How to Set Up a FiveM Server on a Windows VPS: Step-by-Step Guide

Connect to the VPS via RDP using the credentials you received during provisioning. Open PowerShell as administrator and create the folder structure:

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

Separating server (binary) from server-data (configuration + resources) is the structure recommended by Cfx.re — it makes updating the artifact easy without disturbing your setup.

Visit runtime.fivem.net/artifacts/fivem/build_server_windows/master/ and copy the link of the build marked as recommended (not latest).

In PowerShell, download and extract it directly:

cd C:\FXServer\server
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://runtime.fivem.net/artifacts/fivem/build_server_windows/master/XXXX-HASH/server.7z" -OutFile "server.7z"

Replace the URL with the current build. You’ll need 7-Zip to extract it (winget install 7zip.7zip if you don’t have it).

Extract the artifact into C:\FXServer\server:

& "C:\Program Files\7-Zip\7z.exe" x server.7z -oC:\FXServer\server

After extraction, you should see FXServer.exe in the folder root. That’s the server executable.

Install Git for Windows if you don’t already have it:

winget install --id Git.Git -e --source winget

Reopen PowerShell so the updated PATH is loaded, then clone the official template:

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

The trailing dot on clone matters — it clones the content directly into the current folder instead of creating a subfolder.

Generate the license key at keymaster.fivem.net in your local browser. Log in with your Cfx.re account, click New, and fill in:

• Server name: internal name (not shown to players)
• IP Address: select “I will deploy and run the server using a changing IP address”

Selecting a fixed IP only works if you’re absolutely sure of the VPS IP — if the VPS IP changes (rare on Hostini VPS, but possible with other providers), the license gets invalidated.

The generated key has the format cfxk_XXXXXXXX_XXXXX. Save it — you’ll paste it into server.cfg next.

Open server.cfg in Notepad++ or VS Code (avoid plain Notepad — it breaks encoding). Find the sv_licenseKey changeme line and replace it with your real key:

sv_licenseKey cfxk_XXXXXXXX_XXXXX

Also configure identity and capacity on the nearby lines:

sv_hostname "Test Server - EN"
sv_maxclients 32
sets locale "en-US"
sets tags "roleplay, english"

The maximum sv_maxclients depends on the license — standard keys allow up to 48 slots; patron keys allow 64 or more.

Confirm that endpoint_add_tcp "0.0.0.0:30120" and endpoint_add_udp "0.0.0.0:30120" are both present and uncommented. They control which interface the server listens on — 0.0.0.0 means all network interfaces on the VPS, which is correct for production.

If you want to run on a port other than 30120 (useful for hosting multiple servers on the same VPS), change 30120 on both lines and remember to mirror the change in the firewall later.

In PowerShell as admin, create the rules with one command per protocol:

New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "FiveM TCP 30120" -Direction Inbound -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 30120 -Action Allow
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "FiveM UDP 30120" -Direction Inbound -Protocol UDP -LocalPort 30120 -Action Allow
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "txAdmin 40120" -Direction Inbound -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 40120 -Action Allow

The txAdmin rule (40120) is optional but recommended — you’ll use the web interface to manage the server without having to stay in RDP.

Create a start.bat script at C:\FXServer\server-data\start.bat with this content:

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

pause keeps the window open after the server stops — useful so you can read boot errors instead of having the CMD window close instantly.

Run start.bat by double-clicking it or via PowerShell:

cd C:\FXServer\server-data
.\start.bat

The console will print several boot lines. Look for:

• Authenticating server license key... followed by Server is now available — license is valid and registered
• Started resource sessionmanager and other base resource logs
• svAdhesive: server can be heartbeating, mode 2 — server is visible in the public list

On your local PC, open the FiveM client. Press F8 to open the console and type:

connect YOUR_VPS_IP:30120

Replace YOUR_VPS_IP with your VPS IP. If everything is correct, you’ll land on the GTA loading screen with messages about downloading base resources, then spawn on the map in Los Santos.

If the server is on the public list (normal gameplay, license OK), you can also find it by searching for the sv_hostname you configured.