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The reliable way to add announcements in FiveM is to create a resource folder containing an fxmanifest.lua file and a Lua script. Use the client event chat:addMessage for a message shown only to one client, or call the server-side exports.chat:addMessage(-1, ...) export to broadcast it to every connected player.
This guide builds a small, permission-protected announcement resource, loads it without shutting down FXServer, explains how the default NUI chat resource handles the message, and shows what to check when a custom chat system or permissions configuration changes the result.
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FiveM treats scripts as resources. A resource is a directory under the server’s resources directory. FiveM recognizes that directory when it contains a resource manifest named fxmanifest.lua (older resources may use the former __resource.lua name). The manifest declares which client and server Lua files should be loaded.
For a simple announcement tool, the resource normally has three parts:
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- A manifest:
fxmanifest.lua, which identifies the game and lists the scripts. - A server script: code that accepts an administrator command and broadcasts the resulting text.
- An optional client script: code that displays a local test or client-only notice.
The examples below target GTA V with fx_version 'cerulean'. Current FiveM Lua guidance uses Lua 5.4: Cfx.re’s manifest reference states that, as of June 2025, Lua 5.3 was deprecated and all Lua scripts use version 5.4. That matters when you copy older examples or combine this resource with an old server pack.
Before you create the resource
Access and files you need
- Access to the FXServer installation and its
resourcesdirectory. - Permission to create a folder and edit text files on the server.
- Access to the FXServer console so you can run
refresh,start, andrestart. - A running default
chatresource for the examples in this guide.
The default chat resource is part of the cfx-server-data set and uses a NUI-based interface. These examples call its documented event and export. If the server replaces that resource with a custom chat or NUI, the event names, export names, and message object may be different; check that system’s API before troubleshooting the Lua shown here.
Choose a resource name
Use a short name with no spaces, such as announcement. The name is used in console commands, so the directory name and the name you start must match exactly.
Step 1: Create the resource folder
Inside the FXServer installation, create this path:
resources/[local]/announcement/The bracketed [local] directory is simply a category for resources you maintain yourself. You can use another category or place announcement directly under resources; what matters is that FiveM can find the folder and that the folder contains fxmanifest.lua.
For the complete version of the resource, the folder will contain:
resources/
└── [local]/
└── announcement/
├── fxmanifest.lua
├── client.lua
└── server.luaFile names are case-sensitive on many hosting systems. Save the files with the exact names shown, rather than accidentally creating fxmanifest.lua.txt in a text editor.
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Step 2: Add the resource manifest
Create fxmanifest.lua in the announcement folder and add:
fx_version 'cerulean'
game 'gta5'
author 'Your name'
description 'Server announcements'
version '1.0.0'
client_script 'client.lua'
server_script 'server.lua'fx_version 'cerulean' selects the current FXv2 manifest version documented by Cfx.re, while game 'gta5' selects FiveM’s GTA V API set. The author, description, and version fields identify the resource for people maintaining the server; they do not implement the announcement itself.
The two script declarations have different execution contexts. client_script loads code for each connected player, and server_script loads code in the server process. Keeping the broadcast command in the server script prevents an ordinary client from deciding to run the server’s broadcast operation directly.
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Put this in client.lua:
TriggerEvent('chat:addMessage', {
color = {255, 200, 0},
multiline = true,
args = {'ANNOUNCEMENT', 'Welcome to the server!'}
})This calls the documented chat:addMessage client event. The message object shown here contains a color triplet, the multiline flag, and an args array. The first argument labels the message as ANNOUNCEMENT; the second is the text that appears after that label.
A client-triggered event is visible only to the client that executes it. That makes this form useful for a welcome notice, a local diagnostic, or testing whether the chat resource is rendering messages. It is not a server-wide broadcast. If every player must see the text, put the broadcast code in server.lua as described next.
Step 4: Broadcast to every connected player from the server
FiveM’s documented server export accepts a target and a message object. A target of -1 means all players:
exports.chat:addMessage(-1, {
color = {255, 200, 0},
multiline = true,
args = {'ANNOUNCEMENT', 'Scheduled restart in 10 minutes.'}
})Because this is a server export, the server chooses the target and sends the message through the running chat resource. Replace -1 with a specific player target when your server logic needs to address one player; the all-player value is the documented pattern for a broadcast.
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Add an administrator command
To let an authorized administrator write the announcement at runtime, put this in server.lua:
RegisterCommand('announce', function(source, args)
local message = table.concat(args, ' ')
if message == '' then return end
exports.chat:addMessage(-1, {
color = {255, 200, 0},
multiline = true,
args = {'ANNOUNCEMENT', message}
})
end, true)After the resource is running, an authorized user can enter a command such as:
/announce Scheduled restart in 10 minutes.RegisterCommand receives the command source and the words entered after the command. table.concat(args, ' ') joins those words back into one sentence, preserving spaces between them. The empty-string check prevents a blank line from being broadcast when somebody enters /announce without text.
The final argument, true, marks the command as restricted. In practice, the command must be allowed by the server’s ACE permission configuration before it can be used. The FiveM documentation establishes the restriction behavior but does not prescribe one universal ACE policy, so grant it according to the administration model already used on your server. Do not remove the restriction merely to make testing easier on a public server; use a controlled test environment or configure the appropriate permission first.
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Step 5: Load and reload the resource
Creating or editing files does not automatically load them into a running FXServer. Use the server console in this order:
- Save
fxmanifest.lua,client.lua, andserver.luain theannouncementfolder. - Run
refresh. This makes FXServer rescan the resources directory and notice a newly created manifest or changed resource metadata. - Run
start announcement. The resource name must match the folder name. - Connect a test client and run
/announce Test announcementfrom an account that has the required permission. - During later edits, run
restart announcementto reload this resource without closing the server.
If the resource was already running when you changed only a Lua file, restart announcement is the practical development loop. If you added or renamed the manifest or created the resource directory after the server started, run refresh before starting it. Watch the console for a resource-start error rather than assuming a silent chat failure means the code was accepted.
How the two message paths differ
| Use case | API | Execution context | Who sees the message |
|---|---|---|---|
| Show a local notice or test | TriggerEvent('chat:addMessage', message) |
Client | The client that triggered the event |
| Broadcast an announcement | exports.chat:addMessage(-1, message) |
Server | Every connected player targeted by -1 |
| Address one player | exports.chat:addMessage(target, message) |
Server | The player represented by the target value |
Both forms pass a message object. The documented object supports template, color, multiline, and args. The examples use color, multiline, and args because they are enough for a labeled announcement. A custom template can be used when the chat resource supports the corresponding template data, but its markup and styling are controlled by that chat implementation.
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The older chatMessage event should not be used for new code. Cfx.re documents chat:addMessage as the preferred replacement, and the default chat resource is built around its NUI interface.
Permission and command design
Why the restriction flag matters
The command’s true restriction is the boundary between “any connected player can broadcast” and “the server’s permission system decides who may broadcast.” The Lua file alone does not define which administrators qualify. Your ACE configuration, inherited groups, and existing administration rules determine that decision.
Test three cases separately: an authorized administrator should receive a successful broadcast, a normal player should be denied, and an empty command should produce no chat line. Testing only with an administrator can hide an accidental permission change.
Keep broadcasting on the server
Do not move the all-player export into a client script and assume it becomes authoritative. The local event is intentionally client-scoped. The server script is the appropriate place to validate the command, assemble the text, and choose the target. This also leaves one clear location for later additions such as logging or a more specific permission check.
Keep the message payload predictable
Use a stable label such as ANNOUNCEMENT and keep the actual text in one argument. The predictable shape makes it easier to change the color, switch to a template, or replace the chat resource later. The supplied examples use a yellow-toned color triplet, but the exact appearance ultimately depends on the active chat resource’s styling.
Custom chat, NUI, and framework compatibility
The default chat resource is a NUI-based interface included with cfx-server-data. The resource in this guide assumes that implementation is running and that its documented event and export are available.
A server may instead use a custom chat/NUI resource or a framework-specific messaging layer. In that case, the announcement folder can still be structurally correct while no text appears, because the replacement may:
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- Use a different event name than
chat:addMessage. - Expose a different server export or no export at all.
- Expect a different message table, template format, or argument order.
- Render messages outside the standard chat window.
Confirm which chat resource is running before changing the Lua. If the replacement documents an adapter, update only the call that sends the message; the manifest and command-permission structure can remain separate. Do not run two competing chat implementations merely to make this example work, because the visible result and event ownership can become ambiguous.
Troubleshooting by symptom
“Could not find resource” or the resource never starts
- Confirm the directory is actually under the server’s
resourcesdirectory. - Check that the folder name is exactly
announcementif you are runningstart announcement. - Check the manifest spelling: it must be
fxmanifest.lua, not a text-file extension appended by the editor. - Run
refresh, then runstart announcementagain. - Read the console’s resource error before changing code; a manifest parse error prevents either Lua script from loading.
The command exists, but no chat line appears
- Verify the default
chatresource is running. The examples depend on it. - Check that you used the server export for a broadcast, not only the client event.
- Confirm the message text is not empty after
table.concat. - If the server uses a custom chat/NUI, compare its event, export, and payload schema with this guide.
- Restart the resource after editing Lua files so the server is executing the current version.
Only the person testing sees the message
This normally means the client event was triggered. TriggerEvent('chat:addMessage', ...) is documented as a message to the executing client. Move the announcement call to server.lua and use exports.chat:addMessage(-1, ...) for an all-player target.
The command is denied for an administrator
The final true parameter deliberately restricts the command. Check the server’s ACE configuration and the account’s group or identifier assignment. The script does not contain a universal permission rule, so the fix belongs in the server’s existing permission model rather than in the message payload.
Edits appear to have no effect
Save the file in the resource directory, run restart announcement, and test again. If you changed the manifest or created the resource after startup, run refresh first. Also check that you are editing the copy of the resource that the running server actually loads; duplicate folders with the same intended name can lead to changes being made in the wrong location.
Hand-written resource or packaged announcement resource?
A small hand-written resource is transparent: you can see the command, payload, and permission boundary in a few files. A packaged resource may add scheduling, configuration screens, or a different user interface, but those details vary by package and must be verified against its documentation. Compare the options using the criteria below rather than assuming that a larger package uses the default chat API.
| Decision point | Hand-written resource | Packaged resource |
|---|---|---|
| Broadcast scope and permissions | Explicit in server.lua; you choose the target and rely on the server’s ACE policy. |
May provide its own commands or permission settings; verify whether it uses ACE and how it maps targets. |
| Chat dependency | These examples depend on the default chat event/export. |
May depend on the default chat resource, a custom NUI, or an included interface. |
| Configuration and scheduling | The shown code provides an on-demand command; additional behavior must be implemented deliberately. | May include configuration or scheduling, but the available features are package-specific. |
| Lua/runtime compatibility | The manifest and scripts shown here follow current Lua 5.4 guidance. | Check its manifest and code for Lua 5.4 compatibility, especially if it was written for an older runtime. |
| Licensing and updates | You control the files and their maintenance. | Review the package’s license, update policy, and support terms before installing it. |
If all you need is a labeled message that an authorized administrator can broadcast, the short resource above avoids an additional dependency. If you require features beyond that scope, verify the package’s chat integration and permission behavior before replacing a known-working resource.
Production checklist
- Folder: the resource is under
resourcesand has a unique, space-free name. - Manifest:
fxmanifest.luausesfx_version 'cerulean',game 'gta5', and declares the scripts that actually exist. - Runtime: Lua code is written for the current Lua 5.4 guidance rather than copied unchanged from a Lua 5.3 example.
- Chat: the default
chatresource is running, or your custom chat’s event/export and payload have been substituted. - Scope: local notices use
chat:addMessage; server-wide notices use the server export with target-1. - Permissions: the command remains restricted with the final
trueargument and is tested with both allowed and denied accounts. - Lifecycle: you run
refreshwhen the resource or manifest is newly discovered,start announcementto launch it, andrestart announcementafter code edits. - Failure handling: empty announcements are ignored and console errors are checked before changing unrelated code.
Minimal files to copy
For reference, these are the three files in one place. Save each block under the path shown, then refresh and start the resource.
Quick Recap
fxmanifest.lua
fx_version 'cerulean'
game 'gta5'
author 'Your name'
description 'Server announcements'
version '1.0.0'
client_script 'client.lua'
server_script 'server.lua'client.lua
TriggerEvent('chat:addMessage', {
color = {255, 200, 0},
multiline = true,
args = {'ANNOUNCEMENT', 'Welcome to the server!'}
})server.lua
RegisterCommand('announce', function(source, args)
local message = table.concat(args, ' ')
if message == '' then return end
exports.chat:addMessage(-1, {
color = {255, 200, 0},
multiline = true,
args = {'ANNOUNCEMENT', message}
})
end, true)Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
