How to start a FiveM server
The steps from a license key to a listed server: artifacts, txAdmin, a framework, a database and your first players.
8 min read · reviewed 25 October 2026
Running your own FiveM server is mostly assembly: official server files, a framework, a database and a set of resources, hosted on a machine that stays online. The details of each step change over time, so this guide gives the order and the reasons, and points to the official documentation for the exact commands.
1. Get a license key
Every FiveM server needs a free license key from the Cfx.re portal, tied to your Cfx.re account. Keep it private: it identifies your server, and anyone who has it can run a server as yours.
2. Install the server files and txAdmin
Download the current server build (called artifacts) for your operating system. It includes txAdmin, the web panel most owners use to start, stop and monitor the server, manage players and schedule restarts. txAdmin can also set up a server for you from a recipe, a ready-made package that installs a framework and a starter set of resources.
3. Choose a framework
If you want roleplay, you will pick a framework such as ESX or QBCore. This choice shapes which scripts you can use, so read the framework guide before you commit. If you want something else, such as racing or freeroam, you may not need one.
4. Set up a database
Roleplay frameworks store characters, money and inventories in a database, usually MariaDB or MySQL, reached through a resource such as oxmysql. Back it up on a schedule from day one; losing player data is the fastest way to lose a community.
5. Add resources carefully
A resource is any script, map or asset your server loads. More is not better: each one adds load, can conflict with others and needs updating. Start small, add resources one at a time, and test each. Before you add a script, look it up on the scripts page to see how many servers run it and how that has changed.
6. Configure and host
Your server.cfg holds the license key, name, slot count, tags and locale. Those tags and your locale are what players filter by, so set them honestly and completely. You will need a host: a home connection is rarely enough, so most owners rent a VPS or a game server host. Make sure the server's port is reachable from the internet.
7. Get found
A running, reachable server appears in the public Cfx.re list, and FiveRank reads that list, so your server is already listed here. Claim it to control how it is presented: add a description, screenshots and a trailer, see your recorded player history, and get a badge for your website. See the growth guide for what to do next.