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Get started with scoped registries

Learn about scoped registries and their benefits.
Read time 3 minutesLast updated 22 days ago
As a package provider, you can host a scoped registry as a way to distribute custom packages to users. As a package consumer, you can access the packages in a scoped registry without leaving the Package Manager window.
Here are some important concepts to help you understand scoped registries:

Concept

Description

package registry serverAn application that keeps track of packages and provides a place to store them. In Unity's Package Manager window, all packages registered on Unity's registry appear in the list panel when you select the Unity Registry context.
package managerAn application that tells the user what packages are available, and downloads and installs whatever package the user requests for their project. Unity has implemented its own version of a package manager, but there are several similar applications in other organizations.
scopeDefines a package name or namespace (in reverse domain format), such as 
com.example.mycompany.animation
or 
com.example
. When a user requests a package, the Package Manager fetches the package from the registry that best matches the scope. For more information about scope, refer to Manage scoped registries with the project manifest file.
The way you interact with scoped registries depends on your role:
  • Package providers set up custom registry servers to host and distribute custom packages to a registry other than the Unity registry. For information about how to provide packages in a scoped registry, refer to Host a scoped registry.
  • Package consumers set up scoped registries in their project to access a custom package provider's registry server. For information about consuming packages in a scoped registry, refer to Use a scoped registry in your project.

Benefits of scoped registries

Scoped registries can help to:
  • Provide new functionality by distributing tools, libraries, and other assets.
    As a provider, you can create your own registry to distribute tools and scripts (or other types of assets) with version numbers that indicate how mature the package is. Version numbers also indicate whether updates introduce breaking API changes or minor fixes, based on Semantic Versioning. Your code can depend on code in other packages, because the Package Manager supports package dependencies.
    As a consumer, you browse and install custom packages in the Package Manager the same way you browse Unity's packages.
  • Extend Unity's existing package features.
    As a consumer, you can have a seamless experience where the custom package overrides the Unity package without having to manually change registries or explicitly install a different package version. This is because you can map packages to a specific registry so that Package Manager fetches from either the Unity registry or a custom package registry server.
  • Access packages in a closed network environment.
    Some organizations work inside a closed network, which makes it difficult to access Unity's package registry. In these cases, the organization can set up their own package registry on a server inside their closed network. The network administrators can then periodically synchronize with Unity's package registry to make sure the scoped registry has the latest set of packages available.

Additional resources