fxmanifest.lua
Also called resource manifest, __resource.lua
The manifest file that declares what a resource contains, which game build it targets and what it depends on.
Every resource needs an fxmanifest.lua. It declares the fx_version, the target game, the client and server script lists, UI files, streamed assets and dependencies.
Two fields cause most of the confusion. fx_version selects the manifest feature set — cerulean is the current norm, and older resources written for adamant or the legacy __resource.lua format will warn or fail. game 'gta5' is required; resources that omit it inherit odd defaults.
Script order inside client_scripts and server_scripts is load order, so a file that depends on another must come after it. Glob patterns like '@ox_lib/init.lua' pull shared code in from another resource and are how most libraries are consumed.
If a resource mysteriously does not start, the manifest is the first file to read — a trailing comma, a missing quote or a stale dependency line accounts for most of it.
Related terms
Trying to get your server seen?
The live leaderboard shows what the numbers look like at the top of the list, and the upvote calculator turns a target server into a campaign size. The full glossary is here.