Free tool
Salesforce package.xml manifest builder
Pick your Salesforce metadata types and generate a valid package.xml manifest in seconds.
Manifest builder
Choose your metadata types
Select every type you need, set your API version, then copy the result.
Every type is generated with a wildcard member (*), which retrieves all existing components of that type. Edit the output to target specific component names.
Common questions
Manifest builder, explained
How the generated package.xml works and what to check.
Why does every type use a wildcard member?
The wildcard (*) retrieves every existing component of that type, which is what most retrieve or backup workflows need. Edit the XML to name specific components if you need a narrower manifest.
What API version should I use?
Match your org's current Salesforce release, or the apiVersion set in your sfdx-project.json. A slightly older version still works for most metadata types.
Can I use this with sfdx or the Metadata API directly?
Yes. Save the output as package.xml and pass it to sf project retrieve start -x package.xml or any Metadata API retrieve call.
A metadata type I need is not in the list. What do I do?
Add a <types> block manually with the exact API name from Salesforce's Metadata API documentation, following the same pattern as the generated entries.