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github-actions[bot] edited this page Apr 3, 2026 · 1 revision

Installation

This page covers every method of installing, updating, and verifying the Advanced Hotkey Overlay System (AHOS) for all supported WoW versions.

Table of Contents

Requirements

  • World of Warcraft (any supported version — see below)
  • No additional dependencies required
  • Optional: LibSharedMedia-3.0 (for additional font choices)
  • Optional: LibKeyBound-1.0 (for Dominos/Bartender4 keybind mode integration)

AHOS bundles its own copies of required libraries; you do not need to install them separately.

Choosing the Right WoW Version Folder

WoW stores each game version in a separate folder. Install AHOS in the correct location:

WoW Version AddOns Folder Path
Retail (Mainline) World of Warcraft\_retail_\Interface\AddOns\
Mists of Pandaria Classic World of Warcraft\_classic_\Interface\AddOns\
Vanilla / Classic Era World of Warcraft\_classic_era_\Interface\AddOns\

Note: On macOS, the path uses forward slashes and lives under Applications/World of Warcraft/.

Install via CurseForge App

This is the easiest method and handles automatic updates.

  1. Open the CurseForge App.
  2. Select World of Warcraft and choose your game version (Retail, Classic, etc.).
  3. Click Browse or use the search bar and search for Advanced Hotkey Overlay System.
  4. Click Install.
  5. Launch WoW — AHOS will be ready on your next login.

Project ID: 1289540 (use this if the search doesn't surface it immediately).

Install via Wago App

  1. Open the Wago App.
  2. Select your WoW version.
  3. Search for Advanced Hotkey Overlay System and install.

Install Manually (ZIP)

  1. Go to the CurseForge project page or WoWInterface.

  2. Click Download to get the latest ZIP file.

  3. Extract the ZIP. You should see a folder named AdvancedHotkeyOverlaySystem.

  4. Move (or copy) that folder into your WoW AddOns directory.

    Example (Retail):

    World of Warcraft\_retail_\Interface\AddOns\AdvancedHotkeyOverlaySystem\

  5. Make sure you are copying the folder itself, not the contents directly into AddOns.

    ✅ Correct:

    AddOns\
└── AdvancedHotkeyOverlaySystem\
    ├── AdvancedHotkeyOverlaySystem.lua
    ├── AdvancedHotkeyOverlaySystem.toc
    └── ...

    ❌ Incorrect:

    AddOns\
├── AdvancedHotkeyOverlaySystem.lua   ← wrong, files directly in AddOns
└── AdvancedHotkeyOverlaySystem.toc

  6. Start or Reload WoW (/reload in the chat box if already logged in).

Install from GitHub Releases

For the absolute latest release or pre-release builds:

  1. Go to the GitHub Releases page.
  2. Download the ZIP asset from the most recent release (not the "Source code" ZIP — use the packaged release artifact).
  3. Follow the same extraction steps as Install Manually.

Tip: The GitHub source code ZIP includes the raw repo structure, which may differ from the packaged release. Always prefer the packaged release artifact.

File Structure

After a correct install, your AdvancedHotkeyOverlaySystem folder should look like this:

AdvancedHotkeyOverlaySystem/
├── AdvancedHotkeyOverlaySystem.lua             ← Main addon file
├── AdvancedHotkeyOverlaySystem.toc             ← Shared TOC (loaded by all versions)
├── AdvancedHotkeyOverlaySystem_Mainline.toc    ← Retail-specific TOC
├── AdvancedHotkeyOverlaySystem_Mists.toc       ← MoP Classic TOC
├── AdvancedHotkeyOverlaySystem_Vanilla.toc     ← Classic Era TOC
├── Libs/                                        ← Bundled libraries
│   └── ...
├── locales/                                     ← Localization strings
│   └── ...
├── media/                                       ← Textures, fonts, etc.
│   └── ...
└── modules/                                     ← Feature modules
    └── ...

Updating AHOS

Via CurseForge / Wago App

Click Update next to the addon listing. Settings are preserved automatically.

Manually

  1. Download the new version ZIP.
  2. Delete the old AdvancedHotkeyOverlaySystem folder from your AddOns directory.
  3. Extract and copy the new folder in its place.
  4. Your saved settings are stored in WTF/, not inside the addon folder, so they will not be affected by replacing the addon files.

⚠️ Never merge/overwrite an old install by extracting on top of it. Always delete the old folder first to avoid leftover files from previous versions.

Verifying the Installation

After logging in:

  1. Open the AddOns list on the character select screen — AdvancedHotkeyOverlaySystem should appear with a checkmark.
  2. Log in to a character. You should immediately see abbreviated hotkey labels on your action buttons.
  3. Type /ahos in chat — the options panel should open.

If the addon is listed but disabled:

  • Make sure "Load out of date AddOns" is checked on the character select AddOns screen (only needed if using a very new WoW patch before AHOS has been updated).

Uninstalling

  1. Delete the AdvancedHotkeyOverlaySystem folder from your AddOns directory.
  2. Optionally, remove saved settings by deleting the following from your WTF/ folder:
    • WTF/Account/<AccountName>/SavedVariables/AdvancedHotkeyOverlaySystem.lua
    • WTF/Account/<AccountName>/<RealmName>/<CharacterName>/SavedVariables/AdvancedHotkeyOverlaySystem.lua

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