Build Defold Project via Editor HTTP API

Build and run a Defold project by sending HTTP requests to the running Defold editor.

Prerequisites

• The Defold editor must be running with the project open.

Reading the Editor Port

The editor writes its HTTP port to .internal/editor.port in the project root. Read this file to get the port number.

Windows (PowerShell):

$port = Get-Content .internal/editor.port

Linux/macOS:

port=$(cat .internal/editor.port)

If the file does not exist, the editor is not running or the project is not open.

Building the Project

Send a POST request to the /command/build endpoint.

Windows (PowerShell):

Invoke-RestMethod -Uri "http://127.0.0.1:$port/command/build" -Method Post

Linux/macOS:

curl -X POST "http://127.0.0.1:$port/command/build" --silent

The response is JSON with two fields:

• success (boolean) — whether the build succeeded.
• issues (array) — list of build issues (empty on success).

If success is true, the build succeeded and the editor launches the game automatically.

If success is false, each entry in issues contains:

Field	Description
severity	"error" or "warning"
message	Human-readable description
resource	Absolute project path (e.g. /main/logo.script)
range.start.line	Start line (0-based)
range.start.character	Start column (0-based)
range.end.line	End line (0-based)
range.end.character	End column (0-based)

Checking Console Output

After a successful build and launch, read runtime logs from the editor console:

Windows (PowerShell):

Invoke-RestMethod -Uri "http://127.0.0.1:$port/console" -Method Get

Linux/macOS:

curl "http://127.0.0.1:$port/console" --silent

Workflow

1. Read the port from .internal/editor.port.
2. POST to /command/build.
3. If the build fails, report all issues with file paths, line numbers, and messages.
4. If the build succeeds, the game launches automatically. Check /console for runtime logs if needed.

Troubleshooting

• Connection refused — the editor is not running or the port file is stale. Restart the editor and try again.

Example: Successful Build Response

{
  "success": true,
  "issues": []
}

Example: Failed Build Response

{
  "success": false,
  "issues": [
    {
      "severity": "error",
      "message": "go.property declaration should be a top-level statement",
      "resource": "/main/logo.script",
      "range": {
        "start": { "line": 3, "character": 4 },
        "end": { "line": 3, "character": 35 }
      }
    }
  ]
}