FiveM Keymaster: What It Is and How to Activate Your Scripts

If you have ever bought a protected script for your FiveM server and wondered where it is, why it will not start or how to activate it, the answer almost always runs through the same place: the FiveM Keymaster from Cfx.re. This panel manages your server licenses and the permissions for the assets you buy, and understanding it saves you from most of the typical problems when setting up a roleplay community. In this guide we explain what it is, how to register your server, how purchased scripts get activated and what to do when something fails.

What is the FiveM Keymaster and what is it for?

The Keymaster is the official Cfx.re portal, available at portal.cfx.re, where you manage the legal and technical identity of your FiveM server. It used to live on its own domain (keymaster.fivem.net) but it is now part of the general Cfx.re portal alongside the other tools for server owners. It does two things that directly affect you: server licenses and asset grants.

Server licenses

Every FiveM server needs a license key to start and to appear in the public server list. The key is generated for free from the portal, is tied to your Cfx.re account and can only be active on one server at a time. It is what you write in the sv_licenseKey variable of your server.cfg, and it is also what identifies your server to Cfx.re services every time it boots.

Asset grants

An asset grant is the permission to use a protected resource. When you buy a script encrypted with the official FiveM escrow, the creator does not send you the source code: they issue a grant tied to your Cfx.re account. That grant is what authorizes your servers to download, decrypt and run the resource. You can see all your grants in the assets section of the portal, with the date they were granted and the creator who issued them.

The two work together: your server identifies itself with its license, the Keymaster checks which grants the license-owning account has, and only then are protected resources allowed to run.

How do I create my account and register my FiveM server?

Create a Cfx.re forum account, sign in at portal.cfx.re, generate a new license key in the servers section and paste it into sv_licenseKey in server.cfg. The whole process takes a few minutes, and the same account will later receive every asset grant you buy.

1. Create an account on the Cfx.re forum (forum.cfx.re) if you do not have one yet. It is the same account you will use across the whole ecosystem.
2. Go to portal.cfx.re and sign in with that account.
3. Open the servers section and generate a new license key. The portal will ask for some basic details about your server.
4. Copy the resulting key (current ones start with cfxk_) and paste it into your server.cfg.

The result in your configuration should look like this:

sv_licenseKey "cfxk_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_xxxxx"
sv_hostname "My Roleplay Server"
sv_maxclients 48

If you use txAdmin, you do not even have to edit the file by hand: the initial setup wizard asks for the key and places it for you. If you do not have your server running yet, start with our complete guide to making a FiveM server, where this step is covered within the full process.

One important detail: treat your sv_licenseKey like a password. If you share your server.cfg on Discord or a forum to ask for help, delete the key first. Anyone who has it can start a server impersonating yours, and you would have to regenerate it from the portal.

How do asset grants work when I buy a protected script?

When you buy an escrow script through Tebex, the grant is assigned to the Cfx.re account you confirm at checkout and appears in your Keymaster within minutes. At boot, your server authenticates with its license key, the Keymaster verifies that the owning account holds the grant, and the protected resource then decrypts and runs automatically.

The typical flow in a reputable store that sells through Tebex looks like this:

1. You add the script to the cart and go to the Tebex checkout.
2. During payment you link or confirm your Cfx.re account. This step is critical: the grant will be assigned to exactly that account.
3. You complete the payment and receive the confirmation email with your transaction ID.
4. Within minutes the grant appears in your Keymaster and you can download the resource package.
5. You place the folder in your resources, add the matching ensure line and restart the server.

When the server starts, it authenticates with your sv_licenseKey, the Keymaster verifies that the owning account has the asset grant, and the runtime decrypts and runs the protected resource (the .fxap file you see inside the folder is part of that encryption mechanism). It all happens automatically: no manual activation codes and no extra steps.

If it is your first purchase, our guide on how to install FiveM scripts walks you step by step from the download to the ensure line.

How do I transfer assets between accounts and servers?

Between servers on the same account you transfer nothing, because grants belong to the account. Between different accounts, the Cfx.re portal lets you transfer an asset grant formally. People often mix these two scenarios up, so it is worth separating them.

Between servers on the same account there is nothing to transfer. Grants belong to the account, not to a specific license. If you generate a second license key with the same Cfx.re account, that second server can load the same assets without any changes. Still, check the creator’s terms, because the technical permission does not always match the legal permission of the usage license.

Between different accounts a formal transfer does exist. The Cfx.re portal lets you transfer an asset grant from one account to another, which is useful if you bought with the wrong account or if you hand the community over to a new owner. Keep in mind that these transfers often have waiting periods to prevent abuse, and that some creators limit how many times a grant can be moved. If you have doubts about a script bought from a store, open a support ticket with that store.

The practical advice that avoids all of this: always use the same Cfx.re account for all your purchases and for generating your server licenses. One account, no scattered grants.

What are the most common Keymaster errors and how do I fix them?

Most Keymaster problems come down to three things: the grant sits on a different Cfx.re account than your license, the sv_licenseKey is wrong or already in use, or the server cache holds an outdated version. Check the account first, then the key, then clear the cache.

The script shows as unauthorized

The server starts but the protected resource fails to load with a verification or authorization error. The usual causes, in order of likelihood:

• The grant is on a different Cfx.re account than the one that owns your sv_licenseKey. Check on portal.cfx.re with the right session.
• The purchase never completed or is still pending. Check your Tebex confirmation email.
• You are using a version of the resource downloaded from somewhere else (a leak, for example) that does not match your grant. Always download the official package from your purchase.
• The server cache holds an old version after an update. Delete the server cache folder and restart.

Could not authenticate server license key

This error stops the server from starting and almost always has one of these causes:

• The key is copied wrongly in server.cfg: extra quotes, invisible spaces or a truncated key. Copy it again from the portal.
• The key is already in use by another active instance. Each license only supports one running server at a time; if you have a test environment, generate a second key.
• The key was regenerated from the portal and the copy in your server.cfg is outdated.
• There is a temporary incident with Cfx.re services. It rarely happens, but if everything else is right, wait a few minutes and retry.

The grant is on another account

The classic: you bought with one Cfx.re account at the Tebex checkout and your server uses a license generated with another. You have two ways out: start the grant transfer from the portal to the right account, or contact the store’s support so they can reassign the delivery. Either way, the purchase email and the Tebex transaction ID are your proof of ownership, so always keep them.

What are the best practices for managing my Keymaster?

Use a single Cfx.re account for everything, protect it with a strong password, never publish your sv_licenseKey and keep your Tebex receipts organized. These habits prevent almost every grant problem before it starts and make any dispute or transfer much faster to resolve.

• Centralize everything in one Cfx.re account: purchases, licenses and portal administration.
• Protect that account with a strong password and do not share the session with anyone who is not a real co-owner of the project.
• Never publish your sv_licenseKey. If you suspect it leaked, regenerate it immediately from the portal and update your server.cfg.
• Keep your Tebex confirmation emails organized. For any dispute or transfer, they are your receipt.
• After every update of a protected script, delete the server cache before reporting a bug: it solves a surprising share of problems.
• Buy only from stores that deliver through Tebex and the official escrow. It is the only route where the grant is registered in your name with Cfx.re.

With the Keymaster mastered, activating a script goes from a mystery to a two-minute task. If you are expanding your server, browse the script pages for your framework: QBCore, ESX, Qbox or standalone.