Use a Manifest File

If your sandbox isn’t source tracked, or you want to retrieve metadata that hasn’t changed, or you want to retrieve many changes, use a manifest (package.xml) file.

Use the manifest builder tool to create a new project with a given manifest. Also generate a manifest file for your project for a given a set of metadata components instead of editing the package.xml file manually.

Automatically generate a manifest file for a given a set of metadata components instead of editing the package.xml file manually:

1. In the Explorer view, right-click to select the components you want to use to generate the manifest.
2. Run SFDX: Generate Manifest File
3. Enter a unique name (without an xml extension) for the manifest file.

A new file is created and added to the manifest folder.

Use the new manifest file to deploy and retrieve source from the org using SFDX: Deploy Source in Manifest to Org or SFDX: Retrieve Source in Manifest from Org command.