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oc.manifest.json

OpenCore templates can publish metadata through an oc.manifest.json file placed at the root of the template directory.

Examples:

  • resources/xchat/oc.manifest.json
  • standalones/utils/oc.manifest.json
  • core/oc.manifest.json

This manifest lets the ecosystem describe what a template is, which runtimes it supports, and what other templates it depends on.

Why it exists​

The manifest solves two problems:

  • It gives template authors a clear place to declare compatibility.
  • It lets the CLI make smarter decisions when listing or cloning templates.

With manifests in place:

  • opencore clone --list can show compatibility information.
  • opencore clone <template> can warn or block when the current project runtime does not match.
  • editors can validate manifests using the published JSON Schema.

File location​

Place the manifest in the root of the template folder:

resources/
  xchat/
    oc.manifest.json
standalones/
  utils/
    oc.manifest.json
core/
  oc.manifest.json

Schema URL​

The public schema is available at:

https://opencorejs.dev/schemas/oc-manifest.schema.json

You can use it directly in the manifest:

{
  "$schema": "https://opencorejs.dev/schemas/oc-manifest.schema.json",
  "schemaVersion": 1,
  "name": "xchat",
  "kind": "resource"
}

Current schema​

schemaVersion: 1 supports these top-level fields:

  • $schema
  • schemaVersion
  • name
  • displayName
  • kind
  • description
  • compatibility
  • requires
  • links

Field reference​

schemaVersion​

Current value: 1

This allows the manifest format to evolve later without breaking existing templates.

name​

The machine-friendly template name.

Rules:

  • lowercase recommended
  • must match ^[a-z0-9][a-z0-9-_]*$

displayName​

Optional human-friendly label for CLI and docs output.

kind​

Allowed values:

  • resource
  • standalone
  • core

For official templates, kind should match the folder category.

description​

Optional short explanation of what the template is for.

compatibility​

Describes where the template is expected to work.

{
  "compatibility": {
    "runtimes": ["fivem", "redm"],
    "gameProfiles": ["common"]
  }
}

compatibility.runtimes​

Allowed values:

  • fivem
  • redm
  • ragemp

This is the primary compatibility signal used by the CLI.

compatibility.gameProfiles​

Allowed values:

  • common
  • gta5
  • rdr3

Use this when the template logic is shared but still tied to a game family.

Examples:

  • fivem + gta5
  • redm + rdr3
  • multi-runtime + common

requires​

Declares dependencies on other templates.

{
  "requires": {
    "templates": ["core"]
  }
}

requires.templates​

List of template names this template expects.

Typical example:

  • framework-connected resource templates usually depend on core

Optional documentation links.

{
  "links": {
    "readme": "./README.md",
    "docs": "https://opencorejs.dev/docs/templates/manifest",
    "repository": "https://github.com/newcore-network/opencore-templates"
  }
}

Example manifests​

Resource​

{
  "$schema": "https://opencorejs.dev/schemas/oc-manifest.schema.json",
  "schemaVersion": 1,
  "name": "xchat",
  "displayName": "xChat",
  "kind": "resource",
  "description": "Modern chat resource for OpenCore",
  "compatibility": {
    "runtimes": ["fivem", "redm"],
    "gameProfiles": ["common"]
  },
  "requires": {
    "templates": ["core"]
  },
  "links": {
    "readme": "./README.md"
  }
}

Standalone​

{
  "$schema": "https://opencorejs.dev/schemas/oc-manifest.schema.json",
  "schemaVersion": 1,
  "name": "utils",
  "displayName": "Utility Pack",
  "kind": "standalone",
  "description": "Independent utility scripts",
  "compatibility": {
    "runtimes": ["fivem", "redm", "ragemp"],
    "gameProfiles": ["common"]
  }
}

Core​

{
  "$schema": "https://opencorejs.dev/schemas/oc-manifest.schema.json",
  "schemaVersion": 1,
  "name": "core",
  "displayName": "Core Runtime",
  "kind": "core",
  "description": "Main OpenCore runtime resource",
  "compatibility": {
    "runtimes": ["fivem"],
    "gameProfiles": ["gta5"]
  }
}

CLI integration​

Generate an example manifest​

The CLI can scaffold a starter manifest for an existing target:

opencore create manifest --resource xchat
opencore create manifest --standalone utils
opencore create manifest --core

Use --force to overwrite an existing file:

opencore create manifest --resource xchat --force

Clone behavior​

If a template publishes oc.manifest.json:

  • opencore clone --list shows compatibility labels
  • opencore clone <template> validates runtime compatibility against the current project when opencore.config.ts is available
  • opencore clone --force bypasses compatibility enforcement

Templates without a manifest remain supported and are treated as compatibility unknown.

Best practices​

  • always set $schema to the public schema URL
  • keep name stable once published
  • declare only runtimes you actually support
  • use common only when the implementation is truly shared
  • add requires.templates when the template depends on core or another published template
  • keep description short and specific

Publishing and hosting​

The canonical schema lives at https://opencorejs.dev/schemas/oc-manifest.schema.json.

In this docs site, that file is served from Docusaurus static assets:

  • source: static/schemas/oc-manifest.schema.json
  • public URL: /schemas/oc-manifest.schema.json

When the schema changes:

  1. update the source copy in the CLI repository
  2. sync the file into opencore-docs/static/schemas/oc-manifest.schema.json
  3. deploy the docs site