Godot 4.5 EditorExportPlugin Custom Export Preset Disappears After Patch Update - How to Fix

Problem: Your team shipped a custom export preset—Itch HTML5 size-budget gate, Steam demo stripped symbols, or similar—through an EditorExportPlugin in addons/. After upgrading from Godot 4.5.0 to a 4.5.x patch, the preset no longer appears in Project → Export → Add… even though the addon folder still exists.

Who is affected now: Indies pinning 4.5.x for 2026 jam and fest pipelines. Early 2026 patch releases tightened EditorExportPlugin registration; plugins that compiled on 4.5.0 often disable themselves on first open until you migrate API signatures and clear stale editor cache.

Fastest safe fix: Open Project → Project Settings → Plugins → resolve the orange needs update warning → update _get_export_options / feature hooks per current docs → delete editor_layout.cfg for this project hash → re-enable plugin → confirm preset in Export dialog → log godot_export_plugin_receipt_v1.json in CI.

Direct answer

The preset did not delete itself—the editor stopped loading your plugin because the patch changed export-plugin callbacks or marked the addon incompatible. Godot hides broken plugins from the export UI instead of showing a half-registered preset. Fix the plugin load state and API match first; only then re-test HTML5 or desktop exports.

Why this issue spikes in 2026

Godot 4.5.x patch cadence is faster than many teams’ .godot-version pin discipline.
Custom export gates (WASM size, stripped PCK, fest demo flags) moved from manual checklists into EditorExportPlugin automation.
A preset can vanish while standard Web / Windows presets remain—teams blame the engine instead of the addon.
Stale ~/.config/godot/ layout cache preserves a broken Export dialog state across reopen.

If the game exports but itch hangs at loader, that is a hosting/MIME lane—see itch.io WASM MIME boot hang, not this article.

Symptoms and search phrases

Project → Export → Add… missing your custom preset name.
Plugins tab shows addon disabled or incompatible after patch.
Output panel: script error in addons/your_plugin/export_plugin.gd on project load.
Preset existed yesterday on 4.5.0, gone today on 4.5.2 with no intentional addon edits.
.gdignore accidentally added under addons/ during cleanup—plugin never loads.

Root causes (check in order)

Plugin disabled after incompatible script error on load.
_get_export_features / option hooks signature drift between patches.
@tool class not extending EditorExportPlugin correctly after rename in template.
.gdignore in addons/ or subfolder blocks Godot from scanning scripts.
Cached editor_layout.cfg hides Export UI state.
Wrong plugin.cfg version or missing config/features for 4.5.
Duplicate plugin name collision after merge—second plugin fails silently.

Fastest safe fix path

Step 1 — Open Plugins and read the warning

Project → Project Settings → Plugins.
Find your export addon row.
If status is disabled or shows needs update, click Edit or re-enable after fixing scripts.
Open Output dock—copy the first red error on project load.

Success check: Plugin checkbox enabled with no red errors on reload.

Step 2 — Migrate EditorExportPlugin API for your patch

Compare your script against current EditorExportPlugin documentation.

Common 4.5.x fixes:

Symptom in Output	Fix
`_get_export_features` not found	Rename to current hook (`_get_export_features` vs platform feature API—match docs for your exact patch)
Wrong return type on `_get_export_options`	Return `Array` of `Dictionary` options per spec
Missing `_export_begin` / `_export_end`	Add no-op stubs if exporter expects them

Minimal skeleton (verify against your patch docs):

@tool
extends EditorExportPlugin

func _get_export_options(platform: String) -> Array:
    return [{
        "option": "custom/itch_size_cap_mb",
        "type": TYPE_INT,
        "default": 250
    }]

func _get_export_features(platform: String, preset_name: String) -> PackedStringArray:
    return PackedStringArray()

func _export_begin(features: PackedStringArray, is_debug: bool, path: String, flags: int) -> void:
    pass

Success check: Project loads with zero addon script errors.

Step 3 — Clear editor layout cache for this project

Godot stores per-project UI state under the user config dir.

Close Godot completely.
Locate project hash folder:
- Windows: %APPDATA%\Godot\projects\
- macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Godot/projects/
- Linux: ~/.config/godot/projects/
Delete editor_layout.cfg inside the folder matching your project (keep backups if unsure).
Reopen project.

Alternative: Create a fresh clone of the repo on a CI machine without old cache—if preset appears, cache was the culprit.

Step 4 — Re-enable plugin and confirm Export dialog

Project → Export.
Click Add… — your custom preset should list by plugin.cfg name.
If missing, verify plugin.cfg:

[plugin]
name="ItchHtml5SizeGate"
description="Fest HTML5 export size gate"
author="Your Studio"
version="1.1"
script="export_plugin.gd"

Confirm res://addons/your_plugin/export_plugin.gd path matches script=.

Success check: Custom preset visible; export dialog opens without errors.

Step 5 — Run one export smoke per platform you ship

Platform	Smoke
Web	Export folder contains `index.html` + `.wasm`; run MIME curl check before itch upload
Windows	Binary launches from clean path
Steam demo	Pair with save-path discipline if also using GDevelop—Godot has separate save maps

Step 6 — Pin patch in team docs

Add to repo root:

# .godot-version (team convention)
4.5.2-stable

Run patch upgrade smoke in CI: open headless or scripted check that addons/*/export_plugin.gd parses.

`godot_export_plugin_receipt_v1.json`

{
  "schema": "godot_export_plugin_receipt_v1",
  "engine_version": "4.5.2-stable",
  "plugin_name": "ItchHtml5SizeGate",
  "plugin_enabled": true,
  "custom_preset_visible_in_export_dialog": true,
  "editor_layout_cache_cleared": true,
  "web_export_smoke_ok": true,
  "captured_at_utc": "2026-05-24T00:00:00Z",
  "pass": true
}

Attach to BUILD_RECEIPT when custom gates block promotion.

Prevention

Pin Godot patch in README and CI image tag.
Treat addon breakages as release blockers on engine bump.
Never .gdignore entire addons/ unless intentional.
Keep standard Web preset as fallback if custom plugin fails mid-jam.
Cross-link QA with 15 Free Godot 4.5 Web Export resources.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Fix
Plugin enables, preset still missing	Step 3 cache + verify `plugin.cfg` script path
Errors only on one OS	Line endings or case-sensitive path in `plugin.cfg`
Preset appears, export fails	Size gate logic—fix `_export_begin`, not registration
Works in Editor, fails in CI	CI uses different Godot patch—align versions
Multiple custom presets, one missing	Name collision in `plugin.cfg` name field

FAQ

Should we fork Godot’s built-in Web preset?
Prefer EditorExportPlugin that wraps built-in flow—forking core presets breaks on every patch.

Does this affect exported games?
No—only editor export UI. Players are unaffected.

Can we skip plugins and export manually?
Yes for emergencies; you lose automated size/MIME gates tied to fest prep.

Is this related to GDExtension web export?
Separate lane—see web export resources for GDExtension + WASM pruning.