The Tool Desk
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You can host locally for learning and LAN sessions, or use a game-server hosting provider when the server must stay online and be reachable beyond your home network. This guide covers both routes, the manual configuration alternative, exact launch commands, and the errors beginners most often encounter.
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What you need before creating a FiveM server
Prepare these items before opening the setup wizard:
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- A Windows or Linux computer for local hosting, or an account with a game-server hosting provider.
- An internet connection and enough disk space for the downloaded server artifact and its data directory.
- A free Cfx account for txAdmin and a free server registration key from the Cfx Portal.
- The FiveM client on each computer that will connect.
- A dedicated folder for the server files, separate from unrelated downloads or personal documents.
FXServer is the program that runs the server. Cfx distributes it as a server artifact, a package containing the software needed to run or update a FiveM server. txAdmin is already included with FXServer, so you do not install a second administration program.
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A local machine is suitable for learning, testing and occasional play with people on the same network. A provider is more appropriate when the server must remain online while your own computer is off, when players are outside your local network, or when you do not want to maintain the host machine and its connection.
| Decision factor | Local computer | Managed game-server provider |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | Online when your computer and connection are running | Designed for an always-on public server |
| Operations | You handle artifacts, configuration, networking and backups | The provider supplies infrastructure and a control panel; exact services vary |
| Cost model | Uses an existing computer and internet connection | Requires a recurring hosting fee |
| Control | Direct access to files and configuration | Subject to the provider’s policies and panel limits |
Cfx’s setup overview documents Windows, Linux, txAdmin and game-server hosting-provider deployment. Provider prices, locations, player limits, uptime and database support differ by company, so verify those details with the provider you choose.
How the FiveM server pieces fit together
FXServer and the artifact
The artifact is the downloadable server package. You extract it and launch the platform executable or script. On Windows the launcher is FXServer.exe; on Linux the documented launcher is run.sh.
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txAdmin
txAdmin is the web panel for managing and monitoring a FiveM server. It provides recipe-based deployment, server and resource start/stop/restart controls, configuration editing and validation, whitelist and permission systems, player moderation and an in-game administration menu. Because it is bundled with FXServer, the normal beginner setup does not require a separate txAdmin download.
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Server data and registration
The server data directory contains the configuration and resources that your running instance uses. A Cfx server registration key identifies the server to the platform. The key is free, but it is required for registration; it is not the same thing as your Cfx account password.
Recommended method: create the server with txAdmin
This is the shortest path to a working basic server and follows the official beginner workflow.
- Download the recommended artifact. Open Cfx’s official Server Download page and select the latest build marked recommended. Download the archive for your operating system.
- Extract it into a dedicated folder. Do not run the executable from inside the compressed archive. Extract all files into a folder you can identify as the server installation.
- Launch FXServer. On Windows, run
FXServer.exe. On Linux, runrun.shfrom a terminal in the extracted folder. The first launch starts txAdmin and prints connection information in the console. - Open txAdmin. It normally opens automatically in your browser. If it does not, browse to
http://localhost:40120. Enter the PIN displayed in the FXServer console. The PIN is a local setup code, not your account password. - Register the panel. Link your Cfx account, create the requested backup password, review the Creator Platform License Agreement and the txAdmin License, then complete registration. Keep the backup password somewhere secure; it protects recovery of the panel’s setup.
- Select the basic recipe. In txAdmin, choose Popular Recipes, select FiveM Basic Server (CFX Default), leave the data location at its configured default unless you have a specific reason to change it, and open the Recipe Deployer.
- Create a server registration key. In the Cfx Portal, generate a free server registration key. Copy the key exactly and paste it into the field provided by the recipe deployment screen. A key is mandatory even for a private or LAN server.
- Deploy the recipe. Run the recipe and let txAdmin create the server data and baseline configuration. Recipe deployment is repeatable, which is useful when rebuilding a test server instead of hand-editing every setting.
- Save and run. When deployment finishes, save the configuration and start the server from txAdmin. Leave the FXServer process running while anyone is playing.
Connect from FiveM on your local network
For a first test, connect from a computer on the same LAN as the host. Launch the FiveM client and use its LAN or direct-connect option to reach the computer running FXServer. The official walkthrough uses this local connection as the initial verification that the server started correctly.
- Confirm FXServer is still running and that txAdmin reports the server as started.
- Make sure the client and host are on the same local network rather than a guest network that isolates devices.
- If the server does not appear immediately, restart the FiveM client as the official walkthrough recommends.
- For players outside your LAN, use a deployment designed for public access, such as a game-server hosting provider, and follow that host’s networking instructions. Public reachability depends on the host and network configuration; a successful LAN test alone does not make a server public.
Manual setup with server.cfg
txAdmin is recommended for beginners, but the vanilla route gives you direct control over the files. The manual guide uses a separate server-data directory containing server.cfg. You launch FXServer and explicitly tell it to execute that configuration.
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Build the configuration
Your configuration must include the Cfx registration key, the default TCP and UDP endpoints, and the baseline resources supplied by the guide. The essential lines look like this:
sv_licenseKey "licenseKeyGoesHere"
endpoint_add_tcp "0.0.0.0:30120"
endpoint_add_udp "0.0.0.0:30120"Replace licenseKeyGoesHere with the key generated in the Cfx Portal. Keep the baseline resource entries that come with the standard server-data setup; removing them can leave the server without the resources expected by the default configuration.
Launch on Windows
Open a command prompt in the directory containing the FXServer executable and server-data folder, then run:
FXServer.exe +exec server.cfgLaunch on Linux
From the corresponding server directory, run:
run.sh +exec server.cfgThe default endpoint is port 30120 over both TCP and UDP. The +exec server.cfg argument matters: without it, FXServer may start without loading the configuration you prepared.
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txAdmin or manual configuration?
| Area | txAdmin workflow | Manual workflow |
|---|---|---|
| Initial setup | Browser-based wizard with a recipe | Separate server-data directory and hand-edited configuration |
| Configuration visibility | Editable and validated through the panel | Direct control of server.cfg and launch arguments |
| Repeatability | Recipe deployment can reproduce the basic setup | You repeat the file and command-line steps yourself |
| Command-line work | Usually limited to starting FXServer | Requires the correct launcher, folder and +exec server.cfg argument |
| Best fit | First server, learning and quick LAN testing | Administrators who need explicit file-level control |
Both methods ultimately run FXServer and require a valid Cfx server registration key. txAdmin changes how you deploy and operate the instance; it does not remove the platform registration requirement.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Choosing local hosting or a provider
Use a local machine when
- You are learning the platform or testing a recipe.
- The players are on your LAN.
- You only need the server during scheduled sessions.
- You want unrestricted access to the installation files and configuration.
Use a provider when
- The server must stay online while your personal computer is unavailable.
- Players need access from outside your home network.
- You prefer not to maintain the host operating system, hardware and connection.
- You want provider infrastructure and a web control panel rather than self-managed operations.
The official documentation recognizes hosting providers as a deployment option, but it does not establish universal pricing or performance figures. Compare a provider’s supported FiveM version, geographic location, player capacity, backup policy, file access and renewal price before committing.
For an always-on FiveM deployment, Godlike.Host provides FiveM game-server hosting with its own game panel, free DDoS protection and up to three free backups a day with restore. It is not on Cfx.re’s list of authorized FiveM hosts (fivem.net, 10 Oct 2026).
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txAdmin does not open
Check the FXServer console for the PIN and open http://localhost:40120 manually. If the browser is on another computer, remember that localhost refers to the computer running FXServer, not the remote machine. Stop and relaunch FXServer if the process exited before txAdmin finished starting.
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The console reports a missing resources list
This usually means the command was run from the wrong folder. Return to the directory expected by the server-data layout and launch again. In a manual setup, verify that the configuration and resource directories are in the locations referenced by the guide.
The server has no resources or clients cannot connect
Check whether +exec server.cfg was omitted from the launch command. Without that argument, the server can run without reading the configuration that defines its resources and endpoints. Correct the command, restart FXServer and test the connection again.
“No license key was specified” appears
Generate a server registration key in the Cfx Portal and place it in txAdmin’s recipe deployment field or in sv_licenseKey inside server.cfg. Also check that you launched the intended configuration file and did not start from a different folder. A key copied with missing characters is equivalent to no usable key.
A LAN client still cannot join
Verify that the server process is running, the client is on the same LAN, and the host is listening on the documented port 30120 for both TCP and UDP. Restart the FiveM client after correcting the server state, as recommended by the official setup walkthrough.
Managing the server after it works
Use txAdmin for routine operations instead of repeatedly terminating the process. Its documented controls let you start, stop and restart the server or individual resources, edit and validate configuration, manage permissions and whitelists, moderate players and use an in-game admin menu.
When you need to rebuild a test instance, the recipe workflow provides a repeatable deployment path. When you update FXServer, obtain a current recommended artifact from the official download page and follow the platform’s update guidance, taking care to keep the server-data configuration you intend to retain. Treat the Cfx registration key and txAdmin backup password as credentials: do not publish them in screenshots, chat messages or public configuration repositories.
Quick Recap
A practical first-session checklist
- Recommended artifact downloaded for the correct operating system.
- Archive extracted into a dedicated server folder.
FXServer.exeorrun.shlaunched successfully.- txAdmin opened and registered with a Cfx account.
- Backup password recorded securely.
- FiveM Basic Server (CFX Default) recipe selected.
- Free Cfx Portal server registration key generated and entered.
- Recipe completed, configuration saved and server started.
- FiveM client tested from the same LAN.
- Public hosting decision made only after the local setup is working.
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