Getting Started

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Elgato Stream Deck SDK - Getting Started

Prerequisites

Requirement	Version
Node.js	20 or higher
Stream Deck	6.9 or higher
Device	Stream Deck hardware or Stream Deck Mobile
Editor	VS Code (recommended)
Terminal	Any shell access

SOP: Install Node.js

Install a Node version manager first, then use it to install Node.js 20:

nvm install 20
nvm use 20
node -v  # Should output v20.x.x

Windows PowerShell

You may need to set the execution policy before running CLI tools:

Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser

SOP: Install Stream Deck CLI

Choose your package manager:

npm

npm install -g @elgato/cli

yarn

yarn global add @elgato/cli

pnpm

pnpm add -g @elgato/cli

SOP: Create Your First Plugin

Run the interactive creation wizard:

streamdeck create

The wizard prompts for:

1. Author name - Your developer identity
2. Plugin name - Display name in Stream Deck
3. Plugin UUID - Reverse-DNS format (e.g., com.yourname.my-plugin)
4. Description - What the plugin does

UUID Format

UUIDs must use lowercase alphanumeric characters, hyphens, and periods only. Follow reverse-DNS convention: com.company.plugin-name

Project Structure

After creation, your plugin directory contains:

my-plugin/
├── .sdPlugin/           # Compiled output
│   ├── bin/             # Built JavaScript
│   ├── imgs/            # Plugin images
│   ├── logs/            # Runtime logs
│   ├── ui/              # Property Inspector HTML
│   └── manifest.json    # Plugin manifest
├── src/                 # TypeScript source
│   ├── actions/         # Action implementations
│   └── plugin.ts        # Entry point
├── package.json
├── rollup.config.mjs
└── tsconfig.json

SOP: Run in Development Mode

Start the watch mode for hot-reload during development:

npm run watch

This command:

1. Builds your plugin from TypeScript source
2. Installs it in Stream Deck automatically
3. Watches for file changes and auto-reloads

Troubleshooting

If your plugin doesn't appear in Stream Deck after running watch:

• Restart the Stream Deck application
• Check if elevated privileges are required
• Join the Marketplace Makers Discord for help

Verification Checklist

• [ ] Node.js 20+ installed and verified with node -v
• [ ] Stream Deck CLI installed globally
• [ ] Plugin scaffolded with streamdeck create
• [ ] Plugin visible in Stream Deck after npm run watch
• [ ] Hot-reload working on file saves