How do I organise liveries in Microsoft Flight Simulator?

On PC, organise Microsoft Flight Simulator liveries as complete add-on packages, not loose texture folders. Keep each package intact, store it in a labelled external library, and activate only the liveries needed for a session with symbolic links. Never reorganise the Official folder; console users must manage liveries through the simulator’s content interface.

How should I structure an MSFS livery library?

The cleanest PC setup is an external livery library arranged by simulator, aircraft and operator. Keep this library outside the simulator’s Packages, Community and Official directories.

A practical structure is D:\MSFS Add-ons\MSFS 2024\Liveries\Aircraft\Operator\package-folder. Use separate top-level libraries for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024; a livery compatible with one is not automatically compatible with the other. If you share downloads between them, check the package’s MSFS 2020 and 2024 compatibility before activating it.

The actual package folder must remain intact. Its root normally contains manifest.json and layout.json, followed by the aircraft and texture folders expected by the package. Some downloads contain several separate package roots; treat each one as an individual add-on.

1. Locate the active Community folder. Store and custom installation paths differ, and MSFS 2020 and 2024 do not necessarily use the same location. Our directory guide explains how to find the active Packages and Community locations.
2. Close the simulator. Moving packages while Microsoft Flight Simulator is running can leave the session using stale package data.
3. Create an external library. Separate liveries by simulator and aircraft, then use operator or livery type as a further category if the collection is large.
4. Move one complete package at a time. Do not move individual texture files, merge packages or place downloaded archives in the active Community folder.
5. Activate selected packages. For a large collection, follow our instructions to set up an external library and presets with MSFS Addons Linker. It places links in Community while the real files remain organised elsewhere.
6. Test before moving the next group. Launch the simulator, select the exact aircraft variant and confirm that the expected paints appear.

Can I organise liveries inside the Community folder?

The safest Community-folder layout is one complete package per direct child; do not rely on nested category folders being discovered. Category folders belong in the external library, with each real package linked individually into Community.

A mistake we see constantly is an extra download wrapper. If the path resembles Community\download-name\package-name\manifest.json, the package may be one level too deep. The folder containing manifest.json and layout.json is the package root that should be installed or linked.

For a small collection, manual organisation is workable: keep active packages directly in Community and move inactive ones to a disabled folder located elsewhere. Never create a folder called “Disabled” inside Community, because its contents may still be scanned.

Which livery-management method should I use?

Choose the method according to where the liveries came from and how many packages you maintain.

Do not move or rename packages under the Official directory. They are controlled by Microsoft Flight Simulator’s package system and may be repaired, replaced or downloaded again. Likewise, let a dedicated aircraft installer manage its own liveries unless its documentation explicitly supports an external library.

How do I update or remove a livery cleanly?

Deactivate and remove the old package before installing its replacement. Copying a new version over the old folder can leave obsolete texture, configuration or layout entries behind.

• Close Microsoft Flight Simulator and disable the package or its symbolic link.
• Delete or archive the old package outside every active add-on directory.
• Extract the replacement into a clean folder and confirm its package root.
• Reactivate it, then check that only one copy exists in Community.
• Keep downloaded ZIP files in a separate archive, not among active packages.

One package may contain several liveries. An add-on manager normally enables or disables that whole package, not individual paints within it. Do not split a bundled pack unless its creator designed it for that purpose, because its layout.json and shared files may cover every included livery.

Why is a livery missing after reorganising it?

A missing livery usually means the package is nested too deeply, linked to the wrong Community folder, duplicated, or made for a different aircraft variant. Restart the simulator after changing active packages because the aircraft-selection interface does not reliably refresh packages during a running session.

Check these points in order:

• The symbolic link still reaches an existing package folder.
• The package root contains both manifest.json and layout.json.
• No second or older copy is active elsewhere in Community.
• The livery matches the exact base aircraft, engine and model variant.
• Any required payware or freeware aircraft is installed and enabled.
• The package was built for the MSFS generation in which it is being used.

If those checks do not restore it, work through the package and aircraft checks for a missing livery.

How do I manage liveries on Xbox or PlayStation?

Console users must manage liveries through Microsoft Flight Simulator’s built-in content or library interface. Xbox Series X|S does not expose a normal PC-style Community folder, and the same file-level organisation is unavailable in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 on PlayStation 5.

You can install or remove supported content packages and use the available library filters, but you cannot build an external folder hierarchy or use symbolic-link presets. If several paints are sold or supplied as one package, the console interface may only allow that entire pack to be installed or removed.