Prerequisites

Before you start, you need:

• A Windows Server 2019, 2022, or Windows 10/11 Pro dedicated machine
• Administrator access (RDP into the machine)
• A legitimate copy of GTA V on the host's Steam, Epic, or Rockstar Launcher (FiveM does not require it on the server itself, only on clients)
• A Cfx.re account with a generated license key (free at keymaster.fivem.net)
• A MariaDB or MySQL server if you plan to run resources that need a database (most ESX/QBCore frameworks do; see Database and Frameworks)

Hardware Recommendations

FiveM is heavily single-thread bound, so per-core clock speed matters more than core count. Server clock speeds at or above 4.0 GHz produce noticeably smoother gameplay.

Step 1: Generate a License Key

1. Go to keymaster.fivem.net and sign in with your Cfx.re account.
2. Click Generate.
3. Choose Dedicated Server as the type.
4. Enter your server's public IP address (or the FQDN you plan to use).
5. Copy the generated license key (long alphanumeric string starting with cfxk_).

Store this key safely. You will paste it into server.cfg during Configuration.

Step 2: Download the FXServer Artifact

1. Go to runtime.fivem.net/artifacts/fivem/build_server_windows/master/.
2. The page lists every build, newest at the bottom. Pick a build labeled Recommended or Latest. Avoid builds labeled with the optional flag unless you specifically want bleeding-edge.
3. Right-click the server.7z file link inside the build folder and copy the URL.
4. On your Windows server, RDP in, open PowerShell as Administrator, and run:

$url = "PASTE_THE_DOWNLOAD_URL"
$dest = "C:\FXServer\server.7z"
New-Item -Path "C:\FXServer" -ItemType Directory -Force
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri $url -OutFile $dest

1. Install 7-Zip from 7-zip.org if you do not have it.
2. Extract C:\FXServer\server.7z to C:\FXServer\. After extraction, C:\FXServer\FXServer.exe should exist.

Step 3: Create the Server Data Folder

Server artifacts (the binary) and server data (your config, resources, database connections) live in separate folders. This separation is intentional and important: artifact updates never touch your data.

New-Item -Path "C:\FXServer-data" -ItemType Directory -Force

Clone the official Cfx.re server-data template into this folder using Git. Install Git first if needed from git-scm.com:

cd C:\FXServer-data
git clone https://github.com/citizenfx/cfx-server-data.git .

You should now see resources/, server.cfg, and other files inside C:\FXServer-data.

Step 4: First Boot

Before a full production setup, do a quick test boot to confirm the artifact runs. You will configure server.cfg properly in the next guide, but the cloned template includes a minimal default you can launch.

From PowerShell:

cd C:\FXServer-data
C:\FXServer\FXServer.exe +exec server.cfg

Output should scroll past with resource startup messages. The final indicator that the server is healthy:

Authenticating server license key...
Server license key authentication succeeded.
Started resource ...
Server is up and running.

If you have not configured your license key yet, the license authentication step will fail. That is expected at this stage; continue to Configuration to set it up properly.

Once configured, open the FiveM client on your computer, press F8, type connect YOUR_SERVER_IP:30120, and you should connect.

What to Read Next

• Configuration sets up server.cfg and firewall ports (do this next)
• Running as a Service for production: NSSM or txAdmin
• Database and Frameworks for ESX, QBCore, and MySQL
• OneSync, Updates, and Backups for scaling past 32 players and ongoing maintenance