# How manifests work
<a name="hls-manifests-how-work"></a>

The following sections describe how MediaLive handles manifest paths.

## How manifest paths work by default
<a name="hls-default-manifest-paths"></a>

The manifests that MediaLive creates include information about the paths to other files, specifically:
+ The content inside the main manifest includes a path to each child manifest.

  By default, the syntax of this path is the following: 

  ```
  baseFilename nameModifier extension
  ```

  For example:

  ```
  curling-high.m3u8
  ```

  The path is relative to the location of the main manifest.
+ The content inside each child manifest includes a path to its media files.

  By default, the syntax of this path is the following:

  ```
  baseFilename nameModifier optionalSegmentModifier counter extension
  ```

  For example:

  ```
  curling-high-000001.ts
  ```

  The path is relative to the location of the child manifest.

## How custom paths work
<a name="hls-custom-manifest-paths"></a>

If the default paths inside the manifests are not suitable for the way that the downstream system handles the three sets of files, you can complete the *base URL* fields:
+ Complete the **Base URL manifest** fields so that MediaLive constructs custom paths to the child manifests. 
+ Complete the **Base URL content** fields so that MediaLive constructs custom paths to the media files. 

When you customize the paths, the syntax changes.
+ When you complete the **Base URL manifest** fields, the syntax for the child manifest path (inside the main manifest) is the following: 

  ```
  baseURLManifest baseFilename nameModifier extension
  ```

  For example:

  ```
  http://viewing/sports/curling-high.m3u8
  ```
+ When you complete the **Base URL content** fields, the syntax for the media file paths (inside the child manifests) is the following: 

  ```
  baseURLContent baseFilename nameModifier optionalSegmentModifier counter
          extension
  ```

  For example:

  ```
  http://viewing/media/sports/curling-high-000001.ts
  ```

## How MediaLive constructs these paths
<a name="hls-how-construct-custom-paths"></a>

The custom paths to the child manifests are constructed as follows:
+ You complete the **Base URL manifest** fields, or the **Base URL content** fields, or both. 

  For example:

  ```
  http://198.51.100/sports/viewing/
  ```

  Note the slash at the end of the value.
+ MediaLive prepends that value to the [default path](#hls-default-manifest-paths). For example:

  ```
  http://198.51.100/sports/viewing/curling-high.m3u8
  ```