pylnk3
Windows LNK File Parser and Creator
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you need to read or create Windows .lnk files from Python. The library is stable, dependency-free, and actively maintained enough for production use. The LGPL license is a consideration for proprietary projects. Not suitable if you need support for network or UWP shortcuts beyond what the changelog describes—verify compatibility with your specific shortcut types first.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Windows .lnk file format is Windows-specific; library can construct links on Linux but targets Windows paths and formats.
- Low friction install with no runtime dependencies.
- Aging maintenance status (last release 473 days ago, last commit 2025-08-08) but repository remains active and not archived; supports current Python versions 3.9–3.13.
License · maintenance · safety
copyleft license (copyleft) — Licensed under LGPL (copyleft). Derivative works and modifications must be distributed under compatible terms; proprietary use requires careful licensing review.
last release 2025-04-28 (473 days) · last repo commit 2025-08-08 · 111 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 101,604 downloads/mo, #12,924 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install pylnk3
from pylnk3 import LNK
# Parse an existing .lnk file
lnk = LNK.load('shortcut.lnk')
print(lnk.path)
# Create and save a new shortcut
new_lnk = LNK.create_lnk('C:\\target.exe', 'My Shortcut.lnk')
new_lnk.save()- Whether the library correctly handles all modern Windows shortcut variants beyond local file/folder targets
- Performance characteristics when parsing or creating large numbers of .lnk files
- Compatibility with UWP app shortcuts beyond what the changelog indicates
What it is and what it does
pylnk3 is a Python library for parsing, modifying, and creating Windows .lnk shortcut files. It exposes the internal structure of .lnk files through a programmatic API (LNK objects that can be loaded, altered, and saved) and provides a command-line tool for quick inspection and creation. The library supports shortcuts to local files and folders, network paths, and UWP apps, with convenience functions to handle the complexity of the .lnk binary format.
The package requires Python 3.9 or later and has no external runtime dependencies, making installation straightforward. It is maintained but aging—the last release was in April 2025 and the repository shows activity through August 2025. The LGPL license means any modifications or derivative works must remain open-source under compatible terms.
Use it for
- Automate creation of Windows shortcuts in deployment scripts or system administration tools without manual GUI interaction.
- Parse existing .lnk files to extract metadata (target path, arguments, icon, working directory) for inventory or auditing.
- Build cross-platform tools that generate Windows shortcuts from configuration files or data sources.
- Modify shortcut properties (window mode, description, icon) programmatically in bulk operations.
- Integrate shortcut handling into Python-based Windows automation or system provisioning workflows.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you need to read or create Windows .lnk files from Python.
The library is stable, dependency-free, and actively maintained enough for production use. The LGPL license is a consideration for proprietary projects. Not suitable if you need support for network or UWP shortcuts beyond what the changelog describes—verify compatibility with your specific shortcut types first.
Install
pylnk3 on PyPI
Before you install
Low friction install with no runtime dependencies. Aging maintenance status (last release 473 days ago, last commit 2025-08-08) but repository remains active and not archived; supports current Python versions 3.9–3.13.
Windows .lnk file format is Windows-specific; library can construct links on Linux but targets Windows paths and formats.
License in practice
Licensed under LGPL (copyleft). Derivative works and modifications must be distributed under compatible terms; proprietary use requires careful licensing review.
Quickstart
pip install pylnk3
from pylnk3 import LNK
# Parse an existing .lnk file
lnk = LNK.load('shortcut.lnk')
print(lnk.path)
# Create and save a new shortcut
new_lnk = LNK.create_lnk('C:\\target.exe', 'My Shortcut.lnk')
new_lnk.save()Verify before relying
- Whether the library correctly handles all modern Windows shortcut variants beyond local file/folder targets
- Performance characteristics when parsing or creating large numbers of .lnk files
- Compatibility with UWP app shortcuts beyond what the changelog indicates
Package facts
| License | copyleft license copyleft |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.9 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Aging 473 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 101,604 / month, #12,924 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Intended Audience :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI Approved :: GNU Library or Lesser General Public License (LGPL)Operating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9Topic :: Software Development :: Libraries :: Python Modules |
Evidence: pylnk3-0.4.3-py3-none-any.whl
Tags
Let your AI agent find packages like this
Example. Real query, live index.
You found this page by searching. An agent finds it by wishing: SkillFed indexes 14,416 PyPI packages by what they can do, searchable in plain language.
wish › “windows lnk shortcut parser”
- pylnk3Reads, writes, and creates Windows .lnk shortcut files from Python,…
- pyshortcutsCreates desktop and Start Menu shortcuts for Python scripts and…
- pyrainbirdCommunicates with Rain Bird WiFi LNK irrigation controllers over…
Give your agent the search over MCP, or paste the wish link into any chat.
More Python Modules packages
Converts domain names between Unicode and ASCII-compatible encoding (Punycode) according to IDNA 2008 and Unicode Technical Standard 46, with security validation and broader script coverage than the standard library.
Install it if you work with internationalized domain names, need to validate domains, or use HTTP clients that depend on it transitively.
Setuptools is a Python build backend and package management tool that handles building, distributing, and installing Python packages, including support for C/C++ extension modules.
PyYAML parses and emits YAML 1.1 data format, enabling serialization and deserialization of configuration files and Python objects to and from human-readable YAML text.
Pydantic validates Python data structures against type hints, coercing and checking input at runtime to ensure it matches a declared schema.
Provides reusable metadata objects for use with PEP-593 `typing.Annotated` to express common constraints like bounds, collection sizes, and predicates on types.
Install it if you use or build libraries that need to express type constraints in a standardized, inspectable way—or if you want to annotate your own types with…
Provides runtime tools to inspect and introspect Python type annotations, enabling programmatic examination of type hints at execution time.
See also pyshortcuts · wmctrl · vsdx · pyinstxtractor-ng · dnfile · pyrainbird · PyGetWindow · docx · python-minifier · ipyfilechooser