URP ShaderLab Pass tags

This section contains descriptions of URP-specific ShaderLab Pass tags.

URP Pass tags: LightMode

The value of this tag lets the pipeline determine which Pass to use when executing different parts of the Render Pipeline.

If you do not set the LightMode tag in a Pass, URP uses the SRPDefaultUnlit tag value for that Pass.

In URP, the LightMode tag can have the following values.

Property	Description
UniversalForward	The Pass renders object geometry and evaluates all light contributions. URP uses this tag value in the Forward Rendering Path.
UniversalGBuffer	The Pass renders object geometry without evaluating any light contribution. URP uses this tag value in the Deferred Rendering Path.
UniversalForwardOnly	The Pass renders object geometry and evaluates all light contributions, similarly to when LightMode has the UniversalForward value. The difference from UniversalForward is that URP can use the Pass for both the Forward and the Deferred Rendering Paths. Use this value if a certain Pass must render objects with the Forward Rendering Path when URP is using the Deferred Rendering Path. For example, use this tag if URP renders a Scene using the Deferred Rendering Path and the Scene contains objects with shader data that does not fit the GBuffer, such as Clear Coat normals. If a shader must render in both the Forward and the Deferred Rendering Paths, declare two Passes with the UniversalForward and UniversalGBuffer tag values. If a shader must render using the Forward Rendering Path regardless of the Rendering Path that the URP Renderer uses, declare only a Pass with the LightMode tag set to UniversalForwardOnly.
Universal2D	The Pass renders objects and evaluates 2D light contributions. URP uses this tag value in the 2D Renderer.
ShadowCaster	The Pass renders object depth from the perspective of lights into the Shadow map or a depth texture.
DepthOnly	The Pass renders only depth information from the perspective of a Camera into a depth texture.
Meta	Unity executes this Pass only when baking lightmaps in the Unity Editor. Unity strips this Pass from shaders when building a Player.
SRPDefaultUnlit	Use this LightMode tag value to draw an extra Pass when rendering objects. Application example: draw an object outline. This tag value is valid for both the Forward and the Deferred Rendering Paths. URP uses this tag value as the default value when a Pass does not have a LightMode tag.

NOTE: URP does not support the following LightMode tags: Always, ForwardAdd, PrepassBase, PrepassFinal, Vertex, VertexLMRGBM, VertexLM.