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How to Install Mods on a FiveM Server: Resources, txAdmin, and Troubleshooting

A complete FiveM resource installation guide covering FXServer setup, txAdmin, folder structure, manifests, dependencies, server.cfg, verification, and troubleshooting.
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On FiveM, a downloadable “mod” is usually a server resource: a folder containing client code, server code, and/or streamed assets. Install it by placing the correct resource folder under your server-data resources/ directory, checking its manifest and dependencies, then adding its exact folder name to server.cfg with ensure. Restart the server, read the console, and test the feature in game.

This guide covers a new FXServer setup, txAdmin and manual workflows, resource layout, load order, Windows and Linux prerequisites, and the fixes for the errors that most often prevent a resource from starting.

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What a FiveM “mod” actually is

FiveM servers run on a collection of resources. A resource can be a script, vehicle, map, UI, job system, framework component, or another package of streamed game files. The word “mod” is common in downloads, but the installation rule is the same: FiveM must be able to find a resource folder and parse its resource manifest.

Every current resource should contain fxmanifest.lua. Older packages may use __resource.lua instead. If neither manifest is present in the folder you copied, FiveM will not treat that folder as a resource. A ZIP can contain an extra outer directory, so do not assume the first folder you see is the one to install; locate the folder that actually contains the manifest.

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Typical resource layout

server-data/
  resources/
    [scripts]/
      my_resource/
        fxmanifest.lua
        client.lua
        server.lua

Folders whose names are enclosed in square brackets, such as [scripts] or [cars], are categories. They group resources and may contain several resource folders. The category is not a replacement for the individual resource: my_resource still needs its own manifest and its own name in the startup configuration.

What you need before installing anything

  • Administrative access to the machine running FXServer.
  • Access to the active server-data directory and the server.cfg used by that server.
  • A Cfx.re account and a server registration key (license key) for a new deployment.
  • A resource package intended for FiveM and compatible with your game build and framework.
  • A backup of the current server-data folder, server.cfg, and txAdmin’s txData directory.

Back up before changing resources, even when the download looks small. A script can alter configuration, database data, or startup behavior. Keep a dated copy so you can restore the previous working state instead of trying to diagnose several changes at once.

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Windows and Linux prerequisites

FXServer is available for Windows and Linux. On Windows you launch FXServer.exe; on Linux you use the supplied run script and keep the process running in your chosen service or terminal arrangement. Paths and shell commands differ, but the resource structure and server.cfg syntax are the same.

If you are running the server for GTAV Enhanced, install the Microsoft Visual C++ 2017 Redistributable before starting the server. Without that runtime, the server process may fail before any resource can load.

Set up a new FXServer with txAdmin

txAdmin is bundled with FXServer. It is a web panel for deploying and managing a server, not a separate resource that you copy into resources/. For a new server, it is usually the quickest route because its recipe creates a valid data directory and startup configuration.

  1. Download the recommended FXServer artifact for your operating system and extract it to a permanent location.
  2. Start the server executable on Windows or the Linux run script. For the first txAdmin initialization, start FXServer without +exec arguments.
  3. Open the URL printed by the process. On the host itself this is normally http://localhost:40120.
  4. Link the panel to your Cfx.re account when prompted.
  5. Choose the FiveM Basic or CFX Default recipe, select the server-data location, and follow the deployment wizard.
  6. Create a server registration key in the Cfx.re account system and enter it when the wizard requests it.
  7. Start the deployed server from txAdmin and confirm that the standard resources appear in the live log before adding third-party resources.

The wizard’s existing-server path asks you to select the data folder and the configuration file. This matters later: edit the configuration file that txAdmin has selected, not an unused template elsewhere on disk.

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Manual or vanilla server setup

You can also deploy FXServer without using the txAdmin recipe. Download the recommended artifact, create or select a server-data directory, place the standard configuration and resources there, and launch the process with that directory as its working location. You still need a Cfx.re account and a server registration key.

The working directory is important. The official vanilla setup guidance warns that launching from the wrong directory can produce messages such as “no resources found” and “Failed to start resource.” If the process cannot see the server-data directory, fixing the path is more useful than reinstalling every resource.

Install a resource step by step

1. Inspect the download

Use a source you trust and download a package explicitly made for FiveM. Read the included README before copying anything. Record:

  • Required libraries, frameworks, or other resources.
  • Supported game, framework, and artifact versions.
  • Database tables, migrations, or seed data that must be run.
  • Required convars, permissions, ACE entries, or server commands.
  • Configuration files, file paths, and the required startup order.
  • Whether the package contains separate client, server, and streaming components.

Do not copy an unknown nested directory blindly. Open the extracted folders until you find the one containing fxmanifest.lua or the legacy __resource.lua. That folder is the resource folder you install.

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2. Extract the resource into resources/

In the active server-data directory, open resources/. Copy the manifest-containing resource folder directly there, or put it one level below a bracketed category.

server-data/
  resources/
    my_resource/
      fxmanifest.lua
      client.lua
      server.lua

A categorized layout is equally valid:

server-data/
  resources/
    [scripts]/
      my_resource/
        fxmanifest.lua
        client.lua
        server.lua

A common extraction error is an extra wrapper folder:

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resources/
  downloaded-package/
    my_resource/
      fxmanifest.lua

Unless the package author specifically documents that arrangement, FiveM will not find my_resource at the expected level. Move the actual resource folder so the manifest is in the folder whose name you plan to ensure.

3. Check the manifest and included files

Open the manifest as text and verify that the files it references exist with the same spelling and path. Do not replace or rewrite the manifest just to change a setting; edit the documented configuration file instead. On case-sensitive Linux filesystems, a difference such as Config.lua versus config.lua can break a package that appeared to work on Windows.

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Streaming resources often declare asset files and directories in the manifest. If a vehicle, map, or UI loads without its expected assets, compare the manifest entries with the extracted folder names before changing unrelated settings.

4. Install dependencies first

If the README names a framework, library, database adapter, or shared utility, install that dependency as its own resource and make sure it starts successfully. A dependent script can fail with missing export or callback errors even when its own folder and manifest are correct.

Preserve any database instructions and migrations supplied by the author. A resource that expects tables or columns will often start but fail when a player uses its first command if the database step was skipped.

5. Configure only documented settings

Open the resource’s configuration file and set the values the author describes: convars, permissions, coordinates, framework references, database credentials, or feature switches. Keep secrets out of public repositories and chat logs. Do not edit a sample configuration that the running resource never loads, and do not overwrite a template with a new version until you have compared your local changes.

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6. Add the exact folder name to server.cfg

Add an ensure line using the resource folder’s exact name, including capitalization and underscores:

ensure my_resource

The name is the directory immediately containing the manifest, not the ZIP filename, a display title, or the category name. If the resource is under resources/[scripts]/my_resource/, the line is still ensure my_resource. FiveM also allows a category to be ensured when you intentionally want to start the resources grouped in that category, but ensuring individual resources gives you clearer control over dependencies and failures.

Place dependency lines before the resource that uses them:

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ensure shared_library
ensure framework_resource
ensure my_resource

Keep the standard resources generated by your template unless you deliberately replace them. Removing a default line can create unrelated errors that make the new resource harder to diagnose.

7. Restart and verify

Restart from txAdmin or from the normal server process. For a running server, you can also issue the command in the server console:

ensure my_resource

ensure starts a stopped resource and restarts it if it is already running. Watch the console and txAdmin live log immediately after the command. Look for a successful start message, missing dependency notices, manifest errors, Lua or JavaScript exceptions, and asset warnings.

Join the server and exercise the feature rather than stopping at a green startup line. Test the documented command, item, vehicle, map, job, or user interface. A resource can start while still failing when a player triggers a code path or when a streamed asset is requested.

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txAdmin workflow after installation

In txAdmin, open the server’s resource list or live console to start, stop, restart, and inspect resources. Use the panel’s selected server-data folder and configuration file as the source of truth. If a change appears to disappear after a restart, you may have edited a template or a second server.cfg rather than the active file.

  1. Stop or restart the server from the txAdmin control panel when changing several files at once.
  2. Use the live console to run ensure resourceName for a single-resource test.
  3. Read the first error associated with the resource, not only the final cascade of failures.
  4. Check the resource state in the panel, then join the server and test its advertised behavior.

For a new installation, txAdmin does not need to be downloaded separately. It is part of FXServer and is initialized by starting FXServer without first supplying an execution configuration.

Resource types and the checks they need

Resource type What to verify before starting What to test in game
Script or job Framework version, shared libraries, permissions, convars, and database migrations Commands, menus, permissions, and the complete player workflow
Vehicle pack Manifest entries, vehicle model and meta files, spawn names, and any required dependency Spawning, model appearance, handling, sounds, and persistence if documented
Map or interior Streaming folders, manifest declarations, coordinates, and conflicts with existing maps All entrances, collisions, props, and the expected location in the world
UI or client-only package Client files, NUI assets, browser paths, and required commands or keybinds Opening, closing, input focus, display, and reconnect behavior

The table is a troubleshooting aid, not a guarantee that every package uses the same files. Follow the README when it requires a different order or an additional server-side step.

Fix the most common installation failures

Symptom Likely cause Fix
“No resources found” or “Failed to start resource” FXServer was launched from the wrong working directory or cannot see the active server-data folder Start the process with the correct server-data directory and confirm that its resources/ folder exists.
The resource does not appear in the list The folder is nested too deeply, the name in ensure is wrong, or no manifest is present Place the manifest-containing folder directly under resources/ or one bracketed category level, then match the folder name exactly.
Missing dependency or export errors A required library or framework is absent, stopped, or loaded after the dependent resource Install the named dependency, add its ensure line first, and follow the package’s supported-version notes.
The script crashes immediately A configuration value, framework API, or script exception is invalid Read the first console error, revert the last change, and test with only the resource and its known dependencies enabled.
Vehicles, maps, or UI assets are missing Manifest entries do not match the extracted files, or streaming folder names were changed Compare every declared path and filename with the package. Clear only the relevant client cache if the author specifically documents that step.
Configuration changes vanish You edited a template or an unused server.cfg Use txAdmin’s selected active configuration file and verify the path of the running server-data directory.

Use a controlled rollback

When several resources fail after one change, stop the server and restore the dated backup. If only one resource is implicated, remove its ensure line or move its folder out of resources/, then restart with the previously working set. Reintroduce the resource and its dependencies one at a time so the first new error identifies the change that needs attention.

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Load order, frameworks, and configuration boundaries

FiveM can discover resources in the resources directory, but discovery does not make dependency order irrelevant. Start shared libraries, framework cores, database adapters, and permission systems before scripts that call them. Keep related ensure lines together and comment your intended order in server.cfg if the server has many resources.

Do not assume that a resource supporting one framework supports another simply because both are called roleplay frameworks. Check the package’s stated framework and version requirements. If an author supplies separate configuration examples, use the one matching your framework and game build.

Preserve convars, ACE permissions, and database settings exactly as documented. Broad permissions can expose administrative commands to ordinary players; grant only the access the resource requires and review it when the resource is updated.

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Security and maintenance

  • Download from sources you trust and inspect unfamiliar files before running them on a public server.
  • Stage new or modified resources on a private test server first.
  • Keep FXServer and resources maintained, but take a backup before each update.
  • Record the resource version, installation date, configuration changes, and database migrations in a simple change log.
  • Keep registration keys, database passwords, webhook URLs, and other secrets out of public repositories and screenshots.
  • Review licenses and redistribution terms before publishing a server that includes someone else’s code, vehicles, maps, or textures.
  • Retain dated backups of server-data, the active server.cfg, and txAdmin’s txData so an update can be rolled back.

Pre-launch checklist

  1. FXServer starts successfully and the process is using the intended server-data directory.
  2. For GTAV Enhanced, the Microsoft Visual C++ 2017 Redistributable is installed on Windows.
  3. The downloaded package is intended for FiveM and matches the server’s game and framework requirements.
  4. The correct folder contains fxmanifest.lua or the legacy __resource.lua.
  5. The folder is directly under resources/ or one bracketed category level.
  6. Dependencies, migrations, convars, and permissions from the README are complete.
  7. The ensure name exactly matches the resource folder and appears after its dependencies.
  8. The active txAdmin configuration, not a template, contains the startup line.
  9. The console shows no manifest, dependency, or script errors after restart.
  10. The feature works in game, including the normal player workflow and any streamed assets.

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