How to Customize the Context Menu in Windows 11 with Shell – Step-by-Step Guide

Customizing your Windows context menu can greatly improve your productivity. In Windows 11, the default right-click menu is somewhat restrictive, but you can take control with Shell—a free and open-source context menu manager. In this guide, I’ll show you how to download, install, and fully customize your context menu, no matter which version of Windows you’re using.

Key Takeaways

  • You can easily customize the context menu in Windows 11 using Shell.
  • Shell allows you to add and remove menu items and change the overall look and feel.
  • This guide covers all steps from downloading Shell to applying custom themes.
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Requirements

Before starting, make sure you have:

  • A Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC
  • Internet access to download Shell
  • A text editor (like Notepad or Notepad++)

Step-by-Step Guide to Customizing the Context Menu

Download and Install Shell

First, you need to download Shell from its official website, Nilesoft.org.

Open your browser and go to Nilesoft.org.

Screenshot showing the Nilesoft.org homepage with the Download button highlighted.

Click on the Download button to access the installer. You can either use the installer or run a PowerShell command to install it.

Screenshot of the Shell Downloads page with the installer download link.

For installation via PowerShell, execute the following command in an admin PowerShell window:
winget install nilesoft.shell

Screenshot showing PowerShell executing the winget command.

Once installed, you’ll have the default Shell theme applied to your context menu.

Basic Overview of the Default Shell Menu

The “Show More Options” feature will be gone, and you’ll have access to the full Windows 10-style context menu.

  • Notice a few new items like a Terminal menu for PowerShell and CMD, a File Manage menu, and the Go To menu for quick shortcuts.
Screenshot showing the new Shell context menu with added options.

Customizing the Context Menu Items

Now that Shell is installed, let’s customize the items in your context menu.

  • Hold Shift and right-click on the taskbar to access Shell options.
Screenshot showing the Shift + Right-click action on the taskbar.
  • Click on the Directory option to open the Shell installation folder.
Screenshot showing the Shell directory.

Here, you can edit the shell.nss file to add or remove items from the context menu.

Removing Items from the Context Menu

If you want to remove specific items from the context menu, follow these steps:

  • Open the shell.nss file in a text or code editor. Some of my favorites include:
  • Locate the item you wish to remove (e.g., the Terminal menu) and delete the corresponding code.
Screenshot showing the code for the Terminal menu in shell.nss file.
  • Save the file, then restart the context menu by holding Control and right-clicking anywhere on the desktop.
Screenshot showing the refreshed context menu without the Terminal option.

Adding Custom Entries

To add a custom entry like launching a browser or calculator:

Open shell.nss and add the following command to create a new item:

item(title=' ' image=' ' cmd=' ') { }

Fill in the blanks for the title, image, and command.

For example, to add a browser:

  • Title: Browser
  • Image and Command: Use the file path for the executable you want to run. Example:

    item(title='Browser' image='C:\Program Files\Thorium\thorium.exe' cmd='C:\Program Files\Thorium\thorium.exe') { }
Screenshot showing the added browser entry in the shell.nss file with filled-in title, image, and cmd fields.

Save the file and refresh the context menu.

  • Optional: You can also add URLs to launch specific pages when using a browser. For that, use this command:

    item(title=' ' image=' ' cmd=' ' args=' ') { }

Fill in the args=' ' field with the webpage URL. Example:

args='https://www.google.com'

Screenshot showing the args='https://www.google.com' added to the command in shell.nss file.

Adding Icons

There are two methods to add icons:

Using Shell’s glyphs:

Visit the Glyphs section on the Shell website, copy the code from there, and paste it into the config file. The image command will then look like this (no quotes):

image=\uE1E7

Screenshot of shell.nss file showing the image=\uE1E7 command for adding a glyph icon.

Using custom images:

Download an image file, save it in a folder, and use the file path in the config file. Example:

item(title='Calculator' image='C:\Program Files\Nilesoft Shell\images\calc.png' cmd='calc.exe') { }

Screenshot of shell.nss showing the added custom image path for the Calculator entry.

Customizing the Theme

To change the theme, open the theme.nss file in the Imports folder. Some basic customizations include:

Dark mode:

Set the dark value to true. Example:

dark = true

Screenshot of theme.nss file showing the dark mode setting set to dark=true.

Custom colors:

Use hex codes for colors and adjust the opacity. Example:

color = #0000FF

Effects:

Add transparency or blur effects:

  • Effect value 1: Transparent
  • Effect value 2: Blur
  • Effect value 3: Acrylic
Screenshot of theme.nss file showing effect=2 for adding a blur effect to the context menu.

Font settings:

Change the font size or name. Example:

font.size = 30 font.name = Impact

Compact view:

Make the context menu more compact with the following command:

view = view.compact

Screenshot of theme.nss file with the view.compact command added to enable a compact context menu view.

Save the changes and refresh the context menu to see the effects.

Backing Up Configurations

Once you’re happy with your custom context menu, it’s a good idea to back up the config files or the entire Shell folder. This way, you won’t have to redo the settings after a clean install of Windows.

Screenshot showing the Nilesoft Shell folder backed up to the Documents Folder.

Downloading Pre-made Themes

You can also download pre-made theme config files for Shell from the following sources:

Conclusion

Customizing your Windows context menu using Shell is a powerful way to tailor your desktop experience. By following this guide, you’ll have full control over what appears in your right-click menu, how it looks, and what shortcuts it offers.


Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How do I install Shell on Windows 10?

You can install Shell on Windows 10 by visiting the Nilesoft website and downloading the installer, or using a PowerShell command like winget install nilesoft.shell

Can I add custom shortcuts to the context menu?

Yes, you can add any shortcut to the context menu by editing the shell.nss config file. Follow the steps in this guide to add new items.

How do I switch to dark mode in the context menu?

To switch to dark mode, open the Theme Configuration file and set Dark=True. Refresh the menu to see the changes.

Can I remove unwanted items from the context menu?

Yes, unwanted items can be removed by deleting the relevant code in the shell.nss file and refreshing the context menu.

Where can I find pre-made themes for Shell?

You can find pre-made themes on GitHub or on the Shell forum, where users share their customized configuration files.

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