Configuring Addressables

The following topics provide an overview of the configuration options for setting up the Addressables system in a project and links to more detailed information:

Initialization

The Addressables system uses a set of ScriptableObject assets to store your configuration settings. The system stores these settings assets in the Assets/AddressableAssetsData folder of your Unity project. It creates this folder and default settings objects when you initialize Addressables from the Groups window. Open the Groups window (menu: Window > Asset Management > Addressables > Groups) after installing the Addressables package.

The first time you open the Groups window, click Create Addressables Settings to run the initialization command to create the settings folder and assets:


Before initializing the Addressables system in a Project

Add the AddressableAssetsData folder and its contents to your source control system.

See Getting started for a quick guide to using the Addressable system and Managing Addressables in the Editor for information on ways to organize your Addressable assets.

System settings

The AddressableAssetsSettings object contains the global, system settings for your Project. You can access these settings from the menu: Window > Asset Management > Addressables > Settings or from the Tools menu on the Groups window.

See Addressable system settings for information about each setting.

Group settings

The Addressables system uses the Groups you define to determine how to package your Addressable assets into local and remote AsssetBundles. Each group has its own settings object that you can use to control that group's options. Addressables creates a new settings object whenever you create a group.

See Groups and Group settings for more information.

Profiles

Profiles let you configure sets of build variables as appropriate for the purpose of build. For example, you could configure a profile to use for development builds of your project, one for test builds, and another for publishing release builds. You can create as many profiles as you need.

See Profiles for more information.

Asset hosting service

The Addressables system provides a asset hosting service that runs within the Unity Editor. You can use this service to test your remote content via an HTTP connection.

See Asset hosting service for more information.

Unity Preferences

The Addressables package adds its own section to the Unity Editor Preferences window. The Addressables preferences include:

Debug Build Layout

When enabled, the build system produces the Build layout report. This option is disabled by default since it increases the time need to create a build. The build report contains a detailed description of each AssetBundle produced by the build.

See Diagnostic tools for a description of this and other analysis tools.

Build Addressables on Player Build (Unity 2021.2+)

Determines whether Unity builds Addressables content as part of your Player build.

Building Addressables content together with the Player can be convenient, but does increase build time, especially on large projects, since this rebuilds the Addressables content even when you haven't modified any assets. If you don't change your Addressables content between most builds, consider disabling this option.

The options include:

  • Build Addressables content on Player Build: Always build Addressables content when building the Player.
  • Do not Build Addressables content on Player Build: Never build Addressables content when building the Player. (If you modify Addressables content, you must rebuild it manually before building the Player.)
  • Use global Settings (stored in preferences): Use the value specified in the Unity Editor Preferences (under Addressables). This option allows every project contributor to set the option as they choose.

The first two options override the global Preference for the current Project and affect all contributors who build the Project. Otherwise, the global Preference applies to all Unity projects.

See Building Addressables content with Player builds for more information.

Additional topics

See the following topics on more involved setup options: