Hosting WPF Applications

WPF XAML Browser Applications (XBAPs) are rich-client applications that can be deployed to a Web server and started in a browser. The WPF Host (PresentationHost.exe) is registered as the shell and MIME handler for XBAP and XAML files. Therefore, Internet Explorer knows to start the WPF Host when an XBAP is launched. Firefox users can install Firefox add-ons that enable Firefox to host XBAPs as well. An XBAP can be hosted in other browsers or stand-alone applications by using the native browser hosting APIs provided by WPF.

Warning

XBAPs require legacy browsers to operate, such as Internet Explorer and old versions of Firefox. These older browsers are usually unsupported on Windows 10 and Windows 11. Modern browsers no longer support the technology required for XBAP apps due to security risks. Plugins that enable XBAPs are no longer supported. For more information, see Frequently asked questions about WPF browser-hosted applications (XBAP).

In This Section

WPF XAML Browser Applications Overview
WPF Host (PresentationHost.exe)
Firefox Add-ons to Support .NET Application Deployment
Native WPF Browser Hosting Support APIs

Related Sections

Application Management Overview
Windows in WPF
Navigation Overview
Build and Deploy