Context
You manage a FiveM server at Winheberg and want to make it visible on the public Cfx.re list, browsable from servers.fivem.net and from the FiveM client. It's the key step to growing your community, but you still need to properly configure your server.cfg to stand out among the thousands of servers already listed.
This guide walks through all the essential parameters of your server.cfg, from the display name to tags, icon, banners, and the listing directives specific to a gaming host like ours.
How does Cfx.re listing work?
On startup, your FiveM server automatically sends a heartbeat, a signal of life, to Cfx.re's master servers. If all the parameters are correct, your server appears on the public list. Players can then filter this list by tags, language, or player count. The more complete and accurate your listing, the higher your server ranks in relevant searches.
To appear on the public list, your server needs a valid License Key, also called the Server Registration Key, generated from the Cfx.re portal (portal.cfx.re) and set in your sv_licenseKey. Without this key, your server can't send a heartbeat.
Always generate your key directly on the Cfx.re portal. Keys offered by third-party resellers aren't reliable and can be revoked without notice. Each listed server needs its own dedicated key, a shared key or one reused across multiple servers doesn't allow public listing.
The basic free key allows up to 48 slots. To go beyond that, an Element Club subscription, also purchased on the Cfx.re portal, is needed to unlock more slots.
Prerequisites
- An active FiveM server on your Winheberg gaming panel
- A Cfx.re License Key dedicated to this server, generated at
portal.cfx.reand set in yoursv_licenseKey - Access to your
server.cfg, through the panel or via SFTP - Your server's exact address in the
gm1-whXX.wh-game.fr:30XXXformat, visible on your server's main page in the panel
1. Configure the hostname
The hostname is your server's public name, the one shown in the Cfx.re list and in the FiveM client. It's your visitors' first impression, so it's worth getting right. Find or add this line in your server.cfg.
sv_hostname "^1[EN] ^7My RP Server ^2| ^3ESX ^7| ^5discord.gg/myserver"
FiveM lets you add color codes to make the hostname more readable in the list.
| Code | Color |
|---|---|
^0 |
Black |
^1 |
Red |
^2 |
Green |
^3 |
Yellow |
^4 |
Blue |
^5 |
Cyan |
^6 |
Purple |
^7 |
White |
^8 |
Orange |
^9 |
Grey |
Stick to two or three colors. A hostname that's too colorful and too long becomes unreadable in the list and looks unpolished.
2. Set sv_projectName and sv_projectDesc
These two parameters don't show up in the hostname, they're used by Cfx.re and your server's connecting screen. The first is your project's short name, without color codes, the second a one to two sentence description.
sv_projectName "My RP Server"
sv_projectDesc "English-speaking RP server based on ESX, realistic economy, custom jobs, immersive atmosphere."
These values show up on the connecting screen when a player joins your server, and help FiveM index your listing better. A clear description reflects your project better than a generic tagline.
3. Add tags
Tags let players filter the list based on their preferences. Well-chosen ones bring you exactly the audience you're targeting.
sets tags "roleplay, esx, english, serious-rp, custom"
| Category | Possible tags |
|---|---|
| Gameplay type | roleplay, racing, freeroam, pvp, economy, survival |
| Framework | esx, qbcore, qbox, vrp |
| Language | francophone, english, spanish, portuguese |
| Specifics | custom, realistic, whitelist, serious-rp, hardcore |
Five to ten relevant tags are enough. Too many tags dilutes your listing, and misleading tags attract disappointed players who leave right away. Write them in lowercase, without accents or special characters, separated by commas.
4. Set the server's language
This information is used by the Cfx.re list's language filter. Set your server's main language.
sets locale "en-US"
| Code | Language |
|---|---|
fr-FR |
French |
en-US |
English (US) |
en-GB |
English (UK) |
es-ES |
Spanish |
pt-BR |
Portuguese (Brazil) |
de-DE |
German |
5. Add an icon
A custom icon makes your server instantly recognizable in the list. It shows to the left of the name in the results.
Your icon must be a lightweight 96x96 pixel PNG file, named exactly icon.png. Upload it to the root of your server, at the same level as your server.cfg, then restart. No line needs to be added to the server.cfg, FiveM detects the file automatically.
Create a simple icon, readable even at a small size. A logo or a stylized initial usually works better than an image packed with detail.
6. Add banners
Banners show up on your server's listing page and during the connecting screen. Two separate parameters are set in the server.cfg.
| Parameter | Displayed on |
|---|---|
sets banner_detail |
Server listing page on Cfx.re |
sets banner_connecting |
Player's connecting screen |
sets banner_detail "https://yourserver.com/banner.png"
sets banner_connecting "https://yourserver.com/banner.png"
You can use the same image for both, or choose two different ones. The recommended dimensions are 1865 x 108 pixels, in PNG or JPG format, under 500 KB.
The URL must point directly to the image file, ending in .png, .jpg, or .gif. A preview page like imgur.com/xxx won't work, you need the direct link type i.imgur.com/xxx.png.
To host your banner reliably long-term, our web hosting lets you store your images on your own domain name, which keeps full control over your files and gives your server a more credible image. For a quick test, services like ImgBB or Imgur direct URLs will do.
Don't use Discord as an image host. Discord regularly changes the URLs of its attached files, which breaks banners after a few days. It's the most common mistake among new server admins.
7. Check that sv_master1 is properly commented out
The sv_master1 parameter is a classic trap. In the default generated server.cfg, it appears in this form.
#sv_master1 ""
The # at the start of the line is essential. If you remove it, FiveM interprets the directive as an order to stop contacting the master servers, and your server disappears from the public list.
| Configuration | Effect on listing |
|---|---|
#sv_master1 "" (commented) |
✅ Server listed on Cfx.re |
sv_master1 "" (no #) |
❌ Server invisible or marked private |
| Line absent | ✅ Server listed by default |
If you removed the # by mistake, that's very likely the cause of your issue. Add it back, save, and restart.
8. Check that sv_lan is disabled
The sv_lan true parameter switches your server into local network mode and completely blocks listing. Make sure this line isn't present, or that it's set to false.
| Configuration | Effect on listing |
|---|---|
| Line absent | ✅ Server listed (default public mode) |
sv_lan false |
✅ Server listed |
sv_lan true |
❌ Server invisible (LAN mode) |
LAN mode is only meant for playing locally with friends on the same network. For a public server, always keep it disabled.
9. Enable sv_useDirectListing
This parameter tells FiveM to register directly with the master servers, without an intermediate proxy. Combined with sv_listingIPOverride, it ensures good listing at a gaming host.
sv_useDirectListing true
Many servers hosted on a panel stay invisible precisely because this line is missing. It's often the last parameter that fixes things when everything else looks correct.
10. Configure sv_listingIPOverride
This parameter is essential for us so your server appears with the correct address. Without it, FiveM tries to guess the address and often fails because of the gaming infrastructure, leaving the server invisible or unreachable.
sv_listingIPOverride "gm1-whXX.wh-game.fr:30XXX"
Replace the value with your server's exact address, visible on its main page in the panel.
This is the number one cause of listing issues at gaming hosts. A missing or incorrect address leaves your players staring at a Connect button that leads nowhere.
11. Set sv_scriptHookAllowed
This parameter controls whether your players can use ScriptHookV-based trainers.
sv_scriptHookAllowed 0
| Value | Effect |
|---|---|
0 |
ScriptHook disabled, recommended for a public server |
1 |
ScriptHook allowed, reserve for development |
Keep the value at 0 on a public server. Allowing it opens the door to trainers and cheating, which quickly ruins your community's experience.
12. Set the number of slots
The maximum number of simultaneous players, shown on the list as 12/64.
sv_maxclients 64
Choose a number suited to your plan's capacity. Declaring more slots than your server can actually handle causes slowdowns as soon as it fills up.
13. Restart your server
Once the parameters are in place, save your server.cfg, then click Restart on your server's main page. Watch the console on startup, you should see messages confirming the addition to the Cfx.re list and the heartbeats being sent.
14. Check visibility
A few minutes after startup, search for your server by its hostname on servers.fivem.net, or directly in the FiveM client's list.
Allow one to five minutes before it shows up, the list isn't updated instantly. If nothing appears after that delay despite a correct configuration, go back through points 7 to 10.
Full example configuration
Here's a ready-to-use base to adapt to your server, replacing the values with your own.
# Server identity
sv_hostname "^1[EN] ^7My RP Server ^2| ^3ESX ^7| ^5discord.gg/myserver"
sv_projectName "My RP Server"
sv_projectDesc "English-speaking RP server based on ESX, realistic economy, custom jobs, immersive atmosphere."
# Banners
sets banner_detail "https://yourserver.com/banner.png"
sets banner_connecting "https://yourserver.com/banner.png"
# Cfx.re listing
sets tags "roleplay, esx, english, serious-rp, custom"
sets locale "en-US"
#sv_master1 ""
sv_useDirectListing true
sv_listingIPOverride "gm1-whXX.wh-game.fr:30XXX"
# Security and capacity
sv_scriptHookAllowed 0
sv_maxclients 64
Remember to replace gm1-whXX.wh-game.fr:30XXX with your server's exact address. This is the mistake that most often keeps a server from listing correctly.
If you run into trouble
❌ My server doesn't show up on the Cfx.re list
- Your License Key is valid, dedicated to this server, and generated at
portal.cfx.re, a shared key or one from a third-party reseller blocks listing - The
sv_master1 ""line is commented out with a#in front - The
sv_lan trueline is absent from the file - The
sv_useDirectListing trueline is present - The
sv_listingIPOverrideline contains your server's exact address - Your server starts without errors in the console
❌ My server shows up but players can't connect
- Check the address shown on the server's listing, it should match your real address
- If it's incorrect,
sv_listingIPOverrideis misconfigured or missing - Fix the line with the exact address from the panel and restart
❌ My banner isn't showing up
- The URL points directly to the image, for example
i.imgur.com/xxx.pngand notimgur.com/xxx - The image loads without errors when you open the URL in a browser
- The image is publicly accessible, without login or password
- You're using
sets banner_detailandsets banner_connecting, withsetsand notset
❌ My server's icon isn't showing up
- The file is named exactly
icon.png, in lowercase - It's at the root of the server, not in a subfolder
- Its dimensions are 96x96 pixels
- You fully restarted the server
❌ Tags aren't being taken into account
- You're using
sets tagsand notset tags - The tags are in quotes, separated by commas
- They're in lowercase, without accents or special characters
❌ The hostname shows characters like ^1 or ^7
- Don't add a space after a color code (
^1Textand not^1 Text) - Avoid stacking too many codes on the same word
- Some platforms don't always interpret colors, that's not a problem
Best practices
- Polish your hostname, it's what triggers the click in the list
- Make a recognizable icon to stand out visually
- Choose your tags precisely, five relevant tags beat fifteen generic ones
- Update your description as your server evolves
- Avoid overhyped promises in the name, a player disappointed on arrival leaves quickly and leaves a bad impression
- Share your exact hostname with your community so they can find you easily
Need help?
If your server doesn't show up on the Cfx.re list despite a correct configuration, our team is here. Open a ticket in the Technical department from your client area, fill in the Related product field with the server in question, and attach the startup logs from the console.
Your FiveM server is now listed on Cfx.re, ready to welcome its first players 🎮
