How to Make a FiveM Server, Step by Step (2026 Guide)

Learning how to make a FiveM server is easier than ever: with txAdmin bundled in the official artifacts and mature frameworks like QBCore, ESX Legacy or Qbox, you can go from nothing to a working roleplay server in an afternoon. The hard part is not starting it, but doing it right from day one: picking the right base, understanding what every line of server.cfg does and avoiding the mistakes that take weeks to undo. This guide walks you through the whole process, from downloading FXServer to opening the doors to your first players.

What do you need before you make a FiveM server?

To make a FiveM server you need a legal copy of GTA V, a Cfx.re account, a machine that can run FXServer, a Keymaster license key and a MySQL or MariaDB database. Gather these first so setup does not stall halfway through.

• A legal copy of GTA V: FiveM runs on top of your GTA V install (Rockstar Games Launcher, Steam or Epic). Without the original game you cannot even join your own server to test it.
• A Cfx.re account: the account you use to log in to FiveM, txAdmin and the Keymaster. Create one at cfx.re if you do not have it.
• A VPS or a PC to act as the server: for local tests your own computer is enough. For a public server you need a machine running 24/7, usually a VPS with at least 4 cores, 8 GB of RAM and NVMe storage. FXServer punishes per-core performance, so prioritise clock speed over core count, and pick a datacenter close to your players.
• A Keymaster license key: generated for free at portal.cfx.re, it identifies your server to Cfx.re. We set it up in step 5.
• MySQL or MariaDB: every roleplay framework stores characters, inventories and vehicles in a database. If you use a txAdmin recipe, it helps you connect one.

With that on the table, let us start.

Step 1: Download the FXServer artifacts

FXServer is the FiveM server executable, distributed as artifacts: numbered builds that Cfx.re publishes continuously. Always download them from the official artifacts page (runtime.fivem.net/artifacts), which offers a Windows build and a Linux build. Pick the build marked recommended unless you need something specific from a newer one.

• Windows (server_windows): a zip with FXServer.exe.
• Linux (fx.tar.xz): the equivalent for glibc-based distributions.

Choose the build marked recommended unless you need something specific from a newer one: latest builds can bring regressions. Write down which build you installed; when a script asks for “recent artifacts” or an upstream bug gets fixed, you will know where you are updating from. See our FiveM artifacts guide for more. Create a clean folder structure, for example:

C:\fivem\server        # artifacts (FXServer.exe and libraries)
C:\fivem\server-data   # your server: resources, server.cfg, cache

Keeping artifacts and data apart lets you update FXServer later by simply replacing the server folder, without touching your resources or configuration.

Step 2: How do you install txAdmin and run the initial setup?

You do not install txAdmin separately: it ships inside the artifacts. Run FXServer.exe (or ./run.sh on Linux) with no arguments and FXServer starts in txAdmin mode, printing a four-digit PIN and a local URL on port 40120. Open it, enter the PIN and link your Cfx.re account.

Open http://localhost:40120 in your browser, enter the PIN and link your Cfx.re account. From there, the setup wizard offers three paths:

1. Popular Recipes: templates that deploy a full server (QBCore, ESX Legacy, Qbox and others) with database, base resources and server.cfg already wired. This is the recommended option for a first server.
2. Remote URL: deploy your own or a third-party recipe from a repository.
3. Custom: point txAdmin to a data folder you already built by hand.

If you pick a recipe, txAdmin asks for your MySQL connection details and deploys everything on its own. When it finishes you get a web panel to start, stop and restart the server, watch the live console, schedule restarts and backups, manage players and issue bans. It is worth spending ten minutes exploring its menus: txAdmin will be your daily control centre.

Two settings worth configuring from day one: scheduled restarts (a roleplay server accumulates entities and memory over the hours, so one or two daily restarts at quiet times keep things stable) and the crash watchdog, which restarts the server automatically if FXServer goes down overnight. Neither needs plugins: both come with txAdmin out of the box.

Step 3: Which framework should you choose, QBCore, ESX or Qbox?

Choose the framework before you buy or install any script. QBCore has the biggest ecosystem and the most tutorials, ESX Legacy is the stable veteran with years of accumulated resources, and Qbox is a modern QBCore fork built on ox_lib and oxmysql. The right pick depends on the resources you want and your technical level.

• QBCore: hugely popular, with a large ecosystem of resources and documentation. If you start from zero, it is the option with the most tutorials and the most QBCore scripts available.
• ESX Legacy: the veteran. Very stable, with years of accumulated resources and a strong community. Explore the ESX scripts if this is your base.
• Qbox: a modern fork of QBCore built on ox_lib and oxmysql, focused on performance and clean code. More and more new servers choose it; here are the Qbox-compatible scripts.

There is no single answer: it depends on which resources you want to use, your technical level and the kind of server you plan to run. We wrote a full comparison in QBCore vs ESX vs Qbox to help you decide. The key point is to choose before buying or installing scripts, because migrating frameworks on a populated server is a considerable pain.

Step 4: What goes in server.cfg?

The server.cfg file is what FXServer reads on startup. It defines ports, the server name, your license key, convars and which resources start. A txAdmin recipe generates one for you, but you should understand the key lines: endpoints, hostname, OneSync, license key, database string and the ensure list.

# Network
endpoint_add_tcp "0.0.0.0:30120"
endpoint_add_udp "0.0.0.0:30120"

# Server identity
sv_hostname "My RP Server | English | Serious RP"
sv_maxclients 48
sets sv_projectName "My RP Server"
sets sv_projectDesc "Serious roleplay"
sets tags "roleplay, english, economy"

# OneSync (required for more than 48 players)
set onesync on
set onesync_population true

# Keymaster license (portal.cfx.re)
sv_licenseKey "your_keymaster_key"

# Database
set mysql_connection_string "mysql://user:password@localhost/fivem?charset=utf8mb4"

# Resources: order matters
ensure oxmysql
ensure ox_lib
ensure qb-core
ensure [standalone]
ensure [qb]

Four things you need to be clear on:

• ensure starts resources and order matters: dependencies go first. oxmysql before anything that uses the database, ox_lib before scripts that require it, and the framework core before its modules. You can ensure a bracketed folder (like [qb]) to start everything inside it. For more detail, read how to install FiveM scripts.
• set, sets and setr are not the same: set defines a convar visible only on the server, sets publishes it to the server list (project name, description, tags) and setr replicates it to clients so scripts can read it. Using the wrong variant is a classic reason for configs that “do nothing”.
• onesync on enables OneSync Infinity, the modern server sync mode. You need it to go past 48 players and for many current scripts to work properly.
• Never share your server.cfg as is: it contains your license and your database connection string. If you ask for help on a Discord, redact those lines before pasting anything.

Step 5: How do the license key and the Keymaster work?

The Keymaster, now part of portal.cfx.re, is the Cfx.re portal where server keys and purchased assets are managed. Sign in with your Cfx.re account, register a new server with the IP of your machine and copy the generated key into the sv_licenseKey convar of your server.cfg.

That same account is the one tied to your purchases of escrow-protected scripts: when you buy a resource from a store that uses Tebex, the asset is linked to your Keymaster account and only runs on servers with your key. That is why it matters to create the key with the right account from the start. If you get lost with keys, asset transfers or a server IP change, our FiveM Keymaster guide covers all those cases.

Step 6: Which essential scripts should you install first?

With the server booting and the framework deployed, it is time to bring it to life. The essentials of any roleplay server are an inventory, a HUD, jobs and economy, garage and dealership, a phone and spawn with multicharacter. Install a few quality resources one at a time instead of piling on dozens.

• Inventory: the piece players notice most in daily play.
• HUD: speedometer, hunger, thirst and stamina.
• Jobs and economy: mechanic, police, EMS, legal and illegal jobs.
• Garage and dealership: management of owned vehicles.
• Phone: messages, ads and roleplay apps.
• Spawn and multicharacter: character selection and spawning into the world.

Our advice: start with a few well-chosen, quality resources rather than piling up fifty free scripts that step on each other. A badly optimised script can ruin the performance of the whole server, and debugging conflicts between twenty unfamiliar resources is one of the worst experiences in server administration. Install one at a time, test, and only then move on to the next: when something breaks, you will know exactly what broke it. Browse resources compatible with QBCore, ESX, Qbox and standalone, and if you want guidance on what to install first, check our pick of the best FiveM scripts.

Step 7: How do you open to the public and protect the server?

Before listing your server publicly, close these fronts: anticheat, staff permissions, an optional whitelist, automatic backups and a test session with your staff. A public server without protection lasts hours before a cheater visits, so do not skip them.

• Anticheat: configure ACE permissions correctly, restrict sensitive server-side events and consider a dedicated anticheat. Our FiveM anticheat guide explains what options exist and how to set them up.
• Staff permissions: define your admins’ roles in txAdmin and do not hand out console permissions to everyone.
• Whitelist (optional): if you want serious roleplay, a whitelist with an application form filters out a lot of early trolling.
• Automatic backups: schedule database copies in txAdmin. The day a script corrupts data or you delete something by mistake, you will be glad you did.
• Test with your staff: run one or two internal sessions before opening. The bugs you find with ten people are the same ones that would blow up with a hundred, and fixing them without an audience is far more comfortable. Use those sessions to watch server performance with real players connected (the resmon tool helps spot heavy resources), not just you driving around alone.

To appear in the public server list, make sure sv_master1 is not commented out (or simply not blocked), and set a clear sv_projectName and relevant tags. The first impression in the list matters: a clean name, an honest description and no inflated promises.

Final checklist before you open

Go through this list and, if you can tick everything, you are ready:

• Original GTA V and an active Cfx.re account.
• FXServer artifacts on the recommended build.
• txAdmin configured with the linked account and the PIN forgotten forever.
• A framework chosen with care (did you read the comparison?).
• server.cfg with license, OneSync enabled and resources in the right order.
• Keymaster key generated with the right account.
• Essential scripts installed and tested one by one.
• Anticheat, permissions, whitelist and backups configured.
• Test session with staff completed.

Running a FiveM server is a long-term project: the technical launch is only the first step, and the difference between a server that dies in two weeks and one that grows lies in the quality of its resources and the care of its administration. When the base is ready, browse the scripts for QBCore, ESX, Qbox and standalone setups.