Streamdeck Publishing

Stream Deck Plugin — Packaging & Marketplace Publishing

Prerequisite: streamdeck-general (project layout), streamdeck-cli (the pack / validate commands), streamdeck-manifest (SDKVersion, Version, Software.MinimumVersion).

Purpose

You've built a plugin and want to ship it. This skill covers the entire path from .sdPlugin/ source folder to a published Marketplace listing that updates automatically on users' machines:

1. Pre-flight checklist
2. Choosing SDKVersion: 2 vs 3 (DRM)
3. .sdignore — what to strip
4. Building the .streamDeckPlugin installer
5. Side-loading vs. Marketplace distribution
6. Maker Console: account, agreement, submission, review
7. Marketplace UX guidelines (icons, listing copy)
8. Version bumps / updates
9. Payouts and IP

1. Pre-flight checklist

Before you even run pack, verify:

2. SDKVersion: 2 vs. 3 (DRM)

Use SDKVersion: 3 if your plugin contains anything you want to make hard to copy (custom artwork, novel logic, paid features). It costs you nothing in dev experience.

Use SDKVersion: 2 if you're side-loading only (e.g. internal tools) or want to keep the option open to support older Stream Deck app installs.

Changing later is fine — just bump Version and the user upgrade flow takes care of it.

3. .sdignore — strip dev-only files

Same syntax as .gitignore. Lives in the project root (not inside *.sdPlugin/). Default exclusions: .git/, /.env*, *.log, *.js.map.

Recommended additions:

# Source — only ship compiled bin/
src/
tsconfig.json
rollup.config.mjs
*.test.*
__tests__/

# Dev-only docs / configs
README.md
CONTRIBUTING.md
.editorconfig
.eslintrc*
eslint.config.*
prettier.config.*
.vscode/
.github/
node_modules/

# OS junk
.DS_Store
Thumbs.db

Do NOT exclude bin/, imgs/, ui/, manifest.json, layouts/, profiles/, language files (*.json at the root of *.sdPlugin/).

Verify your .sdignore is doing the right thing:

streamdeck pack <UUID>.sdPlugin/ --dry-run

The dry-run prints the file list that would go into the .streamDeckPlugin.

4. Building the installer

# Clean build + validate + pack
npm run build
streamdeck validate <UUID>.sdPlugin/
streamdeck pack    <UUID>.sdPlugin/ --output dist/ --force

The result is dist/<plugin-name>.streamDeckPlugin — a ZIP archive in disguise. Double-click installs it for the local user.

Useful flags:

A reproducible release script:

{
  "scripts": {
    "release": "npm run lint && npm run build && streamdeck validate <UUID>.sdPlugin/ --no-update-check && streamdeck pack <UUID>.sdPlugin/ --output dist --force --no-update-check"
  }
}

5. Distribution paths

5a. Side-loading (no Marketplace)

Hand someone the .streamDeckPlugin file (email, GitHub release page, intranet share). They double-click — Stream Deck prompts to install.

Pros: no review, no fees, instant publish. Cons: no auto-update; user gets a "this plugin isn't from Marketplace" warning the first time; not searchable.

Good fit for: internal company plugins, beta-tester builds, niche tools.

5b. Elgato Marketplace

Goes through review; benefits from auto-update, discoverability, optional paid distribution.

Pros: auto-update on every install; appears in the in-app store; optional paid tier (70/30 split). Cons: review wait (days to a couple of weeks); must follow UX guidelines; payouts require Stripe Connect (country-limited).

6. Marketplace submission flow

6.1 Create a Maker account

1. Sign in at https://maker.elgato.com with your Elgato account (or create one).
2. Set up your organization (display name, contact email, optional logo). This is who Marketplace shows as the publisher.
3. Sign the Maker Agreement. One-time.

6.2 Submit the plugin

For each plugin:

1. New Submission → Plugin.
2. Upload your <plugin>.streamDeckPlugin from dist/.
3. Fill in the listing:
   • Display name (matches manifest.Name).
   • Short description (matches manifest.Description — fine to expand).
   • Long description (Markdown).
   • Category.
   • Marketplace tile icon (high-res; see UX guidelines).
   • Screenshots (PNG, recommended 1920×1080).
   • Pricing (Free / Paid). Paid requires Stripe Connect.
   • Supported devices / OS.
4. Submit for review.

6.3 Review

Elgato reviews:

Turnaround: typically a few business days. You can iterate — fix, re-pack, re-upload. The UUID stays the same; bump Version.

6.4 Updates

To ship a new version:

1. Bump manifest.Version (1.0.0.0 → 1.0.0.1, 1.1.0.0, etc.). Use the four-component format always.
2. Repackage: streamdeck pack ... --version 1.0.0.1.
3. Upload the new .streamDeckPlugin to the existing Marketplace listing.
4. Submit for review. Users get the update silently the next time their Stream Deck app checks in.

The UUID must NOT change between versions. If you change it, it's a brand-new plugin from the user's POV — existing buttons break.

7. UX guidelines — icons that pass review

Elgato has a fairly opinionated icon style. Plugins that violate it generally get rejected for the listing tile.

Generate icons in multiple resolutions:

imgs/plugin/marketplace.png    # 72×72 — used in actions list
imgs/plugin/marketplace@2x.png # 144×144 — hi-DPI displays
imgs/plugin/category.png       # 72×72 — category header
imgs/plugin/category@2x.png    # 144×144

For action icons:

imgs/actions/<slug>/icon.png       # actions list
imgs/actions/<slug>/icon@2x.png
imgs/actions/<slug>/key.png        # rendered on the Stream Deck key (state)
imgs/actions/<slug>/key@2x.png

The manifest references all of these without extensions — the SDK picks @2x automatically on hi-DPI displays.

8. Payouts and country limitations

If Stripe Connect doesn't support your country, you can still publish free plugins; paid is gated by Stripe support.

9. IP and multi-listing

• You retain all intellectual property in your plugin. Elgato gets a license to distribute via Marketplace.
• You can also list the same plugin elsewhere (Etsy, your own site, GitHub releases) — multi-listing is allowed.
• You're responsible for any third-party IP (icons, libraries, API clients). Don't ship art you don't have rights to.

10. Practical checklist — going from "works locally" to "live"

[ ] manifest UUID locked in (forever)
[ ] manifest Version bumped to 1.0.0.0
[ ] manifest Author, Description, Icon, Category set
[ ] manifest Software.MinimumVersion matches your testing
[ ] manifest OS array lists tested platforms
[ ] SDKVersion 2 or 3 chosen (3 if you want DRM)
[ ] .sdignore strips src/, configs, README, .vscode
[ ] @2x.png variants present alongside .png
[ ] No hard-coded secrets in source or PI
[ ] OAuth (if any) uses PKCE + proxy URL (see streamdeck-oauth)
[ ] streamdeck validate exits clean
[ ] Plugin loads on a fresh Stream Deck install (no leftover settings)
[ ] streamdeck pack ... --no-update-check produces .streamDeckPlugin
[ ] Double-click install on macOS works
[ ] Double-click install on Windows works
[ ] Maker Console listing copy + screenshots prepared
[ ] Submitted for review
[ ] (After approval) Test the Marketplace install flow as a user

See Also

• Distribution guide: https://docs.elgato.com/streamdeck/sdk/introduction/distribution
• Become a Maker: https://docs.elgato.com/marketplace/become-a-maker
• Plugin UX guidelines (icons): https://docs.elgato.com/guidelines/stream-deck/plugins
• Elgato icons download: https://docs.elgato.com/resources/icons
• Maker Console: https://maker.elgato.com
• Marketplace Makers Discord: https://discord.gg/GehBUcu627
• Sibling skills: streamdeck-general, streamdeck-cli, streamdeck-manifest, streamdeck-oauth