What is one.manifest.json

Every One CLI workspace has a one.manifest.json at its root. It records the workspace identity, projects, environments, and environment-variable source. Commands use it to find projects and select their toolchains.

Example

{
  "version": 1,
  "workspace": { "id": "demo-app-2bb61e", "name": "demo-app" },
  "environments": {
    "names": ["dev", "preview", "prod"],
    "default": "dev"
  },
  "domains": { "env": { "kind": "dotenv" } },
  "projects": [
    {
      "name": "web",
      "templateId": "react-spa",
      "relativeDir": "apps/web",
      "toolchain": "node",
      "buildVersion": "0.1.0",
      "packageManager": "pnpm",
      "domains": {
        "env": { "path": ".env", "inherits": true, "keys": ["API_URL"] },
        "dev": { "command": "pnpm dev" }
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "api",
      "templateId": "go-api",
      "relativeDir": "services/api",
      "toolchain": "go",
      "domains": { "dev": { "command": "go run ./cmd/server" } }
    }
  ]
}

The real file is strict JSON; comments and unknown fields are rejected.

Fields

Field	Meaning
version	Manifest schema version, currently 1
workspace	Stable id and display name
environments	Environment names and default environment
domains.env	Workspace environment source: dotenv or infisical, with optional backend-specific config
projects[]	Project names, paths, templates, toolchains, optional packageManager and buildVersion
projects[].domains.env	Environment overrides: path, inherits, disabled, and declared key names; inherits the workspace backend
projects[].domains.dev	The command executed by one dev

For Infisical, domains.env.config can contain projectId, projectName, rootPath, and keys. Key values and local Profile names never belong in the manifest. Keep credentials in machine-local Profiles and values in dotenv or Infisical.

Who writes it

Action	Change
one create	Writes workspace identity, default environments, environment source, and an empty project list
one add	Registers a project and its development command
one env set	Records declared key names; Infisical can initialize its project binding
one env switch	Changes the workspace environment source
one serve	Applies explicitly reviewed project or environment-source changes with revision checks

one build selects each project's build command from its toolchain. Node projects use package scripts; Go projects use Taskfile.yml. CI is managed separately with one ci.

Manual edits

Keep paths and names consistent when renaming or removing projects. Update projects[].domains.dev.command if the project's development script changes. The workspace layout remains apps/, services/, and packages/.

If the manifest and filesystem disagree, inspect the declared paths and restore the missing project files or fix the registry entry. Do not put business values, dependencies, caches, or build outputs in the manifest.

Removed deployment configuration

The deploy and container domains have been removed. A manifest containing those fields returns MANIFEST_INVALID with a removal hint. Delete the corresponding fields manually; no migration or cleanup of existing Dockerfiles, platform configuration, or CI files is performed.

Invalid JSON or unknown fields also produce MANIFEST_INVALID. See error codes.