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What are profiles?

A Stream Deck profile is a powerful tool; it's your take on what you find helpful for specific applications or tasks on the Stream Deck, designed with a particular focus. A profile allows you to step into the equivalent of another person's cockpit or setup configuration within a few clicks.

It could be to simplify streaming controls, boost productivity, control music production, or even to manage smart home devices, the potential is enormous. It's a carefully designed layout of keys on Stream Deck you have set up specifically for specific tasks, tools, or software.

But the beauty lies here: your personalized Stream Deck profiles are not just for you! As Makers, you can share your tailor-made profiles with a broader community via the Elgato Marketplace.

This means other users can share, use, and appreciate your time-saving setup for Photoshop shortcuts or your intuitive layout for streaming on Twitch. Whether you've streamlined a popular tool or crafted an advanced system for a niche software, your profiles can help users dive straight into action with a layout that you have personally tested and approved.

Profile limitations​

Stream Deck profiles are incredibly versatile and allow much customization, catering to a broad spectrum of users and uses. However, they are not without limitations:

  1. Compatibility: Profiles may not work correctly when shared with users operating on different platforms or using different software versions. This is a common problem when the profile uses integrations or plugins that are platform or version-specific.
  2. Plugins: When you export a profile that leverages the plugin(s) you included, they will not be transferred to the user. The user must download any plugins you used in the profile separately. Once downloaded, the profile functionality will be complete.
  3. Audio Files: If you're creating a soundboard, the audio files' path is specific to your computer. The audio files are also not included in the profile itself. They would have to be added manually.
  4. Hardware Differences: Different Stream Deck models have different numbers of keys (ranging from 6 on the Stream Deck Mini to 32 on the XL version). A profile created on a larger model may have functionality gaps or layout issues if used on a smaller one.
  5. Substantial Updates: If the software or service integrated into a profile undergoes a significant update or overhaul, elements of the profile may cease to work as intended until the maker updates the profile accordingly. Profiles do not dynamically update based on third party in-app changes.
  6. Unpredictable User Environment: Makers don't always know the environment under which their profile will be implemented. External factors, like firewall settings, system permissions, or other installed software, can affect the effectiveness and operation of a profile.
  7. Lack of Dynamic Content Control: The Stream Deck primarily serves as a consolidated panel of well-defined static actions. While it can respond to software states (e.g., mute/unmute), it lacks more sophisticated dynamic behaviors, such as content or action adjusting based on live data or complex logic.

Despite these limitations, the utility and adaptability of the Stream Deck and its profile system are immense. Continuous feedback, updates, and the rapidly growing community of enthusiasts continually push these boundaries, innovating and expanding on what's possible with Stream Deck profiles.