Install aircraft liveries in Microsoft Flight Simulator, find the correct Community folder, handle PMDG files and fix missing paint schemes.
On PC, install a Microsoft Flight Simulator livery by extracting its archive and placing the actual package folder—the one containing manifest.json and layout.json—inside the active Community folder. Restart the simulator, select the matching aircraft and choose the paint scheme. Marketplace, installer-based and PMDG .ptp liveries use different installation methods.
How to install a downloaded livery on PC
Standard MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024 livery packages are installed in the Community folder.
- Check compatibility. Confirm that the download supports your simulator version and the exact aircraft model or variant. Liveries made for two different versions of an aircraft are rarely interchangeable, even when both aircraft share the same name.
- Close Microsoft Flight Simulator. Installing while the simulator is running can prevent the package from being detected until a full restart.
- Extract the archive. Open the downloaded ZIP, RAR or 7z archive and extract its contents. Do not place the compressed archive itself in Community. Our MSFS aircraft and livery downloads normally include a readme when special handling is required.
- Find the package root. Open the extracted folders until you reach the folder containing
manifest.jsonandlayout.json. Some archives contain several separate package folders. - Open the active Community folder. Its location depends on the store edition and the package path chosen during installation.
- Copy the complete package folder. Place it directly inside Community. Do not merge it into the base aircraft's folder or move only the texture files.
- Start the simulator and select the livery. Choose the correct aircraft first, then use its livery, appearance or paint-scheme selector. A few add-ons appear as a separate aircraft variant instead.
Which livery installation method should I use?
The file type and source determine whether a livery belongs in Community or must be imported another way.
| Download type | Installation method |
|---|---|
ZIP, RAR or 7z containing manifest.json and layout.json | Extract the package folder into Community. |
| Executable installer | Run the installer and verify that it has detected the correct simulator edition and package location. |
PMDG .ptp file | Import it through PMDG Operations Center rather than copying it into Community. Follow our PMDG livery import procedure for the exact workflow. |
| Marketplace livery | Install and manage it through the simulator's Marketplace, library or content-management interface. |
Where is the Microsoft Flight Simulator Community folder?
The correct Community folder is under the package location used by that particular MSFS installation, so a path copied from another PC may be wrong.
Use the simulator's option to open the Community folder where that command is available. Otherwise, locate the simulator configuration file named UserCfg.opt, open it in a text editor and check the InstalledPackagesPath entry. The Community folder sits under that package root.
A mistake we see constantly is copying a livery into an abandoned Community folder left by a previous installation. This often happens after changing from MSFS 2020 to MSFS 2024, moving packages to another drive or reinstalling through a different PC storefront.
Why is my installed livery not showing?
A missing livery is usually caused by a nested package, the wrong Community folder or a mismatch with the selected aircraft variant.
- Nested package: Community contains a wrapper folder, with the real folder containing
manifest.jsonanother level down. - Wrong aircraft: The livery was built for another edition, engine option, model revision or third-party version of the aircraft.
- Missing base aircraft: A repaint does not normally include the aircraft itself. The required aircraft must already be installed and enabled.
- Wrong simulator version: Do not assume that an MSFS 2020 livery supports MSFS 2024 unless its description says so.
- Duplicate packages: Old and new copies of the same repaint can conflict. Remove the obsolete copy rather than keeping both.
- Separate variant: Check the aircraft list as well as the selected aircraft's livery menu.
Restart the simulator after correcting the package structure. If it still fails, use our diagnostic checklist for liveries that do not appear to isolate folder, dependency and compatibility problems.
Can I install downloaded liveries on Xbox or PlayStation?
No—console editions do not provide access to a Community folder for arbitrary downloaded packages.
On Xbox Series X|S, liveries must be obtained through the simulator's supported in-game distribution and library systems. The same restriction applies to MSFS 2024 on PlayStation 5 and PS5 Pro. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 was not released on PlayStation.
Can I rename or organise livery folders?
You can usually rename the top-level folder of a manually installed Community package, but leave its internal files and directory structure unchanged.
Be cautious with installer-managed packages because an update or removal tool may expect its original folder name. For larger collections, our guidance on organising MSFS livery packages without breaking them covers naming, storage and duplicate control.