FiveM Server List (Cfx Server List): Find Servers, Get Listed

Published on | Updated

The FiveM server list, or Cfx server list: where to find it, how Upvotes sort it, how to join by link or IP, and why your own server is not showing.

Two players standing between their cars at night below the Vinewood sign in GTA V

You are looking for the FiveM server list, which many players call the Cfx server list after Cfx.re, the team that runs FiveM. You want a server to play on, or you run one and it is nowhere in the list. This guide covers both: where the list is, how it orders servers, how to join from a link or an IP address, and what to check when your own server does not show up. It is based on Cfx.re's docs, its help center and the FXServer source code, all opened on 31 October 2026.

Quick answer: The FiveM server list, also called the Cfx server list, is under Browse Servers in the FiveM client and on the web at servers.fivem.net. By default it ranks servers by Upvotes, which are bought in the Cfx Portal, so sort by Players to see where people actually play. A server appears on its own when it runs with a valid key from the Cfx Portal and Cfx.re can reach it on its port, 30120 by default. If yours is not showing, test a direct connect from outside your network, comment out sv_master1, switch sv_lan off, run FXServer 35245 or newer, and give a fresh start up to 8 minutes. Since 21 October 2026 the name, description, tags and language in the list come from the Cfx Portal, not from server.cfg.

Where to find the FiveM server list

There are two ways in, and both show the same community servers:

  • In FiveM: open FiveM and select Browse Servers. Select a server to see its description, player count, locale and access requirements, then select Connect.
  • In a browser: servers.fivem.net shows the list without starting the game, which is useful for reading descriptions and rules first. RedM servers are at servers.redm.net.

The list keeps two shortcuts. Favorites holds the servers you starred ("just click the star icon next to your favorite server", in the list's own words), and History shows the servers you have played on before.

A short Featured list sits on the right side. Cfx.re picks those servers by hand, and its criteria ask for non-roleplay servers in English or several languages that anyone can join with the Connect button. Cfx.re takes no applications for it.

Filters and sorting

Cfx.re's help article on filters lists four sections in the FILTER menu:

FilterWhat it does
CapacityHide Full hides servers at their player limit, Hide Empty hides servers with no players
Server AccessShows or hides Allowlisted servers, which you can only join once the owner's team lets you in
LanguagesShows servers in the language you pick
TagsNarrows the list by game type and tone, such as Roleplay, Racing, Freeroam or Serious

The sort menu next to FILTER orders servers by Upvote Power, Name or Players. Upvotes decide the default order, so the top of the list is not necessarily where the most people are, and Cfx.re notes that sorting "does not guarantee the type or quality of experience offered by a server." Sort by Players to see the busiest servers first.

Allowlisted only means access is controlled: you get in through an application, an interview, a role in the community or an invitation. As Cfx.re puts it, it "does not indicate the quality of roleplay".

Before you join, Cfx.re suggests reading the description, the rules and any onboarding steps, and testing your microphone if the server uses voice chat. If a server breaks the rules, select it in the list and use Report Server in the bottom right corner.

How to join a FiveM server by link or IP

Communities often share a cfx.re/join link on Discord. Open it in a browser and the page shows the server's name and player count, then hands the link to FiveM. You can also connect from the client console:

  1. Press F8 in FiveM to open the console.
  2. Type connect followed by the link or the address, for example connect cfx.re/join/y4lg95 or connect 203.0.113.10:30120.
  3. Press Enter.

Both forms come from FiveM's console command reference. An address without a port uses 30120. Direct connect also gets you into a server that is listed as private, because that setting only disables joining from the list.

Before you load in, the client downloads the server's resource files, so servers with many custom cars and maps take longer to join. A red end-of-life (EOL) warning with a failed connection means the server runs outdated artifacts, which only its owner can fix; a grey end-of-support (EOS) warning still lets you in, per the docs.

How a server gets onto the Cfx server list

For server owners, five steps put a server in the list, and each fix in the next section maps onto one of them. If you have not set up a server yet, start with how to make a FiveM server.

  1. The key. server.cfg holds a server registration key from the Cfx Portal on its sv_licenseKey line. An account can have up to three active keys. Our Cfx Portal guide shows how to create one.
  2. The heartbeat. At startup FXServer posts a heartbeat to Cfx.re's server list and then sends one every three minutes. In the FXServer source it only does this when the server holds a license token from its key. The heartbeat carries your port, a private flag and your server's info.
  3. The query. Cfx.re's listing backend then contacts your server at its address. The proxy setup docs describe sv_listingIpOverride as "only needed if the server list backend can't guess the IP to query itself".
  4. The listing. The server issues FAQ says it "can take up to 8 minutes for a server to appear in the list after launch if no other heartbeats are sent."
  5. The details. Since 21 October 2026 the server's name, description, tags, language, images and Discord link come from its key's page in the Portal, as Cfx.re's announcement explains. A server can show at most five tags. With empty fields it is listed as "Missing server data (must be configured in Portal)". Our Missing server data guide covers each field.

Why your FiveM server is not showing in the server list

Work through these in order. Cfx.re's FAQ names bad port forwarding or firewall configuration as the usual cause, which checks 2 and 3 test.

  1. Give it 8 minutes. After a fresh start, wait before you change anything. After a fix, typing heartbeat in the server console sends one at once. That command is registered in FXServer's source; the docs do not list it.
  2. Try a direct connect from outside your network. From a PC outside the server's network, or with a friend, press F8 and run connect YOUR_PUBLIC_IP:30120. If that fails, the cause is a port or firewall rule, not the list. FXServer uses TCP and UDP, and the docs' example lines are endpoint_add_tcp "0.0.0.0:30120" and endpoint_add_udp "0.0.0.0:30120". If your host gave you another port, use it in both lines and in the firewall.
  3. Open info.json from outside. Visit http://YOUR_PUBLIC_IP:30120/info.json in a browser. It should return a JSON object about your server. Use the public IP, not 127.0.0.1, because only the public address shows what Cfx.re can reach.
  4. Comment out sv_master1. A line that reads sv_master1 "" without a # in front lists the server as private and disables the Connect button. Put the # back or delete the line; the server lists itself by default. The server commands page adds that this setting "cannot be used to de-list a server from the master list."
  5. Switch sv_lan off. With sv_lan true the server is LAN-only: it "will not appear in the public server list and license key checks are skipped." Remove the line or set it to false.
  6. Check the key. The sv_licenseKey line needs an active key from the Portal. If you regenerated it, Cfx.re reminds you to update your server configuration with the new key. Without a license token from a valid key, FXServer does not send the heartbeat at all. On our FiveM hosting txAdmin comes pre-installed, and you add your own key from the Portal to it.
  7. Run FXServer 35245 or newer. Cfx.re's 20 August announcement ended connections to FXServer versions older than 35245 on 15 October 2026, and its docs say unsupported artifacts older than three months "will not be joinable from the server browser." On 31 October 2026, 35245 is the Recommended build and 38055 the Latest. Our artifacts guide shows how to update.
  8. Check proxy and NAT settings. sv_listingIpOverride changes the IP sent to the list; the docs only call for it behind NAT, behind a proxy or on a machine with several IPs. Behind a reverse proxy, sv_forceIndirectListing true needs sv_listingHostOverride set to the proxy's host name; without it, FXServer logs an error that this combination is not supported. A router or firewall that masks UDP source ports can also keep a server off the list, and the docs point to pfSense's static port setting.
  9. Read the console for "Server list query returned an error". From the second heartbeat on, FXServer prints this line whenever the list answers with an error, followed by the reason, such as "failed to store server" in two October 2026 forum threads (one, two). It means your heartbeat reached Cfx.re, but the list could not query or store your server. Our guide to the server list query error goes through those messages.
  10. Allow for an outage. Cfx.re notes that in rare cases the listing service itself has a problem, and that its team is then most likely already working on it.

Cfx.re's help article on this problem still says a server needs sv_projectName and sv_projectDesc set. The server commands docs now mark both as deprecated, so fill in the Portal fields instead.

What decides your place in the list

The default order follows Upvotes, and Upvotes cost money. Cfx.re's help center says it directly: "By default, servers are ordered by the number of applied server Upvotes they have compared to other servers." The more Upvotes a server gathers, the higher it sits and the better its chance of a spot in the main menu's carousel of featured servers. Upvotes do not change the Name or Players sorting.

How Upvotes work, from the help center:

  • You buy them in the Portal under Subscriptions: Recurring Upvotes renew weekly or monthly, Burst Upvotes apply a large number at once for at most 24 hours.
  • The Upvote button in the list or on a server's details page applies all of an account's Upvotes to that one server, with a 24-hour cooldown before you can move them.
  • Regular Upvotes have a daily spending limit. Upvotes Pro, for enterprises, allows $5,000 USD per transaction before taxes with no daily limit, at the same price per Upvote.

So you can pay your way up the default view, but players who sort by Players see who is online, and the Featured list is picked by hand. What you control for free is whether the players who find you stay. Use a clear name and tagline, five tags that match what you run, the right language, and a description that says how to get in. If your server is allowlisted, sets sv_appearAllowlisted true shows a lock icon in the list and sets sv_allowlistInstructions tells players how to apply. Our Cfx Portal guide shows where the Portal settings are.

FAQ

What is the Cfx server list? It is the FiveM server list. Cfx.re runs FiveM and RedM, so "Cfx server list", "Cfx list" and "Cfx.re server list" all mean the same list: Browse Servers in the client, or servers.fivem.net in a browser.

Why is my FiveM server not showing in the server list? Most often a port or firewall problem. If connect YOUR_PUBLIC_IP:30120 fails from outside your network, fix that first. Then check that sv_master1 is commented out, sv_lan is off, the key is valid and the server runs FXServer 35245 or newer.

How long does it take for a new FiveM server to show up in the list? Up to 8 minutes after launch, according to Cfx.re's docs. FXServer sends a heartbeat at startup and every three minutes after that, and the heartbeat console command sends one right away.

Why does my server show as private with the Connect button disabled? An uncommented sv_master1 "" line in server.cfg does exactly that. Put a # in front of it or remove it, then restart the server.

How do I get my FiveM server higher in the server list? In the default view, with Upvotes, which you buy in the Cfx Portal. They do not affect the Players sort, where only the number of people online counts, so keeping your players matters there.

Can I see the FiveM server list without opening the game? Yes, at servers.fivem.net. RedM servers are at servers.redm.net, and a cfx.re/join link opens a server's page in your browser.

Sources

All opened on 31 October 2026: