Maui Shell Navigation
Guide for implementing Shell-based navigation in .NET MAUI apps.
Install
npx skills add dotnet/skills --skill maui-shell-navigation -g -a claude-code -y- Repository
- dotnet/skills5.8k
- Category
- Writing
- Updated
- 3d ago
- License
- MIT
- Context cost
- Mediumabout 3,000 tokens
- Runs scripts
- No, instructions only
What it does
Guide for implementing Shell-based navigation in .NET MAUI apps. Covers AppShell setup, visual hierarchy (FlyoutItem, TabBar, Tab, ShellContent), URI-based navigation with GoToAsync, route registration, query parameters, back navigation, flyout and tab configuration, navigation events, and navigation guards. Use when: setting up Shell navigation, adding tabs or flyout menus, navigating between pages with GoToAsync, passing parameters between pages, registering routes, customizing back button behavior, or guarding navigation with confirmation dialogs. Do not use for: deep linking from external URLs (see .NET MAUI deep linking documentation), data binding on pages (use maui-data-binding), dependency injection setup (use maui-dependency-injection), or NavigationPage-only apps that don't use Shell.
.NET MAUI Shell Navigation
Implement page navigation in .NET MAUI apps using Shell. Shell provides URI-based navigation, a flyout menu, tab bars, and a four-level visual hierarchy, all configured declaratively in XAML.
When to Use
- Setting up top-level app navigation with tabs or a flyout menu
- Navigating between pages programmatically with
GoToAsync - Passing data between pages via query parameters or object parameters
- Registering detail-page routes for push navigation
- Guarding navigation with confirmation dialogs (e.g., unsaved changes)
- Customizing back button behavior per page
When Not to Use
- Deep linking from external URLs or app links, see .NET MAUI deep linking docs
- Data binding on navigation target pages, use
maui-data-binding - Dependency injection for pages and view models, use
maui-dependency-injection - Apps using
NavigationPagewithout Shell (different navigation API)
Inputs
- A .NET MAUI project with
AppShell.xamlas the root shell - Pages (
ContentPage) to navigate between - Route names for detail pages not in the visual hierarchy
Rules That Change the Answer
These are the Shell-specific decisions that are easy to get wrong. Apply them whenever they are relevant to what the user asked.
