Build window integration
Works from the Unity Build window, so the workflow stays familiar instead of introducing a separate tool surface.
Background Build
Build your game. Keep using Unity.
Background Build launches builds in a separate Unity process, keeping the main Editor responsive while the build runs. The value is immediate: start a build, keep editing, and come back when output, logs, and errors are ready.
Player buildsAssetBundlesAddressablesCancelable builds
Background Build Asset Store cover
Product Media
See Background Build in the Editor.
Background Build Asset Store cover
Build window integration
Progress and build status
Build logging and output
Why It Matters
Normal Unity builds interrupt iteration.
In a standard setup, starting a build can lock up the editor until the process finishes. Background Build shifts the build into a separate Unity process so your main editor session can stay usable.
Normal Build Flow
Make change -> Start build -> Wait -> Continue later
- Build ties up the editor
- Context switching slows iteration
- Logs and output arrive only when the editor is free again
Background Build Flow
Make change -> Start background build -> Keep working
- Separate process handles build execution
- Main editor remains available for development work
- Progress, logs, completion state, and output stay visible
Feature Set
Built for day-to-day build friction.
Code API support
Designed to be easy to substitute for existing `BuildPipeline.BuildPlayer` usage through your own build wrapper or service layer.
Progress and ETA
Integrated progress UI includes estimated completion time using previous build duration as a reference.
Logs and errors
Optional live console log streaming is available during the build, and errors surface clearly when the build completes.
Output shortcuts
Build completion includes clickable links to the output folder and the build log for faster handoff and debugging.
Cancellation and limits
Builds can be cancelled, and only one background build per target or platform runs at a time.
Workflow
Separate process, visible progress, cleaner handoff.
1. Start a build from the usual place.Kick off a build from the Unity Build window or an existing scripted build path.
2. Background Build launches the work elsewhere.The build runs in another Unity process while the main editor remains available.
3. Track progress while you keep working.Watch progress, ETA, and optional live logs without giving up your active editor session.
4. Review results at completion.Inspect errors, open the log, and jump directly to the output folder when the build finishes.
API Example
Easy to slot behind an existing build wrapper.
The source material states that the code API is designed to be easy to substitute for `BuildPipeline.BuildPlayer`. The example here stays conceptual on purpose, so it shows the integration pattern without inventing unsupported API names.
Conceptual integration patternC#
// Existing foreground build path
var report = BuildPipeline.BuildPlayer(buildPlayerOptions);
// Conceptual approach with Background Build:
// keep build calls behind your own build service so the
// implementation can be swapped from foreground to background.
IBuildRunner runner = GetBuildRunner();
var report = runner.Build(buildPlayerOptions);Supported Targets
Grounded platform support.
iOSSupported
AndroidSupported
Windows standaloneSupported
macOS standaloneSupported
Linux standaloneSupported
WebGLSupported
VR headsetsSupported
- Other Unity platforms should work, but have not been tested yet.
FAQ
Common questions.
What kinds of builds does it support?
Player builds are supported directly. AssetBundle builds are supported, and Addressables builds are supported when the Addressables package is installed.
Does it replace the normal Build window?
No. The point is to fit into normal Unity workflows, including the Build window, while moving the build execution into a separate Unity process.
Can I start multiple builds for the same target?
Not for the same target or platform at the same time. One background build per target or platform is allowed at once.
Can I stop a build if I started the wrong one?
Yes. Builds can be cancelled.
What happens when the build finishes with errors?
Errors are surfaced when the build completes, alongside links to the output folder and the build log.
Final Step
Keep the editor free for actual development work.
Background Build is about getting build time out of the way so iteration stays moving.