.MyCustomType"> <someClass>com.example.MyComparable</someClass> </myExtension>

where:

  • com.example.MyCustomType must be a subtype of com.example.ParentType

  • com.example.MyComparable must be a subtype of java.lang.Comparable

resource-bundle

A resource bundle to be used with message key attributes in extension declarations and for action and group localization. A single <idea-plugin> element can contain multiple <resource-bundle> elements.

Required

no

Example

To load the content of messages/Bundle.properties bundle, declare:

<resource-bundle>messages.Bundle</resource-bundle>

actions

Defines the plugin actions.

Required

no

Attributes

  • resource-bundle (optional; available since 2020.1)

    Defines the dedicated actions resource bundle. See Localizing Actions and Groups for more details.

Children
Example
<actions resource-bundle="messages.ActionsBundle"> <!-- Actions/Groups defined here will use keys from the ActionsBundle.properties bundle. --> </actions>

action

A single action entry of the <actions> implemented by the plugin. A single <actions> element can contain multiple <action> elements.

Required

no

Attributes

  • id (optional; defaults to the action class short name if not specified)
    A unique action identifier. It is recommended to specify the id attribute explicitly.
    The action identifier must be unique across different plugins. To ensure uniqueness, consider prepending it with the value of the plugin's <id>.

  • class (required)
    The fully qualified name of the action implementation class.

  • text (required if the action is not localized)
    The default long-version text to be displayed for the action (tooltip for toolbar button or text for menu item).

  • description (optional)
    The text which is displayed in the status bar when the action is focused.

  • icon (optional)
    The icon that is displayed on the toolbar button or next to the action menu item. See Working with Icons for more information about defining and using icons.

  • use-shortcut-of (optional)

    The ID of the action whose keyboard shortcut this action will use.

Children
Examples

  • Action declaring explicit text:

    <action id="com.example.myframeworksupport.MyAction" class="com.example.impl.MyAction" text="Do Action" description="Do something with the code" icon="AllIcons.Actions.GC"> <!-- action children elements --> </action>

  • Action without the text attribute must use the texts from the resource bundle declared with the <resource-bundle> element, or the resource-bundle attribute of the <actions> element:

    <action id="com.example.myframeworksupport.MyAction" class="com.example.impl.MyAction" icon="AllIcons.Actions.GC"/>
add-to-group

Specifies that the action should be added to an existing <group>. A single action can be added to multiple groups.

Required

no

Attributes

  • group-id (required)
    Specifies the ID of the <group> to which the action is added. The group must be an implementation of the DefaultActionGroup class.

  • anchor (optional)
    Specifies the position of the action relative to other actions. Allowed values:

    • first - the action is placed as the first in the group

    • last (default) - the action is placed as the last in the group

    • before - the action is placed before the action specified by the relative-to-action attribute

    • after - the action is placed after the action specified by the relative-to-action attribute

  • relative-to-action (required if anchor is before/after)

    The action before or after which the current action is inserted.

Example
<add-to-group group-id="ToolsMenu" anchor="after" relative-to-action="GenerateJavadoc"/>
keyboard-shortcut

Specifies the keyboard shortcut for the action. A single action can have several keyboard shortcuts.

Required

no

Attributes

  • keymap (required)
    Specifies the keymap for which the action shortcut is active. IDs of the standard keymaps are defined as constants in the KeymapManager class.

  • first-keystroke (required)
    Specifies the first keystroke of the action shortcut. The keystrokes are specified according to the regular Swing rules.

  • second-keystroke (optional)
    Specifies the second keystroke of the action shortcut.

  • remove (optional)
    Removes a shortcut from the specified action.

  • replace-all (optional)

    Removes all keyboard and mouse shortcuts from the specified action before adding the specified shortcut.

Examples

  • Add the first and second keystrokes to all keymaps:

    <keyboard-shortcut keymap="$default" first-keystroke="control alt G" second-keystroke="C"/>

  • Remove the given shortcut from the Mac OS X keymap:

    <keyboard-shortcut keymap="Mac OS X" first-keystroke="control alt G" second-keystroke="C" remove="true"/>

  • Remove all existing keyboard and mouse shortcuts and register one for the Mac OS X 10.5+ keymap only:

    <keyboard-shortcut keymap="Mac OS X 10.5+" first-keystroke="control alt G" second-keystroke="C" replace-all="true"/>
mouse-shortcut

Specifies the mouse shortcut for the action. A single action can have several mouse shortcuts.

Required

no

Attributes

  • keymap (required)
    Specifies the keymap for which the action shortcut is active. IDs of the standard keymaps are defined as constants in the KeymapManager class.

  • keystroke (required)
    Specifies the clicks and modifiers for the action. It is defined as a sequence of words separated by spaces:

    • modifier keys: shift, control, meta, alt, altGraph

    • mouse buttons: button1, button2, button3

    • button double-click: doubleClick

  • remove (optional)
    Removes a shortcut from the specified action.

  • replace-all (optional)

    Removes all keyboard and mouse shortcuts from the specified action before adding the specified shortcut.

Examples

  • Add the shortcut to all keymaps:

    <mouse-shortcut keymap="$default" keystroke="control button3 doubleClick"/>

  • Remove the given shortcut from the Mac OS X keymap:

    <mouse-shortcut keymap="Mac OS X" keystroke="control button3 doubleClick" remove="true"/>

  • Remove all existing keyboard and mouse shortcuts and register one for the Mac OS X 10.5+ keymap only:

    <mouse-shortcut keymap="Mac OS X 10.5+" keystroke="control button3 doubleClick" replace-all="true"/>
override-text

Defines an alternate menu action or group text depending on context: menu location, toolbar, and other.

Supported

2020.1+ for actions
2020.3+ for groups

Required

no

Attributes

  • place (required)
    Declares where the alternate text should be used.

  • text (text or use-text-of-place is required)
    Defines the text to be displayed for the action.

  • use-text-of-place (text or use-text-of-place is required)

    Defines a location whose text should be displayed for this action.

Examples

  • Explicitly overridden text:

    <!-- Default action text: "Garbage Collector: Collect _Garbage" --> <action class="com.example.CollectGarbage" text="Garbage Collector: Collect _Garbage" ...> <!-- Alternate text displayed anywhere in the main menu: "Collect _Garbage" --> <override-text place="MainMenu" text="Collect _Garbage"/> </action>

  • Overridden text reused from the MainMenu place:

    <override-text place="EditorPopup" use-text-of-place="MainMenu"/>
synonym

Defines an alternative text for searching the action in Help | Find Action... or Navigate | Search Everywhere popups. A single action can have multiple synonyms.

Required

no

Attributes

  • key (key or text is required)
    The key of the synonym text provided in a message bundle.

  • text (key or text is required)

    The synonym text.

Example
<!-- Default action text: Delete Element --> <synonym key="my.action.text.remove.element"/> <synonym text="Remove Element"/>
abbreviation

Defines an abbreviation for searching the action in Help | Find Action... or Navigate | Search Everywhere popups. A single action can have multiple abbreviations.

Required

no

Attributes

  • value (required)

    The abbreviation value.

Example
<!-- Default action text: UI Inspector --> <abbreviation value="uii"/>

group

Defines an action group. The <action>, <group> and <separator> elements defined inside the group are automatically included in it. The <group> elements can be nested.

Required

no

Attributes

  • id (required)
    A unique group identifier. The group identifier must be unique between different plugins. Thus, it is recommended to prepend it with the value of the plugin <id>.

  • class (optional)
    The fully qualified name of the group implementation class. If not specified, DefaultActionGroup is used.

  • text (required if the popup is true and the group is not localized)
    The default long-version text to be displayed for the group (text for the menu item showing the submenu).

  • description (optional)
    The text which is displayed in the status bar when the group is focused.

  • icon (optional)
    The icon that is displayed next to the group menu item. See Working with Icons for more information about defining and using icons.

  • popup (optional)
    Boolean flag defining whether the group items are presented in the submenu popup.

    • true - group actions are placed in a submenu

    • false (default) - actions are displayed as a section of the same menu delimited by separators

  • compact (optional)
    Boolean flag defining whether disabled actions within this group are hidden. If the value is:

    • true - disabled actions are hidden

    • false (default) - disabled actions are visible

  • use-shortcut-of (optional)
    The ID of the action whose keyboard shortcut this group will use.

  • searchable (optional; available since 2020.3)

    Boolean flag defining whether the group is displayed in Help | Find Action... or Navigate | Search Everywhere popups.
    Default value: true.

Children
Examples

  • Group declaring explicit text:

    <group id="com.example.myframeworksupport.MyGroup" popup="true" text="My Tools"> <!-- group children elements --> </group>

  • A popup group without the text attribute must use the texts from the resource bundle declared with the <resource-bundle> element, or the resource-bundle attribute of the <actions> element:

    <group id="com.example.myframeworksupport.MyGroup" popup="true"/>

  • A group with custom implementation and icon:

    <group id="com.example.myframeworksupport.MyGroup" class="com.example.impl.MyGroup" icon="AllIcons.Actions.GC"/>
reference

Allows adding an existing action to the group. The element can be used directly under the <actions> element, or in the <group> element.

Required

no

Attributes

  • ref (required)
    The ID of the action to add to a group.

  • id (optional)
    Deprecated: Use ref instead.

    The ID of the action to add to a group.

Children
Examples

  • An action reference in a group:

    <group ...> <reference ref="EditorCopy"/> </group>

  • An action reference registered directly in the <actions> element:

    <actions> <reference ref="com.example.MyAction"> <add-to-group group-id="ToolsMenu"/> </reference> </group>
separator

Defines a separator between actions in a group. The element can be used directly under the <actions> element with the child <add-to-group> element defining the target group, or in the <group> element.

Required

no

Attributes

  • text (optional)
    Text displayed on the separator. Separator text is displayed only in specific contexts such as popup menus, toolbars, etc.

  • key (optional)

    The message key for the separator text. The message bundle for use should be registered via the resource-bundle attribute of the <actions> element. The attribute is ignored if the text attribute is specified.

Children
Examples

  • A separator dividing two actions in a group:

    <group ...> <action .../> <separator/> <action .../> </group>

  • A separator registered directly in the <actions> element:

    <actions> <separator> <add-to-group group-id="com.example.MyGroup" anchor="first"/> </separator> </group>

  • A separator with a defined text:

    <separator text="Group By"/>

  • A separator with a text defined by a message key:

    <separator key="message.key"/>

applicationListeners

Defines the application-level listeners.

Required

no

Children

listener

Defines a single application or project-level listener. A single <applicationListeners> or <projectListeners> can contain multiple <listener> elements.

Required

no

Attributes

  • topic (required)
    The fully qualified name of the listener interface corresponding to the type of received events.

  • class (required)
    The fully qualified name of the class implementing the listener interface that receives and handles the events.

  • os (optional; available since 2020.1)
    Restricts listener instantiation to a specific operating system. Allowed values:

    • freebsd

    • mac

    • linux

    • unix

    • windows

  • activeInTestMode (optional)
    Boolean flag defining whether the listener should be instantiated in test mode.
    Default value: true.

  • activeInHeadlessMode (optional)

    Boolean flag defining whether the listener should be instantiated in headless mode.
    Default value: true.

Example
<listener topic="com.intellij.ide.AppLifecycleListener" class="com.example.MyListener" os="mac" activeInTestMode="false"/>

projectListeners

Defines the project-level listeners.

Required

no

Children

application-components

Defines a list of application components.

Deprecated

since 2020.1

Required

no

Children

component

Defines a single application, project, or module component. A single <application-components>, <project-components>, or <module-components> element can contain multiple <component> elements.

Deprecated

since 2020.1

Required

no

Children
implementation-class

The fully qualified name of the component implementation class.

Deprecated

since 2020.1

Required

yes

interface-class

The fully qualified name of the component interface class. If not specified, the interface will be the same as defined by <implementation-class> element.

Deprecated

since 2020.1

Required

no

headless-implementation-class

The fully qualified name of the component implementation class to be used when the IDE runs in headless mode.

Deprecated

since 2020.1

Required

no

option

Allows to provide additional component options. A single <component> element can contain multiple <option> elements.

Deprecated

since 2020.1

Required

no

Attributes

  • name (required)
    Option name.

  • value (required)

    Option value.

loadForDefaultProject

If present, the component is instantiated also for the default project. It takes effect only when used inside <project-components> element.

Deprecated

since 2020.1

Required

no

project-components

Defines a list of project components.

Deprecated

since 2020.1

Required

no

Children

module-components

Defines a list of module components.

Deprecated

since 2020.1

Required

no

Children
Last modified: 12 February 2025
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