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# Frame-Level LaunchingExternalUriScheme

## Background

`CoreWebView2.LaunchingExternalUriScheme` is raised when web content attempts
to launch a URI scheme handled by an external application (for example,
`mailto:`, `tel:`, or a custom protocol). Hosts can handle this event to
suppress the default WebView2 dialog, provide custom consent UI, and set
`Cancel` to control whether the URI is launched.

The event arguments expose:

- `Uri`
- `InitiatingOrigin`
- `IsUserInitiated`
- `Cancel`

This event does not identify the originating iframe. When multiple
sub-applications are hosted within iframes, this can prevent reliable
attribution of the request to a specific iframe, including:

- When multiple iframes share the same origin.
- When the same content is hosted in multiple surfaces (for example, windows
or panels).
- When sandboxed or `srcdoc` iframes report an opaque or inherited origin.

## Description

`LaunchingExternalUriScheme` is also raised on `CoreWebView2Frame`.

The event is raised when content in a frame, or in an iframe nested within it,
attempts to launch an external URI scheme. When the launch originates from a
nested iframe, the event bubbles through each tracked `CoreWebView2Frame` in the
initiating iframe's ancestor chain, starting with the closest (innermost)
tracked frame and proceeding outward toward the top-level frame. The event
sender for each invocation is the `CoreWebView2Frame` receiving the event,
enabling attribution to the initiating frame.

The `LaunchingExternalUriScheme` event arguments add a `Handled` property.

By default, the event is raised on both `CoreWebView2Frame` and `CoreWebView2`.
Frame-level handlers are invoked before WebView-level handlers. If a
frame-level handler sets `Handled` to `TRUE`, the event is not raised on
`CoreWebView2`, and its handlers are not invoked.

The event arguments are shared between handler tiers. Properties set in a
frame-level handler, including `Cancel` and `Handled`, are visible to
WebView-level handlers. A `Deferral` taken in either handler tier delays the
URI launch until the deferral is completed. To suppress the WebView-level
handlers, set `Handled` before taking the deferral.

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This logic all describes how the frame event handler is invoked before the CoreWebView2 event handler and how they interact. Is the same behavior true for multiple frame event handlers on different frame objects that are in the iframe nesting?

Eg in the following example where there is an iframe B that contains an iframe C, and assuming they all have LaunchingExternalUriScheme event handlers and none are setting the Handled property, can the LaunchingExternalUriScheme event be raised on C then B then A? Or does it always go straight from C to A?

I should think that for consistency we should invoke C, B, A with the same logic as is applied to first raising the frame event followed by the corewebview2 event, and it will be good to explicitly document that.

CoreWebView2 A
|
CoreWebView2Frame iframe B
|
CoreWebView2Frame iframe C

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Yes — it is raised on C, then B, then A (innermost-first), then CoreWebView2. Setting Handled stops the remaining frames and CoreWebView2. Now documented in the Description and Nested iframes sections.


`Cancel` controls whether the URI is launched. `Handled` controls whether
WebView-level handlers are invoked.

### Nested iframes

When the launch originates from a nested iframe, the event bubbles outward
through the tracked `CoreWebView2Frame` ancestors. It is raised first on the
closest (innermost) tracked frame, then on each tracked ancestor frame in turn,
and finally on `CoreWebView2`. If a handler at any tier sets `Handled` to
`TRUE`, the event is not raised on the remaining ancestor frames or on
`CoreWebView2`. This behavior is consistent with
[`CoreWebView2Frame.PermissionRequested`](https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoft-edge/webview2/reference/win32/icorewebview2frame3#add_permissionrequested).

### Same-origin and cross-origin iframes

The event is raised regardless of origin. For cross-origin iframes without user
activation, the launch is blocked and the event is not raised, consistent with
[`CoreWebView2.LaunchingExternalUriScheme`](https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoft-edge/webview2/reference/win32/icorewebview2_18#add_launchingexternalurischeme).

## Examples

### Registering a per-iframe handler

A host embedding multiple sub-applications in iframes can register a handler
per iframe to attribute external URI launches and present iframe-specific
consent UI. Setting `Handled = TRUE` prevents the WebView-level handlers from
being invoked.

### C++

```cpp
AppWindow* m_appWindow;
wil::com_ptr<ICoreWebView2> m_webview;
EventRegistrationToken m_frameCreatedToken = {};
EventRegistrationToken m_frameLaunchingExternalUriSchemeToken = {};

void RegisterFrameLaunchingExternalUriSchemeHandler()
{
auto webview4 = m_webview.try_query<ICoreWebView2_4>();
if (!webview4)
{
return;
}

CHECK_FAILURE(webview4->add_FrameCreated(
Callback<ICoreWebView2FrameCreatedEventHandler>(
[this](ICoreWebView2* sender,
ICoreWebView2FrameCreatedEventArgs* args) -> HRESULT
{
wil::com_ptr<ICoreWebView2Frame> webviewFrame;
CHECK_FAILURE(args->get_Frame(&webviewFrame));

auto frame9 = webviewFrame
.try_query<ICoreWebView2Frame9>();
if (!frame9)
{
return S_OK;
}

CHECK_FAILURE(frame9->add_LaunchingExternalUriScheme(
Callback<
ICoreWebView2FrameLaunchingExternalUriSchemeEventHandler>(
[this](
ICoreWebView2Frame* frameSender,
ICoreWebView2LaunchingExternalUriSchemeEventArgs2*
args) -> HRESULT
{
// Avoid reentrancy by scheduling the dialog
// asynchronously outside the event handler.
// Because a deferral is taken, set `Handled`
// to TRUE synchronously before taking the
// deferral. This prevents `CoreWebView2`-level
// handlers from being invoked.
CHECK_FAILURE(args->put_Handled(TRUE));

wil::com_ptr<ICoreWebView2Deferral> deferral;
CHECK_FAILURE(args->GetDeferral(&deferral));

wil::com_ptr<ICoreWebView2Frame> sender(
frameSender);

m_appWindow->RunAsync(
[sender, deferral, args]
{
wil::unique_cotaskmem_string frameName;
CHECK_FAILURE(
sender->get_Name(&frameName));
wil::unique_cotaskmem_string uri;
CHECK_FAILURE(args->get_Uri(&uri));

std::wstring message = L"The \"";
message += frameName.get();
message +=
L"\" iframe is attempting to launch "
L"an external URI scheme for ";
message += uri.get();
message += L".\n\nAllow this action?";

int response = MessageBox(
nullptr, message.c_str(),
L"Launching External URI Scheme",
MB_YESNO | MB_ICONQUESTION);
CHECK_FAILURE(args->put_Cancel(
response == IDYES ? FALSE : TRUE));
CHECK_FAILURE(deferral->Complete());
});

return S_OK;
})
.Get(),
&m_frameLaunchingExternalUriSchemeToken));

return S_OK;
})
.Get(),
&m_frameCreatedToken));
}
```

### C#

```c#
private WebView2 m_webview;

void RegisterFrameLaunchingExternalUriSchemeHandler()
{
m_webview.CoreWebView2.FrameCreated += (sender, frameCreatedArgs) =>
{
frameCreatedArgs.Frame.LaunchingExternalUriScheme +=
async (frameSender, args) =>
{
// Because asynchronous work is awaited below, set `Handled`
// synchronously before taking the deferral. This prevents
// `CoreWebView2`-level handlers from being invoked.
args.Handled = true;

CoreWebView2Deferral deferral = args.GetDeferral();
using (deferral)
{
string message =
$"The \"{frameSender.Name}\" iframe is " +
$"attempting to launch an external URI scheme for " +
$"{args.Uri}.\n\nAllow this action?";

MessageBoxResult selection = MessageBox.Show(
message,
"Launching External URI Scheme",
MessageBoxButton.YesNo);

args.Cancel = selection != MessageBoxResult.Yes;
}
};
};
}
```

# API Details

## Win32 (C++)

```cpp
interface ICoreWebView2Frame9;
interface ICoreWebView2FrameLaunchingExternalUriSchemeEventHandler;
interface ICoreWebView2LaunchingExternalUriSchemeEventArgs2;

/// Extends the `ICoreWebView2Frame` interface to expose the
/// `LaunchingExternalUriScheme` event at the iframe level.
/// Host applications can subscribe on a per-frame basis to attribute
/// external URI scheme launches to a specific iframe, even when multiple
/// frames share the same origin.
[uuid(42ba2542-3391-59b3-9099-5954b6b44af9), object, pointer_default(unique)]
interface ICoreWebView2Frame9 : IUnknown {
/// Adds an event handler for the `LaunchingExternalUriScheme` event.
/// The event is raised when content in this `CoreWebView2Frame`, or in one
/// of its descendant iframes, attempts to launch a URI registered with the
/// OS as an external scheme handler. When the launch originates from a
/// nested iframe, the event bubbles outward through the tracked
/// `CoreWebView2Frame` ancestors, starting with the closest (innermost)
/// tracked frame and proceeding outward toward the top-level frame.
///
/// This event corresponds to `CoreWebView2.LaunchingExternalUriScheme`.
/// For iframe-initiated launches, `CoreWebView2Frame` handlers are
/// invoked before `CoreWebView2` handlers. If the `Handled` property on
/// `ICoreWebView2LaunchingExternalUriSchemeEventArgs2` is set to `TRUE`
/// within a `CoreWebView2Frame` handler, the event is not raised on the
/// remaining ancestor frames or on `CoreWebView2`, and their handlers are
/// not invoked.
///
/// If a deferral is not taken, the external URI scheme launch is blocked
/// until the handler returns. If a deferral is taken, the launch remains
/// blocked until the deferral is completed.
///
/// To prevent `CoreWebView2` handlers from being invoked, `Handled` must
/// be set synchronously before taking a deferral.
HRESULT add_LaunchingExternalUriScheme(
[in] ICoreWebView2FrameLaunchingExternalUriSchemeEventHandler*
eventHandler,
[out] EventRegistrationToken* token);

/// Removes an event handler previously added by
/// `add_LaunchingExternalUriScheme`.
HRESULT remove_LaunchingExternalUriScheme(
[in] EventRegistrationToken token);
};

/// Receives `LaunchingExternalUriScheme` events raised on
/// `CoreWebView2Frame`.
[uuid(9521c767-9916-5a5e-897c-7bfccebe4720), object, pointer_default(unique)]
interface ICoreWebView2FrameLaunchingExternalUriSchemeEventHandler
: IUnknown {
/// Invoked when the corresponding event is raised.
HRESULT Invoke(
[in] ICoreWebView2Frame* sender,
[in] ICoreWebView2LaunchingExternalUriSchemeEventArgs2* args);
};

/// Extends `ICoreWebView2LaunchingExternalUriSchemeEventArgs` with a
/// `Handled` property.
[uuid(add51d52-f724-5ab6-b59a-fc032ee90416), object, pointer_default(unique)]
interface ICoreWebView2LaunchingExternalUriSchemeEventArgs2
: ICoreWebView2LaunchingExternalUriSchemeEventArgs {
/// By default, the `LaunchingExternalUriScheme` event is raised on both
/// `CoreWebView2Frame` and `CoreWebView2`, with frame-level handlers
/// invoked first. Set this property to `TRUE` within a
/// `CoreWebView2Frame` handler to prevent the event from being raised on
/// `CoreWebView2`.
///
/// If a deferral is taken, this property must be set to `TRUE`
/// synchronously before taking the deferral to prevent
/// `CoreWebView2` handlers from being invoked.
[propget] HRESULT Handled([out, retval] BOOL* value);

/// Sets the `Handled` property.
[propput] HRESULT Handled([in] BOOL value);
};
```

## .Net/C#

```c#
namespace Microsoft.Web.WebView2.Core
{
runtimeclass CoreWebView2LaunchingExternalUriSchemeEventArgs
{
// ...

[interface_name(
"Microsoft.Web.WebView2.Core.ICoreWebView2LaunchingExternalUriSchemeEventArgs2")]
{
[doc_string(
"Set this property to TRUE to prevent the "
"LaunchingExternalUriScheme event from being raised on "
"CoreWebView2. By default, the event is raised on both "
"CoreWebView2Frame and CoreWebView2, with frame-level "
"handlers invoked first. If a deferral is taken, this "
"property must be set to TRUE synchronously before "
"taking the deferral.")]
Boolean Handled { get; set; };
}
}

runtimeclass CoreWebView2Frame
{
// ...

[interface_name(
"Microsoft.Web.WebView2.Core.ICoreWebView2Frame9")]
{
[doc_string(
"The LaunchingExternalUriScheme event is raised when "
"content in this CoreWebView2Frame, or in one of its "
"descendant iframes, attempts to launch a URI registered "
"with the OS as an external scheme handler. When the launch "
"originates from a nested iframe, the event bubbles outward "
"through the tracked CoreWebView2Frame ancestors, starting "
"with the closest (innermost) tracked frame and proceeding "
"outward toward the top-level frame. "
"Frame-level handlers are invoked before CoreWebView2 "
"handlers. Set Handled to TRUE in the frame handler to "
"prevent the remaining ancestor frame and CoreWebView2 "
"handlers from being invoked.")]
event Windows.Foundation.TypedEventHandler<
CoreWebView2Frame,
CoreWebView2LaunchingExternalUriSchemeEventArgs>
LaunchingExternalUriScheme;
}
}
}
```