Submitting to Bakkesplugins

You've looked through the docs in desperation, angrily screamed at your computer, crashed a couple times, but it's all worth it! You have made a super cool plugin that you want to share! Nice job!

Account Setup

Plugins are officially hosted at https://bakkesplugins.com/ (here!!!). Register if you have to. Once you're logged in, you can create and manage your plugins through the dashboard.

Creating Your Plugin

Navigate to your account dashboard and click "Create New Plugin". You'll need to provide:

Required Information

1. Plugin Name - At least 5 characters
2. Short Description - At least 5 characters, one-sentence summary
3. Description - At least 30 characters, detailed explanation of what your plugin does (supports Markdown formatting)
4. Source Code ZIP - Your plugin source code packaged as a .zip file (max 20MB)
5. Version Number - Semantic version format (e.g., 1.0.0, 1.2.3)

Optional Information

• Homepage URL - Link to your plugin's homepage or documentation
• Source Code URL - Link to your plugin's repository (GitHub, GitLab, etc.)
• Banner Image - PNG or JPEG image, max 1MB wider than tall (16:9 ratio recommended)
• Tags - Select relevant tags to help users find your plugin
• Visibility Settings:
  • Publicly Visible - Whether anyone can view your plugin
  • Listed - Whether your plugin appears in browse pages and search results

Source Code Requirements

What to Include in Your ZIP

Your source code ZIP should contain:

• The .sln (solution) file
• The .vcxproj (project) file
• All .cpp, .h, and .hpp source files
• Any additional data files (.set files, images, etc.)

Important: Use the BakkesMod Plugin Template to ensure your plugin builds smoothly for moderators.

File Structure Examples

If your .sln is outside the solution folder, include:

• The .sln file
• The entire plugin folder containing .vcxproj and source files

If your .sln is inside the solution folder, include:

• The entire folder with both .sln and .vcxproj
• All source files

Third-Party Dependencies

If your plugin uses third-party dependencies, please see the Plugin Dependencies Guide.

If your plugin requires external .dll files or has special build steps:

• Make this clear in your source code URL description or in a README file
• External files must be from safe, accessible sources
• Example: Nvidia Highlights requires a pre-built .dll from Nvidia, which moderators could safely obtain

Review Process

After you submit your plugin:

1. Submission Received - Your plugin enters the review queue with status "Pending Review"
2. Automated Build - The system will queue your plugin for automated building (status: "In Build Queue" → "Building")
3. Moderator Review - Moderators manually review the code of all plugins
4. Decision - You'll be notified via email and on-site notification when your plugin is:
   • Approved - Your plugin is now live and available for download
   • Rejected - You'll receive specific feedback on why and can resubmit

Review Timeline

• Reviews are handled by volunteer moderators
• Timeline varies but generally is less than a week
• Please be patient and respectful of volunteers' time

Tracking Your Submission

You can view the status of your submissions in your dashboard under the "Submissions" tab of your plugin. Statuses include:

• Pending Review - Waiting for moderator review
• In Build Queue - Queued for automated compilation
• Building - Currently being compiled
• Approved - Approved and published
• Rejected - Not approved (with reason provided)

Updating Your Plugin

To release a new version:

1. Go to your plugin management page
2. Navigate to the "Submissions" tab
3. Upload a new source ZIP with an updated version number
4. Your new version will enter the review queue

You can have multiple submissions, but only one can be active at a time. Moderators will only look at the latest submission (previous ones will be marked as "skipped" in your dashboard). You can delete pending submissions if needed, for example if you made an error but want to re-use a version number.

Important Policies

BakkesPlugins retains the right to deny or remove any plugin. A plugin will not be approved if it:

• Can be considered malicious or harmful
• Downloads and/or runs potentially dangerous files
• Breaks Rocket League's Code of Conduct rules for mods
• Violates Psyonix's policies for third-party modifications
• Contains inappropriate content
• Infringes on copyrights or intellectual property

If your plugin requires files from outside sources or has unusual build requirements, it may be denied if:

• The required files cannot be safely obtained. Use vcpkg as much as possible when adding 3rd party libraries
• The build process is unreasonably complex
• Moderators cannot verify the safety of external dependencies

Need Help?

• Check the BakkesMod SDK documentation for development help
• Join the BakkesMod Discord server for community support
• Review the Plugin Development Tutorial for best practices