Editor commands and initialization attributes

Unity 6 reference

At a glance

Use method-level attributes for small Inspector actions, Editor menu commands and initialization hooks. The most important distinction is where the method runs: in the Unity Editor or in the built game.

Quick reference

Attribute	What it does	Applies to and requires
[ContextMenu("Title")]	Run an instance method from the component context menu.	Method · UnityEngine
[MenuItem("MyMenu/Action")]	Add a command to the Unity Editor menu bar.	Static method · UnityEditor
[InitializeOnLoadMethod]	Run a static Editor method after Unity loads or reloads assemblies.	Static method · UnityEditor
[RuntimeInitializeOnLoadMethod]	Call a static method during runtime initialization.	Static method · UnityEngine

How to choose

[ContextMenu("Title")]

Run an instance method from the component context menu.

Use it when: Run a quick validation or reset command from a component.

Be aware: Suitable for editor conveniences such as resetting or testing component state.

Reference: Unity documentation

[MenuItem("MyMenu/Action")]

Add a command to the Unity Editor menu bar.

Use it when: Provide a reusable tool from a Tools menu in the Unity Editor.

Be aware: Editor-only API. Put code in an Editor folder or Editor-only assembly.

Reference: Unity documentation

[InitializeOnLoadMethod]

Run a static Editor method after Unity loads or reloads assemblies.

Use it when: Register editor tooling after assembly reload without user interaction.

Be aware: This is Editor initialization, not game start or player build initialization.

Reference: Unity documentation

[RuntimeInitializeOnLoadMethod]

Call a static method during runtime initialization.

Use it when: Set up runtime services before or during scene initialization.

Be aware: Use an explicit RuntimeInitializeLoadType when the initialization phase matters.

Reference: Unity documentation

Two kinds of commands

Unity C# | ResettableHealth.cs

using UnityEngine;

public sealed class ResettableHealth : MonoBehaviour
{
    [SerializeField] private int health = 100;

    [ContextMenu("Restore Full Health")]
    private void RestoreFullHealth()
    {
        health = 100;
    }
}

The method belongs to the component and appears in its Inspector context menu.

Unity C# | Editor/ProjectTools.cs

using UnityEditor;
using UnityEngine;

public static class ProjectTools
{
    [MenuItem("Tools/HCSTech/Print Project Path")]
    private static void PrintPath()
    {
        Debug.Log(Application.dataPath);
    }

    [InitializeOnLoadMethod]
    private static void SetupOnEditorLoad()
    {
        // Keep startup logic small and idempotent.
    }
}

Place the second file under Editor/ or in an Editor-only asmdef. The compiler must not include UnityEditor references in a player assembly.

Unity C# | RuntimeStartup.cs

using UnityEngine;

public static class RuntimeStartup
{
    [RuntimeInitializeOnLoadMethod(RuntimeInitializeLoadType.BeforeSceneLoad)]
    private static void Initialize()
    {
        Debug.Log("Runtime initialized before the first scene loads.");
    }
}

Choosing an initialization hook

InitializeOnLoadMethod is for Editor startup; RuntimeInitializeOnLoadMethod is for runtime initialization. Avoid depending on unspecified order between multiple methods.

Related lessons

• Unity scripting lifecycle
• Assembly definitions
• Namespaces