# VkWriteDescriptorSet(3) Manual Page

## Name

VkWriteDescriptorSet - Structure specifying the parameters of a descriptor set write operation

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## C Specification

The `VkWriteDescriptorSet` structure is defined as:

    // Provided by VK_VERSION_1_0
    typedef struct VkWriteDescriptorSet {
        VkStructureType                  sType;
        const void*                      pNext;
        VkDescriptorSet                  dstSet;
        uint32_t                         dstBinding;
        uint32_t                         dstArrayElement;
        uint32_t                         descriptorCount;
        VkDescriptorType                 descriptorType;
        const VkDescriptorImageInfo*     pImageInfo;
        const VkDescriptorBufferInfo*    pBufferInfo;
        const VkBufferView*              pTexelBufferView;
    } VkWriteDescriptorSet;

## Members

- `sType` is a VkStructureType value identifying this structure.

- `pNext` is `NULL` or a pointer to a structure extending this structure.

- `dstSet` is the destination descriptor set to update.

- `dstBinding` is the descriptor binding within that set.

- `dstArrayElement` is the starting element in that array. If the descriptor binding identified by `dstSet` and `dstBinding` has a descriptor type of `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_INLINE_UNIFORM_BLOCK` then `dstArrayElement` specifies the starting byte offset within the binding.

- `descriptorCount` is the number of descriptors to update. If the descriptor binding identified by `dstSet` and `dstBinding` has a descriptor type of `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_INLINE_UNIFORM_BLOCK`, then `descriptorCount` specifies the number of bytes to update. Otherwise, `descriptorCount` is one of

  - the number of elements in `pImageInfo`

  - the number of elements in `pBufferInfo`

  - the number of elements in `pTexelBufferView`

  - a value matching the `dataSize` member of a VkWriteDescriptorSetInlineUniformBlock structure in the `pNext` chain

  - a value matching the `accelerationStructureCount` of a VkWriteDescriptorSetAccelerationStructureKHR or VkWriteDescriptorSetAccelerationStructureNV structure in the `pNext` chain

  - a value matching the `descriptorCount` of a VkWriteDescriptorSetTensorARM structure in the `pNext` chain

- `descriptorType` is a VkDescriptorType specifying the type of each descriptor in `pImageInfo`, `pBufferInfo`, or `pTexelBufferView`, as described below. If `VkDescriptorSetLayoutBinding` for `dstSet` at `dstBinding` is not equal to `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_MUTABLE_EXT`, `descriptorType` must be the same type as the `descriptorType` specified in `VkDescriptorSetLayoutBinding` for `dstSet` at `dstBinding`. The type of the descriptor also controls which array the descriptors are taken from.

- `pImageInfo` is a pointer to an array of VkDescriptorImageInfo structures or is ignored, as described below.

- `pBufferInfo` is a pointer to an array of VkDescriptorBufferInfo structures or is ignored, as described below.

- `pTexelBufferView` is a pointer to an array of VkBufferView handles as described in the Buffer Views section or is ignored, as described below.

## Description

Only one of `pImageInfo`, `pBufferInfo`, or `pTexelBufferView` members is used according to the descriptor type specified in the `descriptorType` member of the containing `VkWriteDescriptorSet` structure, or none of them in case `descriptorType` is `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_INLINE_UNIFORM_BLOCK`, in which case the source data for the descriptor writes is taken from the VkWriteDescriptorSetInlineUniformBlock structure included in the `pNext` chain of `VkWriteDescriptorSet`, or if `descriptorType` is `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_ACCELERATION_STRUCTURE_KHR`, in which case the source data for the descriptor writes is taken from the VkWriteDescriptorSetAccelerationStructureKHR structure in the `pNext` chain of `VkWriteDescriptorSet`, or if `descriptorType` is `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_ACCELERATION_STRUCTURE_NV`, in which case the source data for the descriptor writes is taken from the VkWriteDescriptorSetAccelerationStructureNV structure in the `pNext` chain of `VkWriteDescriptorSet`, or if `descriptorType` is `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_TENSOR_ARM`, in which case the source data for the descriptor writes is taken from the instance of VkWriteDescriptorSetTensorARM in the `pNext` chain of `VkWriteDescriptorSet`, as specified below.

If the `nullDescriptor` feature is enabled, the buffer, acceleration structure, tensor, imageView, or bufferView can be VK_NULL_HANDLE. Loads from a null descriptor return zero values and stores and atomics to a null descriptor are discarded. A null acceleration structure descriptor results in the miss shader being invoked.

If the destination descriptor is a mutable descriptor, the active descriptor type for the destination descriptor becomes `descriptorType`.

Consecutive Binding Updates

If the `dstBinding` has fewer than `descriptorCount` array elements remaining starting from `dstArrayElement`, then the remainder will be used to update the subsequent binding - `dstBinding`+1 starting at array element zero. If a binding has a `descriptorCount` of zero, it is skipped. This behavior applies recursively, with the update affecting consecutive bindings as needed to update all `descriptorCount` descriptors. Consecutive bindings must have identical VkDescriptorType, VkShaderStageFlags, VkDescriptorBindingFlagBits, and immutable samplers references. In addition, if the VkDescriptorType is `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_MUTABLE_EXT`, the supported descriptor types in VkMutableDescriptorTypeCreateInfoEXT must be equally defined.

Note | The same behavior applies to bindings with a descriptor type of `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_INLINE_UNIFORM_BLOCK` where `descriptorCount` specifies the number of bytes to update while `dstArrayElement` specifies the starting byte offset, thus in this case if the `dstBinding` has a smaller byte size than the sum of `dstArrayElement` and `descriptorCount`, then the remainder will be used to update the subsequent binding - `dstBinding`+1 starting at offset zero. This falls out as a special case of the above rule.

Valid Usage

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-dstBinding-00315
  `dstBinding` must be less than or equal to the maximum value of `binding` of all VkDescriptorSetLayoutBinding structures specified when `dstSet`’s descriptor set layout was created

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-dstBinding-00316
  `dstBinding` must be a binding with a non-zero `descriptorCount`

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-dstBinding-10009
  `dstBinding` must be a binding with a non-zero VkDescriptorSetLayoutCreateInfo::`bindingCount`

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-descriptorCount-00317
  All consecutive bindings updated via a single `VkWriteDescriptorSet` structure, except those with a `descriptorCount` of zero, must have identical `descriptorType`

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-descriptorCount-10776
  All consecutive bindings updated via a single `VkWriteDescriptorSet` structure, except those with a `descriptorCount` of zero, must have identical `stageFlags`

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-descriptorCount-00318
  All consecutive bindings updated via a single `VkWriteDescriptorSet` structure, except those with a `descriptorCount` of zero, must all either use immutable samplers or must all not use immutable samplers

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-descriptorCount-10777
  All consecutive bindings updated via a single `VkWriteDescriptorSet` structure, except those with a `descriptorCount` of zero, must have identical VkDescriptorBindingFlagBits

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-descriptorType-00319
  `descriptorType` must match the type of `dstBinding` within `dstSet`

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-dstSet-00320
  `dstSet` must be a valid VkDescriptorSet handle

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-dstArrayElement-00321
  The sum of `dstArrayElement` and `descriptorCount` must be less than or equal to the number of array elements in the descriptor set binding specified by `dstBinding`, and all applicable consecutive bindings

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-descriptorType-02219
  If `descriptorType` is `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_INLINE_UNIFORM_BLOCK`, `dstArrayElement` must be an integer multiple of `4`

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-descriptorType-02220
  If `descriptorType` is `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_INLINE_UNIFORM_BLOCK`, `descriptorCount` must be an integer multiple of `4`

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-descriptorType-02994
  If `descriptorType` is `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_UNIFORM_TEXEL_BUFFER` or `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_STORAGE_TEXEL_BUFFER`, each element of `pTexelBufferView` must be either a valid `VkBufferView` handle or VK_NULL_HANDLE

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-descriptorType-02995
  If `descriptorType` is `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_UNIFORM_TEXEL_BUFFER` or `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_STORAGE_TEXEL_BUFFER` and the `nullDescriptor` feature is not enabled, each element of `pTexelBufferView` must not be VK_NULL_HANDLE

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-descriptorType-00324
  If `descriptorType` is `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_UNIFORM_BUFFER`, `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_STORAGE_BUFFER`, `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_UNIFORM_BUFFER_DYNAMIC`, or `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_STORAGE_BUFFER_DYNAMIC`, `pBufferInfo` must be a valid pointer to an array of `descriptorCount` valid `VkDescriptorBufferInfo` structures

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-descriptorType-00325
  If `descriptorType` is `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_SAMPLER` or `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_COMBINED_IMAGE_SAMPLER`, and `dstSet` was not allocated with a layout that included immutable samplers for `dstBinding` with `descriptorType`, the `sampler` member of each element of `pImageInfo` must be a valid `VkSampler` object

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-descriptorType-02996
  If `descriptorType` is `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_COMBINED_IMAGE_SAMPLER`, `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_SAMPLED_IMAGE`, or `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_STORAGE_IMAGE`, the `imageView` member of each element of `pImageInfo` must be either a valid `VkImageView` handle or VK_NULL_HANDLE

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-descriptorType-02997
  If `descriptorType` is `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_COMBINED_IMAGE_SAMPLER`, `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_SAMPLED_IMAGE`, or `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_STORAGE_IMAGE`, and the `nullDescriptor` feature is not enabled, the `imageView` member of each element of `pImageInfo` must not be VK_NULL_HANDLE

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-descriptorType-07683
  If `descriptorType` is `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_INPUT_ATTACHMENT`, the `imageView` member of each element of `pImageInfo` must not be VK_NULL_HANDLE

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-descriptorType-02221
  If `descriptorType` is `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_INLINE_UNIFORM_BLOCK`, the `pNext` chain must include a VkWriteDescriptorSetInlineUniformBlock structure whose `dataSize` member equals `descriptorCount`

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-descriptorType-02382
  If `descriptorType` is `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_ACCELERATION_STRUCTURE_KHR`, the `pNext` chain must include a VkWriteDescriptorSetAccelerationStructureKHR structure whose `accelerationStructureCount` member equals `descriptorCount`

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-descriptorType-03817
  If `descriptorType` is `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_ACCELERATION_STRUCTURE_NV`, the `pNext` chain must include a VkWriteDescriptorSetAccelerationStructureNV structure whose `accelerationStructureCount` member equals `descriptorCount`

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-descriptorType-01946
  If `descriptorType` is `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_SAMPLED_IMAGE`, then the `imageView` member of each `pImageInfo` element must have been created without a `VkSamplerYcbcrConversionInfo` structure in its `pNext` chain

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-descriptorType-02738
  If `descriptorType` is `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_COMBINED_IMAGE_SAMPLER`, and if any element of `pImageInfo` has an `imageView` member that was created with a `VkSamplerYcbcrConversionInfo` structure in its `pNext` chain, then `dstSet` must have been allocated with a layout that included immutable samplers for `dstBinding`, and the corresponding immutable sampler must have been created with an identically defined `VkSamplerYcbcrConversionInfo` object

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-descriptorType-01948
  If `descriptorType` is `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_COMBINED_IMAGE_SAMPLER`, and `dstSet` was allocated with a layout that included immutable samplers for `dstBinding`, then the `imageView` member of each element of `pImageInfo` which corresponds to an immutable sampler that enables sampler Y′CBCR conversion must have been created with a `VkSamplerYcbcrConversionInfo` structure in its `pNext` chain with an identically defined `VkSamplerYcbcrConversionInfo` to the corresponding immutable sampler

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-descriptorType-09506
  If `descriptorType` is `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_COMBINED_IMAGE_SAMPLER`, `dstSet` was allocated with a layout that included immutable samplers for `dstBinding`, and those samplers enable sampler Y′CBCR conversion, then `imageView` must not be VK_NULL_HANDLE

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-descriptorType-00327
  If `descriptorType` is `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_UNIFORM_BUFFER` or `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_UNIFORM_BUFFER_DYNAMIC`, the `offset` member of each element of `pBufferInfo` must be a multiple of `VkPhysicalDeviceLimits`::`minUniformBufferOffsetAlignment`

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-descriptorType-00328
  If `descriptorType` is `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_STORAGE_BUFFER` or `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_STORAGE_BUFFER_DYNAMIC`, the `offset` member of each element of `pBufferInfo` must be a multiple of `VkPhysicalDeviceLimits`::`minStorageBufferOffsetAlignment`

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-descriptorType-00329
  If `descriptorType` is `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_UNIFORM_BUFFER`, `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_UNIFORM_BUFFER_DYNAMIC`, `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_STORAGE_BUFFER`, or `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_STORAGE_BUFFER_DYNAMIC`, and the `buffer` member of any element of `pBufferInfo` is the handle of a non-sparse buffer, then that buffer must be bound completely and contiguously to a single `VkDeviceMemory` object

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-descriptorType-00330
  If `descriptorType` is `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_UNIFORM_BUFFER` or `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_UNIFORM_BUFFER_DYNAMIC`, the `buffer` member of each element of `pBufferInfo` must have been created with `VK_BUFFER_USAGE_UNIFORM_BUFFER_BIT` set

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-descriptorType-00331
  If `descriptorType` is `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_STORAGE_BUFFER` or `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_STORAGE_BUFFER_DYNAMIC`, the `buffer` member of each element of `pBufferInfo` must have been created with `VK_BUFFER_USAGE_STORAGE_BUFFER_BIT` set

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-descriptorType-00332
  If `descriptorType` is `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_UNIFORM_BUFFER` or `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_UNIFORM_BUFFER_DYNAMIC`, the `range` member of each element of `pBufferInfo`, or the effective range if `range` is `VK_WHOLE_SIZE`, must be less than or equal to `VkPhysicalDeviceLimits`::`maxUniformBufferRange`

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-descriptorType-00333
  If `descriptorType` is `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_STORAGE_BUFFER` or `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_STORAGE_BUFFER_DYNAMIC`, the `range` member of each element of `pBufferInfo`, or the effective range if `range` is `VK_WHOLE_SIZE`, must be less than or equal to `VkPhysicalDeviceLimits`::`maxStorageBufferRange`

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-descriptorType-08765
  If `descriptorType` is `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_UNIFORM_TEXEL_BUFFER`, the `pTexelBufferView` buffer view usage must include `VK_BUFFER_USAGE_UNIFORM_TEXEL_BUFFER_BIT`

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-descriptorType-08766
  If `descriptorType` is `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_STORAGE_TEXEL_BUFFER`, the `pTexelBufferView` buffer view usage must include `VK_BUFFER_USAGE_STORAGE_TEXEL_BUFFER_BIT`

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-descriptorType-00336
  If `descriptorType` is `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_STORAGE_IMAGE` or `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_INPUT_ATTACHMENT`, the `imageView` member of each element of `pImageInfo` must have been created with the identity swizzle

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-descriptorType-00337
  If `descriptorType` is `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_SAMPLED_IMAGE` or `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_COMBINED_IMAGE_SAMPLER`, the `imageView` member of each element of `pImageInfo` must have been created with `VK_IMAGE_USAGE_SAMPLED_BIT` set

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-descriptorType-04149
  If `descriptorType` is `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_SAMPLED_IMAGE` the `imageLayout` member of each element of `pImageInfo` must be a member of the list given in Sampled Image

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-descriptorType-04150
  If `descriptorType` is `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_COMBINED_IMAGE_SAMPLER` the `imageLayout` member of each element of `pImageInfo` must be a member of the list given in Combined Image Sampler

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-descriptorType-04151
  If `descriptorType` is `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_INPUT_ATTACHMENT` the `imageLayout` member of each element of `pImageInfo` must be a member of the list given in Input Attachment

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-descriptorType-04152
  If `descriptorType` is `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_STORAGE_IMAGE` the `imageLayout` member of each element of `pImageInfo` must be a member of the list given in Storage Image

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-descriptorType-00338
  If `descriptorType` is `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_INPUT_ATTACHMENT`, the `imageView` member of each element of `pImageInfo` must have been created with `VK_IMAGE_USAGE_INPUT_ATTACHMENT_BIT` set

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-descriptorType-00339
  If `descriptorType` is `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_STORAGE_IMAGE`, the `imageView` member of each element of `pImageInfo` must have been created with `VK_IMAGE_USAGE_STORAGE_BIT` set

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-descriptorType-02752
  If `descriptorType` is `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_SAMPLER`, then `dstSet` must not have been allocated with a layout that included immutable samplers for `dstBinding`

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-dstSet-04611
  If the `VkDescriptorSetLayoutBinding` for `dstSet` at `dstBinding` is `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_MUTABLE_EXT`, the new active descriptor type `descriptorType` must exist in the corresponding `pMutableDescriptorTypeLists` list for `dstBinding`

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-descriptorType-06450
  If `descriptorType` is `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_INPUT_ATTACHMENT`, the `imageView` member of each element of `pImageInfo` must have either been created without a VkImageViewMinLodCreateInfoEXT included in the `pNext` chain or with a VkImageViewMinLodCreateInfoEXT::`minLod` of `0.0`

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-descriptorType-06942
  If `descriptorType` is `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_SAMPLE_WEIGHT_IMAGE_QCOM`, the `imageView` member of each element of `pImageInfo` must have been created with a view created with an `image` created with `VK_IMAGE_USAGE_SAMPLE_WEIGHT_BIT_QCOM`

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-descriptorType-06943
  If `descriptorType` is `VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_BLOCK_MATCH_IMAGE_QCOM`, the `imageView` member of each element of `pImageInfo` must have been created with a view created with an `image` created with `VK_IMAGE_USAGE_SAMPLE_BLOCK_MATCH_BIT_QCOM`

Valid Usage (Implicit)

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-sType-sType
  `sType` must be `VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_WRITE_DESCRIPTOR_SET`

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-pNext-pNext
  Each `pNext` member of any structure (including this one) in the `pNext` chain must be either `NULL` or a pointer to a valid instance of VkWriteDescriptorSetAccelerationStructureKHR, VkWriteDescriptorSetAccelerationStructureNV, VkWriteDescriptorSetInlineUniformBlock, VkWriteDescriptorSetPartitionedAccelerationStructureNV, or VkWriteDescriptorSetTensorARM

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-sType-unique
  The `sType` value of each structure in the `pNext` chain must be unique

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-descriptorType-parameter
  `descriptorType` must be a valid VkDescriptorType value

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-descriptorCount-arraylength
  `descriptorCount` must be greater than `0`

- VUID-VkWriteDescriptorSet-commonparent
  Both of `dstSet`, and the elements of `pTexelBufferView` that are valid handles of non-ignored parameters must have been created, allocated, or retrieved from the same VkDevice

## See Also

VK_VERSION_1_0, VkBufferView, VkDescriptorBufferInfo, VkDescriptorImageInfo, VkDescriptorSet, VkDescriptorType, VkPushDescriptorSetInfo, VkStructureType, vkCmdPushDescriptorSet, vkCmdPushDescriptorSetKHR, vkUpdateDescriptorSets

## Document Notes

For more information, see the Vulkan Specification

This page is extracted from the Vulkan Specification. Fixes and changes should be made to the Specification, not directly.

## Copyright

Copyright 2014-2025 The Khronos Group Inc.

SPDX-License-Identifier: CC-BY-4.0