itch-publish Checked

# butler push <directory-or-zip> <user>/<game>:<channel>
butler push ./build/windows leafy/my-game:windows
butler push ./build/mac     leafy/my-game:osx
butler push ./build/linux   leafy/my-game:linux
butler push ./web           leafy/my-game:html   # browser build (also set page Kind = HTML)

### 2. Channel naming controls the platform tag (kebab-case, lowercase)

Substring in channel name -> auto-applied tag:
  win / windows  -> Windows        linux -> Linux
  mac / osx      -> macOS          android -> Android
Multiple platforms in one channel are allowed: e.g. a Java jar:
  butler push ./jar leafy/my-game:win-linux-mac
Convention: lowercase words separated by dashes (windows-beta, osx-demo, soundtrack).
Tags are only the INITIAL guess — fix them anytime on the Edit game page (then Save).

### 3. Version, verify, and preview

butler version                              # print version; confirms install + PATH
butler login                                # authorize this machine (opens browser)

# Set an explicit version string instead of itch's auto-incrementing integer:
butler push ./build leafy/my-game:windows --userversion 1.2.0
butler push ./build leafy/my-game:windows --userversion-file build_number.txt

butler status leafy/my-game                 # list channels + latest builds/versions
butler push-preview ./build leafy/my-game:windows   # NEW/MODIFIED/DELETED/SAME, uploads nothing

### 4. First-time, hidden, and filtered pushes

# Hide a brand-new channel from the page until you're ready (NEW channels only):
butler push ./build leafy/my-game:windows-beta --hidden

# Exclude files from the upload without copying the folder (--ignore is repeatable):
butler push ./build leafy/my-game:windows --ignore '*.pdb' --ignore '*.dSYM'

# Preview exactly what would be sent, without sending it:
butler push ./build leafy/my-game:windows --dry-run

Pitfalls

• **Pushing an installer.** itch.io patches *portable* builds; an installer (.exe/.msi)

defeats patching and the itch app's auto-update, and may need admin rights players don't

have. Push the extracted, runnable folder instead.

• **Pre-compressed builds.** Pushing a heavily compressed archive (or an archive of archives)

makes patches huge — a tiny change rewrites the whole compressed blob. Push uncompressed

files; itch.io compresses on its side.

• **A folder containing only one .zip.** butler auto-unzips it and pushes the contents

(to avoid a "zip in a zip"). Pass --no-auto-unzip only if you truly want the zip uploaded

as one opaque file.

• **HTML5 game shows as a download.** Two switches are required: set the page **Kind** to

*HTML* and tag the channel *playable in browser* on the *Edit game* page after the first

push — neither happens automatically from the channel name.

• **--hidden on an existing channel errors.** It only applies when the push *creates* a new

channel. Unhide later from *Edit game*.

• **Channel typos make duplicate slots.** windows and win-final are different channels and

create separate downloads. Decide your channel names up front and reuse them.

• **30 GB cap.** itch.io rejects builds whose total *uncompressed* size exceeds 30 GB.
• **Secrets in CI logs.** A BUTLER_API_KEY printed in a public log is compromised — revoke

it immediately on the API keys page. See the reference for safe CI usage.

References

• For CI/CD (GitHub Actions/GitLab) with BUTLER_API_KEY, automated install via broth, the

full flag list, and the update-check API, read references/butler-ci.md.

• Primary docs: the butler manual — itch.io/docs/butler (installing, login, pushing).

Related skills

• steam-publish — the same game on Steam via SteamPipe (often shipped alongside itch.io).
• game-jam — most jams are hosted on itch.io; this skill handles the upload step.
• prototype-fast — share an early prototype on a Draft/restricted itch page for playtesting.