App Signing for Production

Sign your app with @overwolf/ow-electron-builder so the gaming packages (GEP, Overlay, Recorder) load at runtime once the app is distributed to users.

For running gaming packages locally before signing, see Dev Mode.

Property	Value
Surface	Overwolf Electron (ow-electron)
Minimum version	ow-electron-builder@26.9.0 and ow-electron@39.8.10
Platform	Windows
When to use	Building a production app for distribution
Your certificate	A code-signing certificate for your exe (your own certificate, not Overwolf's). See code signing.

warning

Code-signing your exe with your own certificate is now required (previously optional). Overwolf signs the gaming package integrity and you sign the exe. Without both, the gaming packages (GEP, Overlay, Recorder) will not load at runtime.

Signing credentials and variables

Variable	Purpose	Source
OW_CLI_EMAIL	Signing server authentication	Your Overwolf Console account email
OW_CLI_API_KEY	Signing server authentication	Overwolf Console, under Profile > API Keys
OW_BUILD_KEY	Signing server authentication for the build step	Overwolf Console, under Release management > App Keys

Prerequisites

Before you sign, you need:

1. A registered app in the Overwolf Console with an assigned App UID.
2. A valid OW_CLI_EMAIL and OW_CLI_API_KEY for an account that owns the app.
3. An OW_BUILD_KEY from the Overwolf Console, for the build step.
4. A code-signing certificate for your exe (your own certificate, not Overwolf's). See code signing.
5. @overwolf/ow-electron-builder installed.

Step 1: Set signing credentials

Provide the required signing credentials as environment variables:

export OW_CLI_EMAIL=your-email@example.com
export OW_CLI_API_KEY=your-api-key
export OW_BUILD_KEY=your-build-key

Using a .env file

You can also store the credentials in a .env file in your project root instead of exporting them in your shell:

.env

OW_CLI_EMAIL="your-email@example.com"
OW_CLI_API_KEY="your-api-key"
OW_BUILD_KEY="your-build-key"

For the builder to read the .env file, wire dotenv into your build script. The exact wiring depends on how your build script is set up:

dotenv-cli

Install dotenv-cli and prefix your build script with dotenv:

package.json

{
  "scripts": {
    "build:ow-electron": "dotenv --override --no-expand -- ow-electron-builder --publish=never"
  }
}

note

--no-expand stops dotenv from expanding a $ in your OW_CLI_API_KEY as a variable reference. --override makes the .env values take precedence over any matching variables already set in your shell.

Node

If your build script runs through node (for example, a custom Electron builder script), install dotenv and preload it:

package.json

{
  "scripts": {
    "build:ow-electron": "node -r dotenv/config ./node_modules/.bin/ow-electron-builder --publish=never"
  }
}

note

If your OW_CLI_API_KEY value contains a $ character, dotenv/config does not expand it by default, so no extra flag is needed. Confirm this against your own dotenv version before relying on it.

Step 2: Run the builder

Build and sign your app with a single command:

npx @overwolf/ow-electron-builder

Related pages

• Dev Mode, to run gaming packages locally before signing.
• Develop your app (Phase 2) and Release your app (Phase 3), the onboarding journey steps that point here.
• Overwolf Electron Technical Overview, the code signing section.
• Do I need my own code certificate? in the Overwolf Electron FAQ.