Godot Reference

Godot Engine 4.x Development Reference

Targets Godot 4.5 and Godot 4.6. Covers both GDScript and C#.

When a query touches a specific topic, read only the relevant reference file(s) listed below before responding. Do not load files speculatively — load the minimum set needed to answer the question well.

If a query spans multiple topics (e.g. "CharacterBody3D with AnimationTree"), load the relevant file from each topic area.

General Principles

These apply to all Godot work regardless of topic:

• Godot uses a node/scene composition model, not deep class inheritance. Prefer composition over inheritance.
• Every node has a lifecycle: _init() → _enter_tree() → _ready() → _process() / _physics_process() → _exit_tree().
• The scene tree processes nodes top-down for _process and _physics_process.
• Use signals for decoupled communication between nodes. Avoid direct references where possible.
• Resources are shared by default when loaded via load() / preload(). Use resource.duplicate() or ResourceLoader.load("...", "", ResourceLoader.CACHE_MODE_IGNORE) for unique copies.
• res:// is the read-only project root. user:// is the writable user data directory.
• Use @export to expose properties to the editor. Use @onready for node references resolved at _ready().
• Prefer StringName (&"name") over plain strings for signals, node paths, and input actions — they're interned and faster to compare.
• All physics queries and body movement must happen in _physics_process(), not _process().
• 4.6 note: When something changed between 4.5 and 4.6, it is called out inline in the relevant reference file.

Routing Table

Use this table to decide which file(s) to read. Match the user's query to the most specific category.

GDScript Language

| Query is about... | Read | |---|---| | Syntax, variables, functions, control flow, classes, enums, lambdas | references/gdscript-syntax.md | | Type hints, static typing, typed arrays/dictionaries/signals | references/gdscript-typing.md | | @export, @onready, @tool, @icon, annotations | references/gdscript-annotations.md | | await, coroutines, signals as awaitables, threading | references/gdscript-async.md | | Design patterns, idioms, best practices, anti-patterns | references/gdscript-patterns.md |

C#

| Query is about... | Read | |---|---| | C# setup, project structure, naming, Godot C# API | references/csharp-basics.md | | Signals in C#, events, connecting/disconnecting | references/csharp-signals-events.md | | GDScript ↔ C# interop, Variant, Callable, mixed projects | references/csharp-interop.md |

Scene Architecture

| Query is about... | Read | |---|---| | Node lifecycle, ready/process order, scene tree | references/node-lifecycle.md | | PackedScene, instantiation, scene switching, scene inheritance | references/scenes-instantiation.md | | Signals: declaration, connecting, custom, typed | references/signals-system.md | | Autoloads, singletons, groups, composition patterns | references/autoloads-groups.md |

Input

| Query is about... | Read | |---|---| | InputMap, actions, deadzone, strength | references/input-actions.md | | Gamepad, joystick, vibration | references/gamepad-input.md | | Mouse, touch, gestures | references/mouse-touch.md |

Physics — 2D

| Query is about... | Read | |---|---| | CharacterBody2D, RigidBody2D, moveandslide, forces, slopes, platforms | references/characterbody2d.md | | Area2D, collision shapes, layers/masks, raycasting | references/collision2d.md | | Joint2D types, constraints | references/joints-2d.md |

Physics — 3D

| Query is about... | Read | |---|---| | CharacterBody3D, RigidBody3D, moveandslide, forces, slopes, stairs | references/characterbody3d.md | | Area3D, collision shapes, layers/masks, raycasting | references/collision3d.md | | Joint3D types, constraints | references/joints-3d.md |

Rendering — 2D

| Query is about... | Read | |---|---| | Sprite2D, AnimatedSprite2D, CanvasItem, z-index | references/sprites-canvasitem.md | | Custom draw, CanvasItem drawing primitives | references/canvas-drawing-2d.md | | GPUParticles2D, CPUParticles2D | references/particles-2d.md | | Camera2D, smoothing, limits, zoom, screen shake | references/camera-2d.md |

Rendering — 3D

| Query is about... | Read | |---|---| | MeshInstance3D, StandardMaterial3D, ShaderMaterial | references/meshes-materials.md | | Lights, shadows, baked/dynamic GI | references/lighting-3d.md | | WorldEnvironment, Camera3D, Sky, fog, post-processing | references/environment-3d.md | | GPUParticles3D, trails, sub-emitters | references/particles-3d.md |

Shaders

| Query is about... | Read | |---|---| | Shader language syntax, uniforms, varyings, built-in functions | references/shader-language.md | | 3D spatial shaders (vertex/fragment/light) | references/spatial-shaders.md | | 2D canvas_item shaders | references/canvasitem-shaders.md | | Particle shaders (custom particle behavior) | references/particle-shaders.md | | Common shader recipes (outline, dissolve, toon, water, etc.) | references/shader-recipes.md |

Tilemaps

| Query is about... | Read | |---|---| | TileSet setup, tile sources, physics/nav/custom data layers | references/tileset-creation.md | | TileMapLayer, placing tiles, patterns, scenes-as-tiles | references/tilemaplayer.md | | Terrain system, terrain sets, peering bits, autotile | references/terrain-autotile.md |

UI

| Query is about... | Read | |---|---| | Control layout, anchors, offsets, size flags, containers | references/control-layout.md | | Theme, StyleBox, fonts, theme overrides | references/themes-styling.md | | Specific UI nodes (Button, Label, LineEdit, RichTextLabel, etc.) | references/ui-nodes.md | | Popups, windows, dialogs | references/popups-dialogs.md |

Animation

| Query is about... | Read | |---|---| | AnimationPlayer, keyframes, tracks | references/animation-player.md | | AnimationTree, state machines, blend trees | references/animation-tree.md | | Tween, chaining, easing | references/tweens.md | | Skeleton2D/3D, bones, IK, retargeting | references/skeletal-animation.md |

Audio

| Query is about... | Read | |---|---| | AudioStreamPlayer, streams, playback | references/audio-playback.md | | AudioServer, buses, effects | references/audio-buses.md | | Spatial/3D audio, attenuation, Doppler | references/spatial-audio.md |

Navigation

| Query is about... | Read | |---|---| | NavigationMesh/Polygon, NavigationRegion, baking | references/navigation-mesh.md | | NavigationAgent2D/3D, pathfinding, callbacks | references/navigation-agent.md | | Nav layers, links, obstacles, avoidance | references/navigation-advanced.md |

Networking

| Query is about... | Read | |---|---| | MultiplayerAPI, MultiplayerPeer, authority, server/client | references/multiplayer-api.md | | @rpc annotation, call modes, channels, transfer modes | references/rpcs.md | | MultiplayerSynchronizer, MultiplayerSpawner, replication | references/state-sync.md | | ENet, WebSocket, WebRTC, custom transport | references/transport.md |

Resources & I/O

| Query is about... | Read | |---|---| | Resource class, custom resources, sub-resources, UID | references/resources.md | | Save/load patterns, JSON, ConfigFile | references/save-load.md | | FileAccess, DirAccess, path handling | references/file-io.md |

Export & Deployment

| Query is about... | Read | |---|---| | Export templates, presets, feature tags | references/export-basics.md | | Windows/macOS/Linux/Android/iOS/Web platform specifics | references/platform-specifics.md | | Profiler, batching, LOD, occlusion, performance | references/optimization.md |

Class Quick Reference

| Query is about... | Read | |---|---| | Core classes (Node, Object, Resource, SceneTree, etc.) | references/classes-core.md | | 2D node classes | references/classes-2d.md | | 3D node classes | references/classes-3d.md | | UI/Control classes | references/classes-ui.md | | Utility classes (Timer, Tween, HTTPRequest, OS, Engine, etc.) | references/classes-utility.md |

Multi-File Loading Rules

1. Simple question (e.g. "how do I tween a property") → load 1 file (references/tweens.md).
2. Cross-topic question (e.g. "CharacterBody2D with raycasting and animation") → load 2-3 files from different sections.
3. Architecture question (e.g. "how should I structure a multiplayer platformer") → load the most relevant architecture files: references/autoloads-groups.md + topic-specific files as needed.
4. Class lookup (e.g. "what properties does Area3D have") → load the relevant classes-*.md file. If the question is also about how to use the class, load the topic file too.
5. "What changed in 4.6" → load the relevant topic file(s) — version changes are documented inline.
6. Never load more than 5 files for a single query. If a question seems to require more, answer from the most relevant 3-5 and note what was omitted.

Code Style Conventions

When writing code for the user, follow these conventions unless they specify otherwise:

GDScript

• Use static typing everywhere: var speed: float = 200.0
• Use type inference where unambiguous: var position := Vector2.ZERO
• Prefer @onready var over get_node() in _ready()
• Use StringName for signals and input actions: &"jump", &"body_entered"
• Use snake_case for variables/functions, PascalCase for classes/nodes
• Signal declarations: signal health_changed(new_health: int)
• Prefer is_on_floor() checks inside _physics_process(), not _process()

C#

• Follow Godot C# naming: PascalCase for properties/methods matching Godot API
• Use [Export] attribute instead of @export
• Use partial classes for Godot node scripts
• Signal declarations use [Signal] delegate pattern
• Null-check node references; C# doesn't have @onready — use GetNode() in _Ready()

Both Languages

• Always handle the null/invalid case for node lookups and resource loads
• Provide complete, runnable code — no placeholders or partial snippets
• Include comments only for non-obvious logic
• When showing a fix for a bug, show the corrected code and briefly explain what was wrong

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: devanshutak25
• Source: devanshutak25/agent-skills
• License: MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.