Pipeline Documentation

com.unity.pipeline lets a client — CLI, CI, or an agent — drive a running Unity Editor (or a development Player) over a local HTTP API by executing registered commands.

Guides

Page	What it covers
Creating commands	The command-authoring API: [CliGroupCommand]/[CliArg], groups and names, the handler + response pattern, the MainThreadRequired flag and the runtime tag.
Creating authoring commands	Building content-authoring commands: the authoring root sandbox, ObjectRef in / AuthoringResult out, and undo grouping — with a worked example for a new content type.
Safety & mutations	Conventions shared by state-changing commands: the confirm/dry_run gate, Undo grouping via AuthoringUndoScope, and the path sandbox.
Connectivity	How servers bind the loopback address, the port ranges, the port/descriptor file, and the bearer-token auth workflow.
Runtime connection & setup	Running the server in a Player via Project Settings → Pipeline → Runtime, and how the build gating works.
Reloading code	Updating [MethodReload] methods in a running game: the Assembly.Load and interpreter backends, supported changes, the watcher, and how the woven dispatch works.
Tests architecture	Writing command tests via PipelineClient (over HTTP) and via direct command calls.
Analytics	The three usage events the Editor server reports, what each field means, and what is deliberately not collected.
Samples	Where the samples live (com.unity.pipeline.samples), how to add the package and import a sample, and what each one demonstrates.

Command reference

Commands are organised in groups. Run one with unity command <group> <name>, and list a group's commands with unity command <group>. In a JSON request or a batch operation a command is named the same way, <group> <name>.

Page	Commands
Batch command	Run several commands in one transactional request, with cross-operation references and atomic Undo (job batch).
Asset & file commands	Create / import / move / copy / rename / delete / find assets, import settings, folders, text files.
Scene commands	Create / open / save scenes, build-settings list, hierarchy, active scene.
GameObject & component commands	Create / find / transform / parent / tag / layer GameObjects; add / remove / read / set components.
Prefab commands	Create, instantiate, variant, apply / revert overrides, unpack, edit prefab contents.
Script commands	Create and attach scripts; get / set serialized fields; compile and run project entry points in memory (script run).
Animation commands	Create AnimationClips (+ curves), AnimatorControllers (parameters / layers / states / transitions), and Timeline assets.
Material & shader commands	Read / set material shader properties and keywords; list and introspect shaders.
Baking commands	Bake / clear lighting, NavMesh, and occlusion culling (async — poll the matching bake_status).
Navigation & selection commands	Read / set the Editor selection; run Unity Search queries.
Capture commands	Screenshot the game / scene view and capture UI Toolkit visual elements.
Wait commands	Wait on the server for a condition instead of polling: job wait, job wait_status, job wait_cancel.
Build, compilation & test commands	Build the Player, switch build target, read/write build settings, list targets/profiles, recompile scripts, and run tests (async — poll the matching status command).
Project settings commands	Read / change Audio, Graphics, Input, Physics, Player, Quality, Tags & Layers, and Time settings (get and set in each settings.* group, gated by confirm/dry_run).
Package Manager commands	List / search / add / remove / resolve UPM packages and poll operation status.
Editor lifecycle & observability commands	Play / stop / pause, focus, menus, screenshots, console logs, performance stats, authoring root.
Multiplayer Play Mode & instance commands	Drive Play Mode Scenarios (main Editor + virtual players), author scenario assets, and discover clone instances to drive each one.
Runtime commands	Player-side commands: status, quit, frame rate, time scale, log, console, eval, code reload.

Command index

Every available command, grouped by area. Each entry is the command as typed on the command line, unity command <group> <name>, and links to its full reference (parameters + return type). In a JSON request, a batch operation or an MCP-style call, the command is named the same way, <group> <name>.

Asset & file commands

Command	Description
asset create	Create a ScriptableObject / Object asset at a path.
asset import	Import an external file into the project.
asset move	Move / rename an asset (keeps its GUID).
asset copy	Copy an asset (fresh GUID).
asset rename	Rename an asset in place.
asset delete	Delete an asset (needs confirm).
asset find	Find assets by type / name / label.
asset set_import_settings	Set an asset's importer settings and re-import.
asset get_import_settings	Read an asset's importer settings.
asset create_folder	Create a folder under the authoring root.
asset read_text	Read a UTF-8 text file.
asset write_text	Write a UTF-8 text file, then import it.

Scene commands

Command	Description
scene create	Create and save a new scene.
scene open	Open an existing scene.
scene save	Save an open scene.
editor save_all	Save all dirty open scenes.
scene list_open	List open scenes and their state.
scene set_active	Set which open scene is active.
scene get_hierarchy	Return a scene's GameObject tree.
scene add_to_build	Add a scene to Build Settings.
scene remove_from_build	Remove a scene from Build Settings.

GameObject & component commands

Command	Description
gameobject create	Create a GameObject or primitive.
gameobject create_many	Batch-create GameObjects / primitives.
gameobject find	Find GameObjects by name / tag / component / path.
gameobject set_transform	Set local position / rotation / scale.
gameobject set_parent	Reparent a GameObject (or detach to root).
gameobject set_active	Set a GameObject's active state.
gameobject set_tag	Set a GameObject's tag.
gameobject set_layer	Set a GameObject's layer.
gameobject rename	Rename a GameObject.
gameobject delete	Delete a GameObject (undoable).
component add	Add a component by type name.
component remove	Remove a component.
component get_properties	Read a component's serialized properties.
component set_properties	Set a component's serialized properties.

Prefab commands

Command	Description
prefab create	Save a GameObject as a prefab.
prefab instantiate	Instantiate a prefab into a scene.
prefab create_variant	Create a prefab variant.
prefab apply_overrides	Apply instance overrides to the source.
prefab revert_overrides	Revert instance overrides.
prefab unpack	Unpack a prefab instance.
prefab save_contents	Edit a prefab in an isolated stage and save.

Script commands

Command	Description
script create	Create a C# script from a template.
script attach	Attach a MonoBehaviour by type / asset.
component set_field	Set a serialized field on a component / asset.
component get_fields	Read serialized fields.
script run	Compile a project .cs file in memory (no domain reload) and run a named static entry point — the builder-pattern path for bulk construction.

Animation commands

Command	Description
animation.clip create	Create an empty .anim AnimationClip.
animation.clip set_curve	Add / replace a float curve on a clip.
animation.clip get	Read a clip's curves and metadata.
animation.clip remove_curve	Remove a curve binding (needs confirm).
animation.animator create_controller	Create an .controller AnimatorController.
animation.animator add_parameter	Add a parameter to a controller.
animation.animator add_layer	Add a layer to a controller.
animation.animator add_state	Add a state to a layer.
animation.animator add_transition	Add a transition between states.
animation.animator get_controller	Read a controller's full structure.
animation.timeline create	Create a .playable Timeline asset.
animation.timeline add_track	Add a track to a Timeline.
animation.timeline add_clip	Add a clip to a Timeline track.
animation.timeline get	Read a Timeline's structure.

Material & shader commands

Command	Description
material get_properties	Read a material's shader and properties.
material set_properties	Set material shader properties / keywords.
material list_shaders	Discover available shaders.
material get_shader_properties	Introspect a shader's property list.

Baking commands

Command	Description
lighting bake	Async lightmap bake (poll lighting bake_status).
lighting bake_status	Status of the last lighting bake.
lighting cancel_bake	Cancel an in-progress lighting bake.
lighting clear_bake	Clear baked lightmaps (needs confirm).
lighting get_settings	Read the active LightingSettings.
lighting set_settings	Apply a subset of lighting settings.
navmesh bake	Async legacy NavMesh bake (poll navmesh bake_status).
navmesh bake_status	Status of the last NavMesh bake.
navmesh cancel_bake	Cancel an in-progress NavMesh bake.
navmesh clear_bake	Clear the baked NavMesh (needs confirm).
navmesh get_settings	Read legacy NavMesh bake settings.
navmesh set_settings	Apply a subset of NavMesh settings.
navmesh bake_surfaces	Bake NavMeshSurface components (AI Navigation).
occlusion bake	Async occlusion bake (poll occlusion bake_status).
occlusion bake_status	Status of the last occlusion bake.
occlusion cancel_bake	Cancel an in-progress occlusion bake.
occlusion clear_bake	Clear baked occlusion data (needs confirm).

Navigation & selection commands

Command	Description
gameobject get_selection	Read the current Editor selection.
gameobject set_selection	Set the Editor selection.
editor search	Run a Unity Search query.

Capture commands

Command	Description
capture game_view	Capture the game view to a PNG (base64).
capture scene_view	Render the Scene View to a PNG (base64).
capture editor_element	Capture a UI Toolkit element from an EditorWindow (6000.7+).
capture runtime_element	Capture a UI Toolkit element from a runtime panel (6000.7+).

Build, compilation & test commands

Command	Description
build run	Async Player build (poll build status).
build status	Status / report of the current build.
build.target switch	Switch the active build target (needs confirm).
build.target switch_status	Status of the last target switch.
build.target list	List known build targets.
build get_settings	Read build configuration.
build set_settings	Set build configuration fields.
build list_profiles	List Build Profile assets (Unity 6).
build list_platforms	List platforms a Build Profile can target (Unity 6).
build create_profile	Create a Build Profile asset for a platform (Unity 6).
build set_profile	Edit a Build Profile's scene list and scripting defines (Unity 6).
script recompile	Force a script recompile (poll script recompile_status).
script recompile_status	Status of the last recompile.
test list	List available tests without running.
test run	Run Unity tests with filters.
test status	Status of async test execution.
test cancel	Cancel running tests.

Project settings commands

Command	Description
settings.audio get	Read Audio settings.
settings.audio set	Change Audio settings (needs confirm).
settings.graphics get	Read Graphics settings.
settings.graphics set	Set the default render pipeline (needs confirm).
settings.input get	Read legacy Input Manager axes.
settings.input set	Tune a legacy input axis (needs confirm).
settings.physics get	Read Physics settings.
settings.physics set	Change Physics settings (needs confirm).
settings.player get	Read PlayerSettings.
settings.player set	Change PlayerSettings (needs confirm).
settings.quality get	Read QualitySettings.
settings.quality set	Change QualitySettings (needs confirm).
settings.runtime_pipeline get	Read Pipeline Runtime settings (enableInDevelopmentBuilds, enableInReleaseBuilds, port, enableAuditLogging, autoStart, maxWorkItemsPerFrame).
settings.runtime_pipeline set	Change Pipeline Runtime settings.
settings.tags_layers get	Read tags and layers.
settings.tags_layers set	Add / remove tags, name layers (needs confirm).
settings.time get	Read Time settings.
settings.time set	Change Time settings (needs confirm).

Package Manager commands

Command	Description
package list	List packages by scope.
package search	Search the registry.
package add	Add a UPM package (needs confirm).
package remove	Remove a UPM package (needs confirm).
package resolve	Resolve / refresh packages.
package status	Status of the last package operation.

Editor lifecycle & observability commands

Command	Description
editor.playmode start	Enter play mode.
editor.playmode set_run_in_background	Override the project's Run In Background Player Setting.
editor.playmode stop	Exit play mode.
editor.playmode pause	Toggle play mode pause.
editor status	Detailed Editor status.
editor focus	Bring the Editor to the foreground.
editor invoke_menu	Execute (or list) Editor menu items.
capture screenshot	Capture Scene / Game view to a PNG file.
editor set_auto_tick	Keep the editor ticking while unfocused.
diagnostics get_performance	Read render / memory / frame stats.
diagnostics run_audit	Run a Project Auditor scan, producing a CSV of issues.
diagnostics audit_status	Poll the audit scan; returns the CSV path + issue count.
diagnostics report_evals	Ranked report of local eval-usage telemetry + command-coverage suggestions.
authoring get_root	Get the authoring-root folder.
authoring set_root	Set the authoring-root folder.

Multiplayer Play Mode & instance commands

Command	Description
editor.playmode list_scenarios	List Play Mode Scenario assets.
editor.playmode list_players	List the players a scenario declares.
editor.playmode set_active_scenario	Set the active scenario (Idle only).
editor.playmode start_scenario	Start the active scenario.
editor.playmode stop_scenario	Stop the running scenario.
editor.playmode get_scenario_status	Live scenario state + each player's run state and address.
editor.playmode create_scenario	Create a scenario asset.
editor.playmode add_player	Add a clone / local player to a scenario.
editor.playmode remove_player	Remove a scenario player by id.
editor.playmode list_instances	List running Editor instances (this Editor + its clones).

Runtime commands

Command	Description
runtime status	Runtime application status.
runtime quit	Quit the application.
runtime set_target_frame_rate	Set the target frame rate.
runtime set_time_scale	Set the time scale.
runtime simulate_key	Simulate a keyboard event (Input System).
runtime simulate_pointer	Simulate a pointer event (Input System).
console write	Write a message to the Unity console.
console get	Read captured console output.
console status	Console counters and compile-failure flag, without the entries.
console clear	Clear the console / log buffer.
script eval	Evaluate C# via Roslyn.
script eval_file	Evaluate C# from a .cs file.
script.methodreload reload	Apply [MethodReload] edits from a file.
script.methodreload reload_editor	Same, on the IlInterpreter backend (IL2CPP-safe).
script.methodreload reload_player	Compile in the Editor and push [MethodReload] edits to connected players (IL2CPP-safe).
script.methodreload status	Method reload registry status.
script.methodreload generate_link_xml	Generate the method-reload link.xml for IL2CPP device builds.
script.methodreload cleanup	Clear old method reload DLLs / registry.

Batch command

Command	Description
job batch	Run multiple registered commands in one transactional request.

Wait commands

Command	Description
job wait	Wait until a member condition holds, then optionally act in the same frame.
job wait_status	Get the status/result of an async wait (job wait with async=true).
job wait_cancel	Cancel an async wait.