WoW Forever Addon API Cheat Sheet for Interface 16001

Globals That Were Gone

WoW Forever Builds found these Classic-era globals missing on build 69913. Models trained on old code still write them:

Spells and Items

Lookups can come back empty. C_Spell.GetSpellInfo or C_Item.GetItemInfo on a record the client has not loaded yet can return nil.

local info = C_Spell.GetSpellInfo(spellID)
if not info then
    C_Spell.RequestLoadSpellData(spellID)
    return
end
-- A field can still be secret. Guard before you print it.

local itemName, itemLink = C_Item.GetItemInfo(itemID)
if not itemName then
    C_Item.RequestLoadItemDataByID(itemID)
    return
end

Listen for SPELL_DATA_LOAD_RESULT (spellID, success) and ITEM_DATA_LOAD_RESULT (itemID, success). A nil can mean the record has not loaded or was not found. If the load event returns success false, treat the ID as not found.

Units and Secrets

Blizzard said Midnight's secret values are active on Forever. Doing math on a secret value, or comparing one, throws an error:

The "can be secret" column for names and booleans comes from Warcraft Forever's beta notes. Health comes from WoW Forever Builds' test. Run this guard before you branch on a value or display it:

local function Sealed(value)
    return type(issecretvalue) == "function" and issecretvalue(value)
end

The code templates and the Forever Beacon sample have guarded status-bar examples. Test them on your current build.

Events Instead of the Combat Log

On Midnight, registering COMBAT_LOG_EVENT_UNFILTERED throws an error (Warcraft Wiki, Patch 12.0.0 API changes). Warcraft Forever reports that the combat log reader is unavailable on Forever. Register unit events instead:

Share Image: Guidelime v6.000 GitHub release notes, including Initial work to support WoW Forever and an Add arrow ETA and TomTom option entry

Frames, Time, Chat

Frames that need a backdrop inherit BackdropTemplate. Timers use C_Timer:

local f = CreateFrame("Frame", nil, UIParent, "BackdropTemplate")
f:SetSize(240, 48)
f:SetPoint("CENTER")
f:SetScript("OnEvent", function(self, event, ...) end)

C_Timer.NewTimer(2, function() end)      -- cancellable
C_Timer.After(2, function() end)         -- returns nothing

SLASH_MYADDON1 = "/myaddon"
SlashCmdList["MYADDON"] = function(msg) end

DEFAULT_CHAT_FRAME:AddMessage(text, 0.83, 0.66, 0.35)

SetTexCoord Parameter Order

SetTexCoord takes left, right, top, bottom, not left, top, right, bottom. Pass fractions from 0 to 1, not pixels.

Calls That Fail Silently

Warcraft Forever's page, captured September 28, lists these calls as protected on the Forever beta but names no client build:

TOC Fields That Matter Here

A Forever-only addon declares interface 16001 on the beta:

## Interface: 16001
## Title: My Addon
## Notes: What it does in one line
## Author: YourName
## Version: 0.1.0
## SavedVariables: MyAddonDB
## SavedVariablesPerCharacter: MyAddonCharDB
## IconTexture: Interface\Icons\INV_Misc_Note_01
## Category: Miscellaneous
## AddonCompartmentFunc: MyAddon_OnCompartmentClick

Compartment callbacks must be real globals, because the client looks them up by name. Keep everything else in your files as file-scoped locals. SavedVariables names are globals too. The client loads them after your files run, then fires ADDON_LOADED for your addon.

Settings API

The Settings API replaced the old Interface Options panel, and it is part of the Mainline code Forever shares. Prefer it over a private options window when you only need checkboxes and sliders. If you build a custom window, inherit BackdropTemplate, save the anchor on drag stop, and do not move protected frames during combat lockdown.

InterfaceOptions_AddCategory is the older options call, and models still reach for it. Ask for the Settings API instead.

Choosing the Modern API Over Classic's

On the September 17 developer Q&A, a developer was asked whether Forever would use Midnight's addon restrictions, the Classic API, or something else, and answered: "we did opt for the modern API approach." Confirmed, from the World of Warcraft Developer Q&A replay at 01:20:52.

Wowhead, reporting Blizzard's WoW UI Discord announcement, says the same API changes "caused WeakAuras to stop development before Midnight and almost every addon to update." Reported. When you port, start from an addon's Midnight build, which already handles these rules, not its Classic Era branch. Big projects are doing this: the RestedXP guide addon lists a "WoW Forever" file on CurseForge.

What Blizzard Built in Instead

On the same stream, the panel said Forever offers its own damage meter and cooldown manager. Confirmed for both. A swing timer came up only as a possible later addition. Check whether a built-in panel already does the job before you ship a duplicate.

Detecting Forever From Your Own Code

A guard written as if WOW_PROJECT_ID == WOW_PROJECT_CLASSIC then will not detect this game. WoW Forever Builds' older test on build 69913 reported 1, the same value as WOW_PROJECT_MAINLINE. The retained live probe on build 70338, October 12, instead records WOW_PROJECT_ID = 18, WOW_PROJECT_MAINLINE = 1 and WOW_PROJECT_CLASSIC = 2. Blizzard's Camelot project constants set WOW_PROJECT_CAMELOT = 18. Reported client observation: the older number is historical, not a current detection rule.Source: Blizzard's Camelot project constants, inspected in the retained 70338 client files Oct 13, 2026; live probe captured Oct 12.

For a shared addon, compare the named constant when it exists, then check the specific API your feature needs. A Forever-only addon can target Forever directly:

local isForever = WOW_PROJECT_CAMELOT ~= nil
    and WOW_PROJECT_ID == WOW_PROJECT_CAMELOT
local canReadPreset = C_GameRules
    and type(C_GameRules.GetForeverExperiencePreset) == "function"
if isForever and canReadPreset then
    -- Read the preset; do not infer combat permissions from a project ID.
end

The same page shows another route, through the TOC: declare ## X-Family: [Family] and ## X-Game: [Game], then read them with C_AddOns.GetAddOnMetadata. In the wiki's example, family Mainline with game Camelot means Forever.

<details><summary>Technical Notes: older detection examples</summary>

The Warcraft Wiki's retained September example paired WOW_PROJECT_MAINLINE with LE_EXPANSION_LEVEL_CURRENT == LE_EXPANSION_CLASSIC and labeled the branch "camelot/forever." That Mainline project-ID condition is false on the captured 70338 client. Mainline UI architecture does not mean a Mainline project ID. A library that only loads on Classic silently fails to load, and no error says why.

</details>

Get the Current Ruleset With the UI API

Use C_GameRules for game-mode queries. The current ruleset is not the same question as the client project ID, a Hardcore flag, or the player's Classic/Modern experience preset. Choose the value your feature actually needs:

These signatures are in Blizzard's generated client documentation, not guessed from Classic tutorials.Source: Blizzard's GameRules documentation and ChatInfo documentation, retained client build 70338, inspected Oct 13, 2026.

For a quick diagnostic after entering the world, type /dump C_GameRules.GetCurrentGameModeRecordID(). To read the Forever experience preset from addon code:

local function ReadExperiencePreset()
    if not C_GameRules
        or type(C_GameRules.GetForeverExperiencePreset) ~= "function" then
        return "API unavailable"
    end
    local preset = C_GameRules.GetForeverExperiencePreset()
    if preset == nil then return "Preset unavailable" end
    if preset == Enum.ForeverExperiencePreset.Classic then return "Classic" end
    if preset == Enum.ForeverExperiencePreset.Modern then return "Modern" end
    return "Unknown preset"
end

print(ReadExperiencePreset())

The enum uses Classic 0 and Modern 1. This example reads the preference; it changes nothing. GAME_RULES_CHANGED and ACTIVE_GAME_MODE_UPDATED are documented events for refreshing game-rule and active-mode displays. Their presence does not prove that every preset change fires either event. The captured probe's recorded function list includes these functions; it did not measure their returned game-mode IDs or exercise this example.

Sound IDs Cheat Sheet

Use PlaySound(SOUNDKIT.IG_MAINMENU_OPTION_CHECKBOX_ON) for a built-in UI sound. Blizzard's 70338 SoundKitConstants.lua supplies these sound kit IDs:

These are sound kit IDs, not spell IDs or audio FileDataIDs. Prefer the named constants in addon files. To preview one manually, type /run PlaySound(SOUNDKIT.IG_MAINMENU_OPTION_CHECKBOX_ON). We inspected the IDs in the client source; we did not listen to these previews.Source: Blizzard's sound kit constants, retained client build 70338, inspected Oct 13, 2026.

On this build, Blizzard aliases PlaySound to C_Sound.PlaySound. The generated signature uses a UISoundSubType as its second argument. The one-argument example avoids copying an older "Master" or "SFX" channel-string signature into this client. A silent preview can reflect sound settings; do not turn on or increase a player's audio automatically.Source: Blizzard's Sound.lua and Sound API documentation, retained client build 70338, inspected Oct 13, 2026.

For functions with several statements, slash command aliases, a local message command and a popup message, use the practical code templates.

Why Secure Snippets Can Fail to Compile

WoW Forever Builds traced a second break to Blizzard's own restricted-execution code. RestrictedExecution.lua calls an engine function, loadstring_untainted, and build 69913 never provides it. /run print(type(loadstring_untainted)) prints nil, and every secure snippet fails with a call-to-nil error. Reported. The outlet, WoW Forever Builds, reads this as a missing piece, not policy, because Blizzard's code expects the function.

Addons use secure snippets for combat-safe work such as action bar paging, secure group headers and click-casting. If yours throws that exact error, the snippet system is down on your build, not your code. Retest on each new build.

The Action-Failed Counter

A protected call like ChatFrame_OpenChat does not raise a Lua error you can catch on this client, so pcall will not warn you. Warcraft Forever's page, captured September 28 with no build named, reports that the client posts "Interface action failed because of an AddOn" and bumps a counter in the AddOns panel, which clears only on a full restart, not /reload. Unverified community report. A rising counter means you should check your protected calls.

What Tainted Code Can Still Do With a Secret Value

The "Units and secrets" table covers arithmetic and comparisons. The wiki's rules go further, and they cut both ways: some things are allowed, some are not. Tainted code can store a secret in a variable, an upvalue, or a table value, and pass it to Lua functions. C functions accept one only when Blizzard marks them to. Tainted code can also concatenate secret strings and numbers, and pass them to string.format, string.concat, or string.join.

Tainted code cannot do arithmetic on a secret, compare it, use the length operator on it, store it as a table key, index into it, or call it. A truthiness test works on a secret string or number, since only the value is hidden, but not on a secret boolean. type(secret) still returns the real type. Each forbidden operation throws immediately, so guard before you branch.

SavedVariables Load Order, and the Beta's Restore Bug

The client runs your addon's files, then loads its SavedVariables and SavedVariablesPerCharacter and fires ADDON_LOADED for it, one addon at a time. PLAYER_LOGIN fires once every non-load-on-demand addon has loaded. To make a last change before the file is written, use PLAYER_LOGOUT, the final event before the save.

A Blizzard Forums bug report from September 21 showed Soundtrack's settings written correctly to the WTF folder but missing after the next launch. Other addon authors in the thread reported the same. Unverified, community-reported. On September 25, a different author said SavedVariables were loading again on build 1.60.1.70009. Retest your own addon before you trust the fix.

Two Porting Traps From the Same Report

The Soundtrack port first failed inside AceDB-3.0 with a nil regionKey. On the beta, GetCurrentRegion() returned a region ID the bundled library did not recognize, and patching AceDB to tolerate unknown IDs fixed it. The author also split one IsRetail flag in two, because on Forever "use the modern API" and "enable Retail-only content" are different questions.

Nameplate Timing on the Beta Client

Warcraft Forever reports that NAME_PLATE_UNIT_ADDED fires before the unit is populated, with no namePlateUnitToken on the plate frames. Unverified. The reported workaround is to recheck the unit a moment later, or to sweep nameplate1 through nameplate40 yourself.

Addon Compartment: Registering Without TOC Fields

The TOC fields above cover a compartment button that never changes. If yours picks its icon or label at runtime, the Warcraft Wiki documents a manual call:

AddonCompartmentFrame:RegisterAddon({
    text = "My Addon",
    icon = "Interface\\Icons\\TEMP.blp",
    notCheckable = true,
    func = function(button, menuInputData)
        print("Clicked " .. menuInputData.buttonName)
    end,
})

This comes from Mainline documentation, not a Forever test, so confirm it fires on your build. If you draft with an AI system prompt, the AI prompt library for addon code keeps these constraints in one place. For the player side, the addons that work in Forever page tracks what still runs.