Distributing an Unreal Engine C++ Project Without Rebuilding (Client-Ready Package)

When delivering an Unreal Engine C++ project to a non-programmer client who may not have Visual Studio or any C++ toolchain installed, you may want them to open the project directly in Unreal Editor — without triggering a module rebuild. This guide explains how to prepare a fully functional, precompiled Unreal project for safe distribution.

Project Delivery Options

Choose the distribution method based on your client’s needs:

Purpose Unreal Editor Required? Visual Studio Required? What to Send
Client edits or views the project ✔ Yes ❌ No Full project (with precompiled binaries)
Client only runs the game ❌ No ❌ No Packaged build (WindowsNoEditor)

Required Folders to Include

Keep these folders so Unreal Editor can open the project without compiling C++ modules:

<ProjectRoot>/
├── Binaries/            ✔ required — contains precompiled .dll modules
├── Config/              ✔ required — project & engine configuration
├── Content/             ✔ required — assets, maps, blueprints
├── Platforms/ 	  	     ✔ exists if your project uses platform-specific plugin modules 
├── Plugins/ (optional)  ✔ include only if your project uses plugins
├── Source/              ✔ required — C++ source code
├── <ProjectName>.uproject ✔ required — main project file

Important: The Binaries/ folder must include all compiled C++ modules. If missing, Unreal will ask to rebuild them using Visual Studio — which your client may not have.

Folders Safe to Delete Before Sending

These folders are automatically generated by Unreal and only waste space when distributing a project:

Intermediate/       ✖ delete
DerivedDataCache/   ✖ delete
Saved/              ✖ delete
.vs/ .vscode/       ✖ delete (Visual Studio workspace)
.idea/              ✖ delete (Rider workspace)
*.sln               ✖ delete (solution file)
Build/              ✖ delete unless you added custom files
.git/               ✖ delete (repository metadata)

Removing these folders reduces project size and avoids sending unnecessary build artifacts.

Quick Checklist Before Sending

  1. Build the project on your machine

    This ensures all C++ modules (.dll files) are up to date.

  2. Duplicate the project

    Work on a copy so you don’t modify your primary development directory.

  3. Remove unnecessary folders

    Delete everything listed in the folders-to-remove section.

  4. Create an archive and upload it

    Use WinRAR, upload to a cloud host (Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive), and share the link with your client.

Alternative: Sending a Play-Only Build

If the client only needs to run the project (not open it in Unreal Editor), use:

File → Package Project → Windows (or desired platform)

This outputs a standalone game in WindowsNoEditor format. The client does not need Unreal Engine installed.