diff --git a/src/gui/maptools/qgsmaptoolshapeabstract.cpp b/src/gui/maptools/qgsmaptoolshapeabstract.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c369b05f682
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/gui/maptools/qgsmaptoolshapeabstract.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+/***************************************************************************
+                         qgsmaptoolshapeabstract.cpp
+                         ----------------------
+    begin                : January 2022
+    copyright            : (C) 2022 by Denis Rouzaud
+    email                : denis@opengis.ch
+ ***************************************************************************/
+
+/***************************************************************************
+ *                                                                         *
+ *   This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify  *
+ *   it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by  *
+ *   the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or     *
+ *   (at your option) any later version.                                   *
+ *                                                                         *
+ ***************************************************************************/
+
+#include "qgsmaptoolshapeabstract.h"
+#include "qgsgeometryrubberband.h"
+
+#include <QKeyEvent>
+
+
+void QgsMapToolShapeAbstract::keyPressEvent(QKeyEvent *e)
+{
+  e->ignore();
+}
+
+void QgsMapToolShapeAbstract::keyReleaseEvent(QKeyEvent *e)
+{
+  e->ignore();
+}
+
+void QgsMapToolShapeAbstract::clean()
+{
+  if ( mTempRubberBand )
+  {
+    delete mTempRubberBand;
+      mTempRubberBand = nullptr;
+    }
+
+    mPoints.clear();
+}
+
+void QgsMapToolShapeAbstract::undo()
+{
+  if (mPoints.count() > 1)
+    mPoints.removeLast();
+}
diff --git a/src/gui/maptools/qgsmaptoolshapeabstract.h b/src/gui/maptools/qgsmaptoolshapeabstract.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c398ee2f802
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/gui/maptools/qgsmaptoolshapeabstract.h
@@ -0,0 +1,116 @@
+/***************************************************************************
+    qgsmaptoolshapeabstract.h  -  base class for map tools digitizing shapes
+    ---------------------
+    begin                : January 2022
+    copyright            : (C) Denis Rouzaud
+    email                : denis@opengis.ch
+ ***************************************************************************
+ *                                                                         *
+ *   This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify  *
+ *   it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by  *
+ *   the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or     *
+ *   (at your option) any later version.                                   *
+ *                                                                         *
+ ***************************************************************************/
+
+#ifndef QGSMAPTOOLSHAPEABSTRACT_H
+#define QGSMAPTOOLSHAPEABSTRACT_H
+
+// no bindings for now, not stable yet
+#define SIP_NO_FILE
+
+#include "qgis_gui.h"
+#include "qgsabstractgeometry.h"
+
+#include <QString>
+#include <QIcon>
+
+class QgsMapToolCapture;
+class QgsMapMouseEvent;
+class QgsVectorLayer;
+class QgsGeometryRubberBand;
+class QKeyEvent;
+
+
+/**
+ * \ingroup gui
+ * QgsMapToolShapeAbstract is a base class for shape map tools to be use in QgsMapToolCapture
+ * \since QGIS 3.24
+ */
+class GUI_EXPORT QgsMapToolShapeAbstract
+  : public QObject
+{
+    Q_OBJECT
+  public:
+    //! List of different shapes
+    enum class ShapeCategory
+    {
+      Curve, //!< Curve
+      Circle,//!< Circle
+      Ellipse,//!< Ellipse
+      Rectangle,//!< Rectangle
+      RegularyPolygon,//!< RegularyPolygon
+    };
+    Q_ENUM( ShapeCategory )
+
+    //! Constructor
+    QgsMapToolShapeAbstract( const QString &id, QgsMapToolCapture *parentTool )
+      : mId( id ), mParentTool( parentTool )
+    {
+      Q_ASSERT( !mId.isEmpty() );
+      Q_ASSERT( parentTool );
+    }
+
+    virtual ~QgsMapToolShapeAbstract() = default;
+
+    QString id() const {return mId;}
+
+    /**
+     * Called for a mouse release event
+     * Must return true if the digitization has ended and the geometry is correctly set
+     */
+    virtual bool cadCanvasReleaseEvent( QgsMapMouseEvent *e, const QgsVectorLayer *layer ) = 0;
+
+    //! Called for a mouse move event
+    virtual void cadCanvasMoveEvent( QgsMapMouseEvent *e, const QgsVectorLayer *layer ) = 0;
+
+    /**
+     * Eventually filters a key press event
+     * Ignores the event in default implementation
+     */
+    virtual void keyPressEvent( QKeyEvent *e );
+
+    /**
+     * Eventually filters a key press event
+     * Ignores the event in default implementation
+     */
+    virtual void keyReleaseEvent( QKeyEvent *e );
+
+    //! Activates the map tool with the last captured map point
+    virtual void activate( const QgsPoint &lastCapturedMapPoint ) {Q_UNUSED( lastCapturedMapPoint )}
+
+    //! Deactivates the map tool
+    virtual void deactivate() {clean();}
+
+    //! Called to clean the map tool (after canceling the operation or when the digitization has finished)
+    virtual void clean();
+
+    //! Called to undo last action (last point added)
+    virtual void undo();
+
+  private:
+    QString mId;
+
+  protected:
+    QgsMapToolCapture *mParentTool = nullptr;
+
+    //! points (in map coordinates)
+    QgsPointSequence mPoints;
+
+    QgsGeometryRubberBand *mTempRubberBand = nullptr;
+
+};
+
+
+
+#endif // QGSMAPTOOLSHAPEABSTRACT_H