Manifest Files (fxmanifest.lua)

The fxmanifest.lua file is the heart of every FiveM resource. It defines metadata, dependencies, scripts, and assets that your resource uses.

Basic Structure

Every manifest file must include these essential fields:

fx_version 'cerulean'
game 'gta5'
 
author 'Your Name'
description 'Resource description'
version '1.0.0'

Required Fields

fx_version: Specifies the FiveM runtime version. Use 'cerulean' for modern features.
game: Target game platform ('gta5' for FiveM, 'rdr3' for RedM, 'common' for both).

Metadata Fields

author 'Developer Name <[email protected]>'
description 'A detailed description of what this resource does'
version '1.0.0'
url 'https://github.com/username/resource'
repository 'https://github.com/username/resource.git'

Script Declaration

Client Scripts

-- Single file
client_script 'client.lua'
 
-- Multiple files
client_scripts {
    'client/main.lua',
    'client/utils.lua',
    'client/events.lua'
}
 
-- With patterns
client_scripts {
    'client/*.lua',
    'shared/*.lua'
}

Server Scripts

-- Single file
server_script 'server.lua'
 
-- Multiple files
server_scripts {
    'server/main.lua',
    'server/database.lua',
    'server/commands.lua'
}

Shared Scripts

Scripts that run on both client and server:

shared_script 'config.lua'
 
shared_scripts {
    'shared/config.lua',
    'shared/utils.lua'
}

Dependencies

Hard Dependencies

Resource won't start without these:

dependencies {
    'es_extended',
    'mysql-async'
}
 
-- Alternative syntax
dependency 'es_extended'

Optional Dependencies

Resource can function without these but will use them if available:

optional_dependencies {
    'voice-chat',
    'custom-hud'
}

File Management

Static Files

Files that should be downloaded to clients:

files {
    'html/index.html',
    'html/style.css',
    'html/script.js',
    'config.json'
}

UI Pages

For NUI resources:

ui_page 'html/index.html'
 
-- Alternative for multiple pages
ui_pages {
    'html/main.html',
    'html/settings.html'
}

Data Files

Special file types for game data:

data_file 'HANDLING_FILE' 'data/handling.meta'
data_file 'VEHICLE_METADATA_FILE' 'data/vehicles.meta'
data_file 'CARCOLS_FILE' 'data/carcols.meta'
data_file 'VEHICLE_VARIATION_FILE' 'data/carvariations.meta'

Advanced Configuration

Exports

Functions your resource makes available to others:

exports {
    'GetPlayerData',
    'SetPlayerJob',
    'SendNotification'
}
 
-- Server-only exports
server_exports {
    'GetDatabaseConnection',
    'LogActivity'
}
 
-- Client-only exports
client_exports {
    'OpenUI',
    'CloseUI'
}

Replace Files

Override game files (use cautiously):

replace_level_meta 'gta5'
 
files {
    'stream/ymap/my_custom.ymap'
}

Lua 5.4 Support

Enable Lua 5.4 features:

lua54 'yes'

Escrow Protection

For protected resources:

escrow_ignore {
    'config.lua',
    'locales/*.lua'
}

Resource Types

Basic Script Resource

fx_version 'cerulean'
game 'gta5'
 
author 'Developer'
description 'Basic script resource'
version '1.0.0'
 
client_script 'client.lua'
server_script 'server.lua'
shared_script 'config.lua'

NUI Resource

fx_version 'cerulean'
game 'gta5'
 
author 'Developer'
description 'NUI interface resource'
version '1.0.0'
 
ui_page 'html/index.html'
 
files {
    'html/index.html',
    'html/style.css',
    'html/script.js'
}
 
client_script 'client.lua'
server_script 'server.lua'

Map Resource

fx_version 'cerulean'
game 'gta5'
 
author 'Mapper'
description 'Custom map modifications'
version '1.0.0'
 
this_is_a_map 'yes'
 
files {
    'stream/**/*.ymap',
    'stream/**/*.ytyp'
}

Vehicle Pack

fx_version 'cerulean'
game 'gta5'
 
author 'Vehicle Modder'
description 'Custom vehicle pack'
version '1.0.0'
 
files {
    'data/**/*.meta'
}
 
data_file 'HANDLING_FILE' 'data/handling.meta'
data_file 'VEHICLE_METADATA_FILE' 'data/vehicles.meta'
data_file 'CARCOLS_FILE' 'data/carcols.meta'
data_file 'VEHICLE_VARIATION_FILE' 'data/carvariations.meta'

Best Practices

File Organization

-- Good: Organized by functionality
client_scripts {
    'client/main.lua',
    'client/ui.lua',
    'client/events.lua'
}
 
server_scripts {
    'server/main.lua',
    'server/database.lua',
    'server/commands.lua'
}
 
shared_scripts {
    'shared/config.lua',
    'shared/utils.lua'
}

Version Management

-- Use semantic versioning
version '1.2.3'  -- Major.Minor.Patch
 
-- Update version when:
-- Major: Breaking changes
-- Minor: New features
-- Patch: Bug fixes

Performance Optimization

-- Load scripts in order of importance
client_scripts {
    'client/config.lua',    -- Configuration first
    'client/utils.lua',     -- Utilities second
    'client/main.lua'       -- Main logic last
}
 
-- Group related files
files {
    'html/*.html',
    'html/*.css',
    'html/*.js'
}

Documentation

fx_version 'cerulean'
game 'gta5'
 
-- Resource Information
author 'Developer Name <[email protected]>'
description [[
    A comprehensive banking system for FiveM servers.
    Features include: accounts, transactions, loans, and ATMs.
]]
version '2.1.0'
url 'https://github.com/dev/banking-system'
 
-- Dependencies
dependencies {
    'es_extended',      -- Required for player management
    'mysql-async'       -- Required for database operations
}
 
optional_dependencies {
    'esx_addonaccount'  -- For business accounts
}

Common Issues

Script Load Order

-- Wrong: Utils loaded after main
client_scripts {
    'client/main.lua',
    'client/utils.lua'  -- main.lua can't use utils functions
}
 
-- Correct: Utils loaded first
client_scripts {
    'client/utils.lua',
    'client/main.lua'
}

Missing Files

-- Wrong: File doesn't exist
client_script 'client/nonexistent.lua'
 
-- Correct: Verify all files exist
client_scripts {
    'client/main.lua',      -- ✓ exists
    'client/events.lua'     -- ✓ exists
}

Incorrect Dependencies

-- Wrong: Typo in dependency name
dependency 'es_extend'  -- Missing 'ed'
 
-- Correct: Exact resource name
dependency 'es_extended'

Validation

Always test your manifest:

Check syntax: Ensure valid Lua syntax
Verify files: All referenced files exist
Test dependencies: Required resources are available
Load order: Scripts load in correct sequence

Use restart resourcename in server console to reload after changes.

Manifest Files (fxmanifest.lua)

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