diff --git a/backup/manifest.go b/backup/manifest.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..91246c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backup/manifest.go
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+package backup
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"time"
+)
+
+// FormatVersion is the archive format this build reads and writes. Restore
+// refuses anything else rather than guessing at a layout it does not know.
+const FormatVersion = 1
+
+// ManifestName is the archive member holding the manifest.
+const ManifestName = "manifest.json"
+
+// ErrUnknownFormat is returned for an archive this build cannot read.
+var ErrUnknownFormat = errors.New("unsupported archive format version")
+
+// CollectionEntry describes one collection in the archive. Bytes and SHA256
+// cover the uncompressed .bson member, which is what restore verifies before
+// writing anything.
+type CollectionEntry struct {
+	Name      string `json:"name"`
+	Documents int64  `json:"documents"`
+	Bytes     int64  `json:"bytes"`
+	SHA256    string `json:"sha256"`
+}
+
+// Manifest is the archive's index and its provenance.
+//
+// KeyFingerprint is a pointer so "this archive recorded no key" is a distinct
+// state from "this archive recorded the empty string". A null here is a real
+// condition an operator must be told about, not a default.
+type Manifest struct {
+	FormatVersion      int               `json:"format_version"`
+	CreatedAt          time.Time         `json:"created_at"`
+	VantageVersion     string            `json:"vantage_version"`
+	Hostname           string            `json:"hostname"`
+	MongoDB            string            `json:"mongo_db"`
+	MongoServerVersion string            `json:"mongo_server_version"`
+	KeyFingerprint     *string           `json:"key_fingerprint"`
+	Collections        []CollectionEntry `json:"collections"`
+	Excluded           []string          `json:"excluded"`
+}
+
+// Check validates what can be validated without reading the rest of the archive.
+func (m Manifest) Check() error {
+	if m.FormatVersion != FormatVersion {
+		return fmt.Errorf("%w: archive is version %d, this build reads version %d",
+			ErrUnknownFormat, m.FormatVersion, FormatVersion)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// Collection looks up one entry by name.
+func (m Manifest) Collection(name string) (CollectionEntry, bool) {
+	for _, c := range m.Collections {
+		if c.Name == name {
+			return c, true
+		}
+	}
+	return CollectionEntry{}, false
+}
+
+// CiphertextCollections names the collections holding AES-GCM ciphertext.
+//
+// It exists to be printed. When a restore proceeds under a key that does not
+// match the archive, this is the list of what will be unreadable afterwards,
+// and an operator deserves to see it before the write rather than discover it
+// a week later.
+func CiphertextCollections() []string {
+	return []string{"keys", "secrets", "auth_providers", "console_sessions", "settings"}
+}
diff --git a/backup/manifest_test.go b/backup/manifest_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b4676cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backup/manifest_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+package backup
+
+import (
+	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+)
+
+func TestManifestJSONShape(t *testing.T) {
+	fp := "abc"
+	m := Manifest{
+		FormatVersion:      FormatVersion,
+		CreatedAt:          time.Date(2026, 9, 7, 12, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC),
+		VantageVersion:     "dev",
+		Hostname:           "box",
+		MongoDB:            "vantage",
+		MongoServerVersion: "7.0.5",
+		KeyFingerprint:     &fp,
+		Collections:        []CollectionEntry{{Name: "servers", Documents: 3, Bytes: 120, SHA256: "dead"}},
+		Excluded:           []string{"audit_logs"},
+	}
+	raw, err := json.Marshal(m)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("marshal: %v", err)
+	}
+	for _, want := range []string{
+		`"format_version":1`, `"created_at":"2026-09-07T12:00:00Z"`,
+		`"key_fingerprint":"abc"`, `"mongo_server_version":"7.0.5"`,
+		`"excluded":["audit_logs"]`,
+	} {
+		if !strings.Contains(string(raw), want) {
+			t.Fatalf("manifest JSON missing %s\ngot: %s", want, raw)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestManifestNullFingerprint(t *testing.T) {
+	raw, err := json.Marshal(Manifest{FormatVersion: FormatVersion})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("marshal: %v", err)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(string(raw), `"key_fingerprint":null`) {
+		t.Fatalf("absent key must marshal as null, got: %s", raw)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestManifestCheckRejectsOtherVersions(t *testing.T) {
+	if err := (Manifest{FormatVersion: FormatVersion}).Check(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("current version rejected: %v", err)
+	}
+	for _, v := range []int{0, 2, 99} {
+		if err := (Manifest{FormatVersion: v}).Check(); !errors.Is(err, ErrUnknownFormat) {
+			t.Fatalf("version %d: got %v, want ErrUnknownFormat", v, err)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestManifestCollectionLookup(t *testing.T) {
+	m := Manifest{Collections: []CollectionEntry{{Name: "keys", Documents: 1}}}
+	if _, ok := m.Collection("keys"); !ok {
+		t.Fatal("known collection not found")
+	}
+	if _, ok := m.Collection("nope"); ok {
+		t.Fatal("unknown collection reported as found")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestCiphertextCollections(t *testing.T) {
+	got := CiphertextCollections()
+	want := []string{"keys", "secrets", "auth_providers", "console_sessions", "settings"}
+	if len(got) != len(want) {
+		t.Fatalf("got %v, want %v", got, want)
+	}
+	for i := range want {
+		if got[i] != want[i] {
+			t.Fatalf("got %v, want %v", got, want)
+		}
+	}
+}