roblox-rojo

name	roblox-rojo
description	Rojo project management for Roblox — install the CLI and Studio plugin, init/serve/build/upload/sourcemap/syncback, `.project.json` format, file-to-instance sync rules (`.luau`/`.server.luau`/`.client.luau`/`.plugin.luau`), meta files, `emitLegacyScripts`, live-sync limits, and porting existing places. Use when setting up Rojo, writing project files, live-syncing to Studio, building places/models, or converting a place with syncback.
last_reviewed	"2026-07-09T00:00:00.000Z"

roblox-rojo

Official sources (always check these for the latest):

• https://rojo.space/docs/v7/ (docs index; current major is v7)
• https://rojo.space/docs/v7/getting-started/installation/
• https://rojo.space/docs/v7/getting-started/new-game/
• https://rojo.space/docs/v7/getting-started/existing-game/
• https://rojo.space/docs/v7/project-format/
• https://rojo.space/docs/v7/properties/
• https://rojo.space/docs/v7/sync-details/
• https://rojo.space/docs/v7/upgrade/
• https://github.com/rojo-rbx/rojo/releases (latest CLI/plugin releases; verify version before recommending install pins)
• https://github.com/rojo-rbx/rojo (source of truth for CLI flags and changelog when docs lag)

Rojo maps a filesystem project to Roblox instances so you can edit with external tools (VS Code, Git, linters, formatters) and live-sync or build into Studio/place files. This skill covers Rojo 7 as documented at rojo.space and implemented in the current rojo-rbx/rojo release line.

When to use this skill

Activate when the user is:

• Installing or upgrading Rojo (CLI, Studio plugin, VS Code extension, Rokit).
• Creating a new place/model/plugin project (rojo init).
• Writing or fixing .project.json / .project.jsonc trees.
• Live-syncing with rojo serve + the Studio plugin.
• Building places/models (rojo build) or uploading (rojo upload).
• Generating sourcemaps for Luau LSP (rojo sourcemap).
• Porting an existing place (rojo syncback, rbxlx-to-rojo, Lune).
• Choosing script naming (.server.luau vs .client.luau vs modules) or emitLegacyScripts.

Cross-reference:

• roblox/SKILL.md for architecture and routing.
• roblox-core/SKILL.md for services, RunContext, and the data model.
• roblox-mcp/SKILL.md when combining Rojo with Studio MCP / Script Sync for agent workflows.

Mental model

Piece	Role
Rojo CLI	Reads the project file + filesystem; serves live sync, builds place/model files, uploads, sourcemaps, syncback.
Studio plugin	Connects to the local serve session and applies patches into the open place.
Project file	*.project.json / *.project.jsonc describing the instance tree and options.
Filesystem tree	Scripts, models, JSON/TOML/YAML/CSV/text under $path nodes become Instances.

Rojo is filesystem → Studio for live sync (one primary direction). Optional two-way sync in the plugin is experimental and incomplete — do not design production workflows around it. For place → files, use rojo syncback (Rojo 7.7+) or external porting tools.

Quick start (correct order)

1. Install the CLI (Rokit recommended for projects; GitHub binaries or cargo install rojo --version ^7 also supported).
2. Install the Studio plugin with rojo plugin install (or GitHub rbxm / Roblox.com plugin for the matching major).
3. rojo init my-game (or open folder + VS Code “Rojo: Open Menu”).
4. rojo serve in the project folder.
5. In Studio: open the Rojo plugin panel → Connect.
6. Edit files on disk; watch them sync. Use rojo build -o build.rbxlx for a one-shot place file.

Full install matrix and CLI flags: references/installation-and-cli.md.

Script file → Instance mapping (defaults)

Both .lua and .luau are supported. Default rules (from Rojo source / sync docs):

File pattern	Instance (when emitLegacyScripts is true, the default)	Instance (when emitLegacyScripts is false)
*.server.lua(u)	Script (legacy RunContext)	Script with RunContext = Server
*.client.lua(u)	LocalScript	Script with RunContext = Client
*.plugin.lua(u)	Script with RunContext = Plugin	same
other *.lua(u)	ModuleScript	same

Init usurpers (replace the parent folder with a script): init.server.lua(u), init.client.lua(u), init.plugin.lua(u), init.lua(u). Only one init script type per folder. A directory with default.project.json / default.project.jsonc is treated as a nested project instead of a plain folder.

Other defaults: .rbxm/.rbxmx models, .model.json(c), plain .json(c) → ModuleScript returning a table, .toml / .yml/.yaml similarly, .csv → LocalizationTable, .txt → StringValue.

Details, meta files, limitations: references/sync-details.md.

Project file essentials

Minimal place-shaped tree (services inferred without $className for known services):

{
  "name": "MyGame",
  "tree": {
    "$className": "DataModel",
    "ReplicatedStorage": {
      "$path": "src/ReplicatedStorage"
    },
    "ServerScriptService": {
      "$path": "src/ServerScriptService"
    },
    "StarterPlayer": {
      "StarterPlayerScripts": {
        "$path": "src/StarterPlayerScripts"
      }
    }
  }
}

Important top-level fields (docs + current CLI):

Field	Purpose
name	Project/instance name (optional for default.project.json — folder name used).
tree	Root instance description (required).
servePort	Default port for rojo serve (default 34872).
serveAddress	Default bind address when CLI --address omitted.
servePlaceIds / blockedPlaceIds	Allow/deny live-sync targets by place ID.
placeId / gameId	Set Studio place/universe IDs on connect.
serveAllowedHosts	Extra Host/Origin values for serve (hostname access); CLI --allowed-hosts overrides.
globIgnorePaths	Globs to ignore (gitignore-style negation supported in recent releases).
emitLegacyScripts	Default true = Script/LocalScript; false = RunContext Scripts for server/client files.
syncRules	Custom file→middleware patterns.
syncbackRules	Controls rojo syncback behavior.

Instance nodes use $className, $path, $properties, $attributes, $ignoreUnknownInstances, plus child keys. Prefer implicit property syntax. Full format: references/project-format.md.

Daily commands

# New project (place | model | plugin)
rojo init my-game
rojo init --kind model
rojo init --kind plugin --skip-git

# Live sync (default localhost:34872)
rojo serve
rojo serve --port 34872 --address 127.0.0.1

# Build place/model
rojo build -o build.rbxlx
rojo build -o build.rbxl
rojo build --plugin MyPlugin.rbxm
rojo build -o out.rbxlx --watch

# Sourcemap for editor tooling
rojo sourcemap --output sourcemap.json
rojo sourcemap --watch --absolute

# Upload (prefer dedicated deploy account; never commit cookies/keys)
rojo upload --asset_id PLACE_ID --cookie "..."
rojo upload --asset_id PLACE_ID --api_key "..." --universe_id UNIVERSE_ID

# Place file → filesystem into an existing project tree
rojo syncback . --input place.rbxl
rojo syncback . --input place.rbxlx --dry-run --list

# Plugin management / docs / format
rojo plugin install
rojo plugin uninstall
rojo doc
rojo fmt-project

Live-sync limitations (do not ignore)

Not all property types apply in real time (Studio plugin API limits). Common cases that may need a full build + open instead of live sync:

• Binary data (Terrain, CSG)
• MeshPart.MeshId
• HttpService.HttpEnabled

Property type coverage for build vs live sync is documented on the Properties page and rbx-dom’s coverage chart. When live sync fails for a class/property, rebuild with rojo build and open the place.

rojo serve binds to loopback by default. Binding to a network-reachable address exposes the session: recent Rojo versions validate Host/Origin, gate some APIs to local clients, and warn on non-local binds. Prefer localhost; if you must expose, use serveAllowedHosts / --allowed-hosts deliberately.

Porting existing games

1. Refactor Studio code into fewer service-rooted locations (ReplicatedStorage, ServerScriptService, StarterPlayer, tags via CollectionService) before porting.
2. Prefer rojo syncback with a project that already lists the services/paths you want filled (rojo syncback path/to/project --input place.rbxl). Only descendants of nodes present in the project tree are written.
3. Alternatives called out in official docs: rbxlx-to-rojo, Lune for custom pipelines.
4. Leaving Rojo is always possible: Rojo builds normal place/model files; you can stop using the filesystem tree and edit in Studio only.

Workflows and syncback rules: references/workflows-and-syncback.md.

Agent checklist (do this, not that)

• Do pin CLI + plugin to the same major (Rojo 7 plugin with Rojo 7 CLI).
• Do run rojo plugin install after upgrading the CLI.
• Do put shared modules under ReplicatedStorage paths and server authority under ServerScriptService.
• Do use .luau (Rojo’s init templates use .luau since 7.4).
• Do set emitLegacyScripts: false only when the team understands modern RunContext scripts (and that client files become Script+Client, not LocalScript).
• Do not invent CLI flags or project keys — if unsure, run rojo --help / rojo <cmd> --help or re-check docs/changelog.
• Do not commit .ROBLOSECURITY cookies or Open Cloud API keys used with rojo upload.
• Do not treat experimental two-way sync as reliable source control.
• Do not confuse Rojo with Roblox Script Sync or Studio MCP — different tools; they can coexist (see roblox-mcp).

Verification

• rojo --version reports a 7.x release matching the intended pin.
• Studio shows the Rojo 7 plugin; connect succeeds against rojo serve.
• Editing a .server.luau under a mapped $path updates the correct service in Studio.
• rojo build -o build.rbxlx opens cleanly in Studio.
• sourcemap.json is gitignored if generated (Rojo’s default gitignore template includes it in recent releases).

How to proceed

1. Confirm install path: references/installation-and-cli.md.
2. Shape the tree: references/project-format.md.
3. Name files correctly: references/sync-details.md.
4. For teams / porting / deploy: references/workflows-and-syncback.md.

Reference index

• installation-and-cli.md
• project-format.md
• sync-details.md
• workflows-and-syncback.md