Publish channels

Three ways to distribute: the Steam Workshop (Steam client), the web Plugin Hub (self-published edition), and the local extensions directory (manual distribution / beta testing).

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1. Steam Workshop

Item	Value
Retail AppID	5521270
Playtest AppID	5227990
Scan source	Follows the injected SteamAppId at startup; without Steam it defaults to retail

• Upload through the official Steam Workshop flow (the MOD export shipped with the client is only a packaging convenience).
• The workshops of the two AppIDs do not share anything — Playtest and retail each need their own upload.
• The Steam client does not access the web Plugin Hub domain (channel design + Steam compliance requirements).

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2. Web Plugin Hub (self-published edition only)

Entry: Settings → Extension Workshop → Plugin Hub (PluginHubWindow) → the "Publish" page. The website also has an author center with the same features.

Flow

1. Pick a folder or a plugin package to upload → the server parses and validates mod.json
2. Fill in the display information + the version number: it defaults to mod.json inside the package, and you can edit it to a higher version to submit a new version (after success it is synced back to your local mod.json)
3. Submit for review (data type + trusted authors are published automatically; script type is reviewed by a human)
4. Under "My plugins" you can edit information / unpublish / submit a new version

Constraints

Item	Limit
Sign-in	You must sign in to a self-published edition account (workshop token TBW1.…, issued together with the device-code sign-in)
Single package size	20 MB (see Packaging & size limit)
Versions pending review	at most 5 at the same time
Daily submissions	capped (over the cap you get "today's submission limit has been reached")
Version number	x.y.z and must be higher than the highest online version
Adaptation generation	mod.json must declare "target_app_version": "0.2"; a package without it is refused by the client (see Compatibility & version gates)
Plugin id	the author segment cannot be a reserved name (transbox/official/builtin/community/example/workshop/steam/system/admin/root/support/web/test/tbmod)

Common error codes

Error code	Meaning
not_logged_in	the sign-in expired, sign in again
forbidden	the token has no upload permission (workshop:publish), sign in once more
id_taken / item_exists	the id is taken / the id already exists online — submit a new version with a new version number
id_mismatch	the id in the package does not match the online item id
bad_package	package validation failed (check mod.json and the directory layout)
reserved_id	a reserved id segment was used
too_large	over 20 MB
quota_pending / quota_daily	too many versions pending review / today's submission cap reached

Official plugins do not go through the Plugin Hub

Official built-in plugins (community_* / workshop.*) are distributed with the client version and are not published to the web Plugin Hub.

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3. Local extensions directory (manual distribution)

Users unpack the plugin folder into %APPDATA%/transbox/extensions/ and then refresh in the Extension Workshop. Suited to beta tests, private plugins, and plugins you do not want to make public.

Plugins placed here are marked with the source local, and win when names clash (local > steam > web).

⚠️ The local directory is subject to the same target_app_version gate: a 0.1.x-era plugin dropped here will not show up in the list, and the log says [registry] 拒绝识别外部插件 <id>: 缺少 target_app_version 字段. Add "target_app_version": "0.2" first, then refresh.

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Channel comparison

	Steam Workshop	Web Plugin Hub	Local directory
Who can use it	Steam-channel client	Self-published edition client	Everyone
Upload method	Official Steam flow	Client publish page / web author center	Manual copy
Review	Steam	Platform review (data type can be automatic)	None
Size limit	Steam's limits	20 MB	None
Auto-update	Steam client sync	10 s after client startup + a sync every 24 h	Manual

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Related

• Packaging & size limit
• Hot debugging
• Runtime architecture & lifecycle — scan roots and source priority
• Prerequisite plugins / Host runtimes