Basics
Resources & fxmanifest

04. Resources & fxmanifest

Plain English

In FiveM, a resource is a folder with fxmanifest.lua inside it. The manifest tells the server what’s in the folder and how to load it.

When the server boots, it scans the resources/ directory, reads every fxmanifest.lua, and starts the resources listed in server.cfg with ensure <name>. Restart server, all resources reload.

You’ll write a manifest for every resource you make. They all follow the same shape.

Minimum Resource

The smallest possible resource is a folder with one file:

my_resource/
└── fxmanifest.lua

That’s a valid resource. It just doesn’t do anything yet.

Typical Resource Structure

What you’ll actually build:

my_resource/
├── fxmanifest.lua          ← required
├── shared/
│   └── config.lua          ← runs on both sides (config tables)
├── client/
│   ├── main.lua            ← player-side code
│   └── ui.lua              ← extra client file
├── server/
│   ├── main.lua            ← server-side code
│   └── database.lua        ← extra server file
├── web/                    ← NUI source (React/HTML/JS)
│   └── build/              ← compiled NUI output
│       ├── index.html
│       └── assets/
└── locales/
    └── en.lua              ← translation file

Don’t memorize this - adapt it per project. Smaller resources don’t need every folder.

fxmanifest.lua - Line By Line

The basic shape, every line annotated:

-- which version of the manifest API to use. "cerulean" is current standard, always use it.
fx_version 'cerulean'

-- which game this resource is for. for FiveM, it's always 'gta5'. (RedM uses 'rdr3')
game 'gta5'

-- enable Lua 5.4. this gives you backtick-hashes, integer division, and other modern features.
-- ALWAYS turn this on for new resources.
lua54 'yes'

-- metadata (optional but good to fill in)
author 'Your Name'                          -- whoever wrote this
description 'My cool resource'              -- one-line description
version '1.0.0'                             -- semver, bump when you ship changes

-- which files run on the player's PC
client_script 'client/main.lua'

-- which files run on the server
server_script 'server/main.lua'

-- which files run on BOTH sides (config tables, helper functions)
shared_script 'shared/config.lua'

Multiple Files

Use the plural forms with a list of paths:

-- client_scripts (plural) takes a table of file paths
client_scripts {
    'client/main.lua',
    'client/ui.lua',
    'client/events.lua',
}

server_scripts {
    '@oxmysql/lib/MySQL.lua',     -- @ prefix = pull a file from another resource
    'server/main.lua',
    'server/database.lua',
}

shared_scripts {
    '@ox_lib/init.lua',           -- imports ox_lib's "lib" global into your resource
    'shared/config.lua',
    'locales/*.lua',              -- glob: matches every .lua file in locales/
}

Load order = list order. shared_scripts always load before client_scripts and server_scripts. So put config files in shared near the top.

The `@` Prefix

'@otherresource/path/to/file.lua' means “load this file from another resource into your resource’s runtime”. Common cases:

-- pulls in oxmysql's MySQL global. Lets you call MySQL.query, MySQL.update, etc.
'@oxmysql/lib/MySQL.lua'

-- pulls in ox_lib's lib global. Lets you call lib.notify, lib.callback, etc.
'@ox_lib/init.lua'

If you forget these, you’ll see attempt to index a nil value (global 'MySQL') errors.

Dependencies

Tell the server “these resources must already be running before mine starts”:

-- if any of these aren't running, my resource refuses to start
dependencies {
    'ox_lib',
    'ox_target',
    'oxmysql',
    'qbx_core',
}

Why bother? Without dependencies, your resource might start before oxmysql is ready, and your DB calls error. With them, the server fails fast with a clear message instead.

For a single dependency, the singular form works:

dependency 'oxmysql'

NUI (HTML UI)

If your resource has an HTML user interface:

-- the entry point HTML file the client will load
ui_page 'web/build/index.html'

-- list every file the browser needs access to
files {
    'web/build/index.html',
    'web/build/assets/*.js',     -- glob: all JS in assets/
    'web/build/assets/*.css',    -- glob: all CSS in assets/
    'web/build/**/*',            -- "**" = recursive glob, every file in subdirs too
}

Files NOT listed in files {} are unreachable from the browser. Forget to add a CSS file → 404, no styles. Forget an image → broken image icon.

Full NUI guide: 07-nui/01-nui-basics.md.

Data Files (Vehicles, Weapons, Peds)

For custom GTA assets like vehicles or weapons:

-- list the data files so they ship with the resource
files {
    'data/vehicles.meta',
    'data/carcols.meta',
    'stream/**/*',               -- everything in the stream/ folder
}

-- declare what each meta file is, so the game knows how to load it
data_file 'VEHICLE_METADATA_FILE' 'data/vehicles.meta'
data_file 'CARCOLS_FILE' 'data/carcols.meta'

Anything inside a stream/ subfolder gets auto-streamed to clients - they download it when they join. That’s how custom cars and clothing work.

Provides

Tells the server “I am a substitute for resource X”:

-- if another resource depends on "mysql-async", they can use mine instead
provide 'mysql-async'

You’ll rarely write this - it’s mostly for compat shims (Qbox provides qb-core, oxmysql provides mysql-async).

Real Example - A Qbox Core Resource

This is roughly what qbx_core/fxmanifest.lua looks like:

fx_version 'cerulean'                       -- modern manifest
game 'gta5'                                 -- FiveM only
lua54 'yes'                                 -- enable Lua 5.4

author 'Qbox'
description 'Qbox Core Framework'
version '1.23.0'

shared_scripts {
    '@ox_lib/init.lua',                     -- ox_lib globals available everywhere
    'shared/main.lua',                      -- main shared file (shared/main.lua loads first)
    'config/*.lua',                         -- glob: every config file
}

client_scripts {
    'client/main.lua',                      -- entry point
    'client/*.lua',                         -- everything else in client/
}

server_scripts {
    '@oxmysql/lib/MySQL.lua',               -- DB wrapper
    'server/main.lua',                      -- entry point
    'server/*.lua',                         -- everything else
}

dependencies {
    'ox_lib',                               -- must have ox_lib
    'oxmysql',                              -- must have oxmysql
}

Starting Resources

In server.cfg, you tell the server which resources to load:

# "ensure" = start the resource. if it's already running, restart it.
ensure ox_lib                # libraries first
ensure oxmysql
ensure qbx_core              # framework before anything that depends on it
ensure ox_target
ensure ox_inventory
ensure my_resource           # YOUR resource last

Load order matters. Dependencies before dependents. If my_resource says dependency 'qbx_core', then qbx_core must be ensured first.

Resource Lifecycle

Resources fire built-in events when they start and stop. Listen for them to do init/cleanup:

-- fires once for every resource that starts. check if it's YOU.
AddEventHandler('onResourceStart', function(resourceName)
    if resourceName ~= GetCurrentResourceName() then return end    -- ignore other resources
    print('my resource started')
    -- do init: load DB tables, register targets, spawn shop peds
end)

-- fires once for every resource that stops. check if it's YOU.
AddEventHandler('onResourceStop', function(resourceName)
    if resourceName ~= GetCurrentResourceName() then return end
    print('my resource stopped')
    -- CLEANUP: delete spawned entities, remove blips, release NUI focus
end)

Always cleanup on onResourceStop. Otherwise: ghost peds, stuck NUI focus, players raging because they can’t move.

Folder Naming Conventions

resources/
├── [libs]/                    ← brackets in folder names = visual category, not loaded
│   ├── ox_lib/
│   └── ox_target/
├── [scripts]/
│   ├── [jobs]/
│   │   ├── my_police/
│   │   └── my_mechanic/
│   └── my_resource/
└── noload/                    ← convention: disabled resources, server doesn't ensure them
    └── old_script/

[brackets] = category folders. They’re not loaded as resources themselves - they’re just for grouping. The server scans recursively and finds resources by their fxmanifest.lua.

noload/ is a convention. Whatever folder isn’t ensured in server.cfg is disabled. Calling it noload is a common pattern, but the name is arbitrary.

Best Practices

Resource names: lowercase + underscores. my_shop, player_armory. No spaces, no hyphens, no special chars - exports break.
Use shared_script '@ox_lib/init.lua' to enable lib.* everywhere.
Configs in shared/ or config/. Scripts in client/ and server/.
Always declare dependencies {} - fail-fast over weird load-order bugs.
onResourceStop cleanup - NUI focus, blips, spawned entities, threads.
Don’t name your resource the same as an existing one - load order chaos.
Don’t put .lua files in files {} - they already load via *_script. Listing them in files{} makes them downloadable to clients (a security issue).

Test A Resource

In the server console (or in-game F8 console if you have admin):

start my_resource             # start a resource
stop my_resource              # stop it
restart my_resource           # stop then start. use this every time you change Lua.
refresh                       # rescan resources/ for newly-added folders

In-game chat works too if you have ACE permission:

/start my_resource
/restart my_resource

TL;DR

A resource = folder with fxmanifest.lua.
Declare scripts via client_script, server_script, shared_script.
@otherresource/path = pull a file from another resource.
ui_page + files{} = NUI assets.
dependencies {} = hard requirements.
Always cleanup in onResourceStop.

Sources

Resource Manifest Reference - every field documented
Introduction to Resources - concepts
Server commands - ensure, start, restart

Next folder: 02-events/ - start with 01-local-events.md

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