> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.nxcframework.net/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.nxcframework.net/configuring/how-it-works.md). # How configuration works Why almost nothing is configured by editing files. Most FiveM resources are configured by editing a `config.lua` and restarting. Nexus Core is not. **Settings live in the database and are changed in game.** Every change is recorded with who made it and when, takes effect without a restart where the resource supports it, and can be rolled back. ## Why Editing files means a restart, which means every player is disconnected to change a shop's opening hour. It means no record of who changed what. It means a mistake is only reversible if someone remembers the old value. And it means the person best placed to make the change — whoever runs the server day to day — needs file access to the machine. ## What is still in server.cfg Only what is needed **before** a database connection exists, or what should never be in a database: * the database connection string * the server build * the environment name * the log level * the token signing key * development mode That is the whole list. See the [server.cfg reference](/configuring/server-cfg.md). **Secrets belong here, not in configuration.** Configuration is stored in the database and shown in an interface, which is the wrong place for anything bearer-shaped. ## How a resource gets settings A resource declares what it has — the key, the type, a default, a description, and any bounds — and `nxc_config` stores that schema. The settings then appear in the interface with their descriptions, and the resource is told when one changes. A resource that has never been configured runs on its declared defaults. That is defined behaviour, not a fallback: the defaults are part of the schema. ## Right now `nxc_config` works and holds settings. **The interface for editing them is not built yet** — that arrives with `nxc_devtools`. Until then you can see what is registered with `nxc_config_status` on the console, and settings run on their defaults. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.nxcframework.net/configuring/how-it-works.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.