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Overwolf Developer Documentation

website·Indexed 37 days ago

https://dev.overwolf.com

Developer resources for building apps and extensions on Overwolf, including OW-Native and OW-Electron frameworks. Features documentation on game events APIs, video capture best practices using overwolf.media.replays, overlay modes, hotkey implementation, and monetization via Subscriptions APIs and Tebex. Includes guides for porting Electron apps, managing releases in the Developers Console, and accessing I/O functionalities via the extensions.io API.

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What's inside Overwolf

  1. Overview of the Overwolf Event SDK for Game Developers

    The Overwolf Event SDK allows game developers to mark and communicate in-game events and real-time game data to Overwolf apps. This enables app developers to build features like video compilations of kill shots or highlight reels based on specific in-game triggers (e.g., kills, deaths, match start/end, achievements). The SDK operates as a one-way communication channel on a separate thread to ensure game performance is not impacted, and it functions even if Overwolf is not running in the background.

  2. Overview of Overwolf House Ads

    House Ads are image-based advertisements displayed in the standard ad container when no programmatic ads are available (no fill). They are intended for app developers to promote new features, tutorials, or app promotions.

    Key constraints:

    • House ads must not be used for external ad campaigns (which are managed by Overwolf).
    • House ads will not be displayed if the user has an active ad blocker.
    • Regional house ads override global house ads in the specified regions.

  3. Overview of Overwolf growth and marketing tools

    Overwolf provides several programs and tools to help app creators grow their audience, increase engagement, and monetize their apps. Available growth resources include:

    • Long-term Marketing Promotion: A program for apps with strong retention that provides dedicated creative production and paid boosts via PPC or influencer marketing.
    • App Recommendations: Promotion via the App Store Carousel and Content Recommendation Notifications (CRN) to surface apps to relevant platform users.
    • Marketing Assets & Communication: Guidelines for providing design assets for landing pages and using the "Get it on Overwolf" badge to maintain brand consistency.
    • Discord Rich Presence Plugin: A tool to display live app activity data directly in a user's Discord profile.
    • Subscription Management: Tools to implement subscription plans, allowing for premium perks, status recognition, and ad-free experiences.

  4. Overview of Overwolf OIDC Authentication

    Overwolf provides an SSO server implementing the OAuth2 protocol and OpenID Connect (OIDC) identity layer. It uses Proof Key for Code Exchange (PKCE) for authorization. The server's discovery document is available at https://id.overwolf.com/oidc/.well-known/openid-configuration.

  5. Overview of Overwolf Product Guidelines

    To build a successful and compliant app on Overwolf, developers must adhere to a set of standards and best practices covering the entire app lifecycle. These guidelines ensure high-quality player experiences and are categorized into five key areas:

    • User Onboarding Experience: Requirements for first-time user flows, installations, and initial feature discovery.
    • App Screens and Behavior: Standards for window management, overlay transitions, and game environment interactions.
    • App Identity and Compliance: Rules regarding branding, legal requirements, and technical compliance necessary for app approval.
    • Informing Users: Guidelines for communication, notifications, and transparency regarding app value and data usage.
    • User Engagement: Strategies and tools for driving long-term retention and meaningful user interaction.

  6. Overview of Overwolf Custom Testing Channels

    Testing channels are custom release channels used to manage the testing of specific app versions. They allow developers to deploy different versions of an app to hand-picked users via direct download links.

    Key constraints:

    • Users cannot download testing versions from the Overwolf App Store; store downloads default to the Production Channel.
    • Test channels are exempt from mandatory version review, though developers can still request one optionally.

  7. Overview of Overwolf Product Guidelines

    To build a successful and compliant app on Overwolf, developers must adhere to a set of standards and best practices covering the entire app lifecycle. Key areas of compliance and quality include:

    • User Onboarding Experience: Requirements for installation flows and first-time user discovery.
    • App Screens and Behavior: Standards for window management, overlay transitions, and game environment interaction.
    • App Identity and Compliance: Rules for branding, legal requirements, and technical compliance necessary for app approval.
    • Informing Users: Guidelines for notifications, communication, and transparency regarding data usage.
    • User Engagement: Strategies for driving long-term retention and user interaction.
    • Analytics and Performance: Best practices for monitoring stability, resource consumption, and growth metrics.

  8. Overview of Overwolf Native Framework

    Overwolf apps are lightweight in-game applications that enhance the gaming experience across over 1,500 supported games. They are built using standard web technologies (HTML and JavaScript) and run on top of the Overwolf Desktop App. The framework uses Overwolf APIs to bridge web development with desktop application functionality and supports C# plugins for advanced features.

  9. Overview of Overwolf Sample App functionality

    The Overwolf sample app demonstrates how to build applications that respond to real-time game events and display content in an overlay. Key features demonstrated include:

    • Automatic launching when a supported game is loaded.
    • Receiving real-time game events via the overwolf.games.events API.
    • Identifying and responding to specific in-game events.
    • Defining custom in-game hotkeys.
    • Managing interaction between different app windows.
    • Using a background controller for data transfer.

    The sample app is configured by default for Fortnite but can be customized for other supported games (e.g., CSGO, League of Legends, Valorant, Dota 2, etc.).

  10. Overview of IOverwolfOverlayApi

    The IOverwolfOverlayApi interface is used to manage Overwolf overlay windows, hotkeys, input modes, and game integration. It extends EventEmitter, allowing developers to subscribe to events such as game launches, focus changes, and input mode transitions.
    // Example: Injecting an overlay when a supported game is launched
private _overlayApi: IOverwolfOverlayApi;

this._overlayApi.on('game-launched', (event, gameInfo) => {
  if (gameInfo.supported === true) {
    event.inject();
  }
});

  11. Overview of High Impact Ads

    High impact ads are immersive, interactive, and high-visibility ads designed to occupy an entire ad zone (parent container) in the app UI. They temporarily hide surrounding content to maximize impact. Unlike standard programmatic ads, demand for High Impact ads depends on Brand Partnerships direct-deal availability. Once the high impact ad completes, standard ads are restored.

  12. Overview of Overwolf Webserver

    The web.webserver instance allows an Overwolf app to run a local web server. It is CORS enabled and automatically sends Access-Control-Allow-Origin headers, making it suitable for passing data (such as authentication tokens) from an external website to an Overwolf app. Webserver instances are created using the overwolf.web.createServer() method.