Guide / First manifest

A file list with context.

Parcel is an example manifest format for a project handoff. Give each file a label so the next person knows what to open.

Before you start
Use UTF-8 JSON and a modern browser. The example below runs entirely in this page and does not need an API key.

1. Write your manifest

Start with a project name and at least one file. Paths are relative to the folder you will share.

{
"project": "Harbor identity",
"files": [{ "path": "brand-guide.pdf", "label": "Brand guide" }]
}

Manifest playground

Ready. Edit the manifest, then validate it.

Updated September 2026 · Sample guideNext: manifest reference →

Guide / Schema

A small JSON object. Unknown fields are allowed; the fields below are required.

Field	Type	Requirement
`project`	string	Non-empty project name.
`files`	array	At least one file object.
`files[].path`	string	Relative path using forward slashes.
`files[].label`	string	Readable, non-empty label.

Example paths: brand-guide.pdf and logos/primary.svg. Absolute paths, backslashes, empty segments and .. are rejected.

The bundled example is the same manifest used in the quickstart.

Guide / Troubleshooting

The playground checks structure and relative path syntax. It does not check whether the files exist.

Use double quotes for keys and strings. Remove trailing commas. A parser error means the document could not be read.

Add a project name and one or more file entries. Whitespace-only labels are not valid.

Keep paths relative. Do not include URL schemes, query strings, fragments, empty path segments or dot segments. Each path must occur only once.

Try changing the example path to ../private.txt. The playground will show which file entry needs a correction.