How to Add a Custom Executable to the Windows 11 Send To Menu for Faster File Processing

The “Send to” menu in Windows has been a staple productivity feature for decades. By right-clicking any file, you can instantly send it to a compressed folder, a Bluetooth device, or a mail recipient without having to open the destination program first.

However, many power users don’t realize that the “Send to” menu is completely customizable. You can add a shortcut to any executable (.exe) program—such as a specialized image compressor, a code editor like VS Code, or a custom Python script—allowing you to pass files directly into those applications with just two clicks.

Accessing the Hidden “SendTo” Folder

Windows stores all the shortcuts for this menu inside a deeply hidden system folder associated with your specific user profile. Instead of manually navigating through hidden AppData directories, you can use a quick Run command to access it instantly.

1. Press the Windows Key + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
2. In the text field, type exactly: shell:sendto
3. Press Enter or click OK.

A new File Explorer window will open. You will immediately recognize the contents—these are the exact shortcuts (like “Desktop (create shortcut)” and “Documents”) that appear when you right-click a file and select “Send to”.

Adding Your Custom Executable

To add a new program to this list, you simply need to create a standard Windows shortcut inside this folder.

1. Leave the SendTo folder open, and open a second File Explorer window.
2. Locate the .exe file of the program you want to add. (For example, navigate to C:\Program Files\Notepad++\ to find notepad++.exe).
3. Right-click and drag the executable file from its original location into the open SendTo folder.
4. When you release the right mouse button, a context menu will appear. Select Create shortcuts here. Do not select “Move here” or “Copy here”.

Cleaning Up the Menu Name

When you create a shortcut this way, Windows usually appends “- Shortcut” to the file name (e.g., notepad++.exe - Shortcut). Because this exact file name is what will appear in your right-click menu, you should rename it to look cleaner.

1. Right-click the newly created shortcut inside the SendTo folder and select Rename (or press F2).
2. Change the name to something clean, like “Notepad++” or “Image Compressor”.
3. Press Enter to save.

How to Use It in Windows 11

Because Windows 11 introduced a modernized, condensed context menu, accessing the classic “Send to” menu requires one extra step compared to Windows 10.

1. Right-click any file on your computer (e.g., a large photo).
2. Click on Show more options at the bottom of the new context menu (or press Shift + F10 when selecting the file).
3. Hover over Send to in the classic menu that appears.
4. Click on your newly added custom program.

Windows will instantly launch the application and pass the selected file into it as an argument, bypassing the need to open the app and use the “File > Open” dialog.