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To get a FiveM “Keymaster” key today, use the Cfx.re Portal. Sign in with the Cfx account that will own and manage the server, open the server registration-key area, choose Create a key, enter a recognizable display name, select GENERATE, and copy the resulting value. In txAdmin, paste it into the recipe deployer’s license-key field. For a manual installation, place it in the server.cfg that FXServer actually loads:

sv_licenseKey "YOUR_GENERATED_KEY"

The registration key is free. The commonly searched name “Keymaster” is legacy wording; the current official workflow is handled in the Cfx.re Portal.

If you need a place to run the public instance after configuring the key, Godlike.Host offers FiveM game-server hosting with a game panel, free DDoS protection, and SFTP/FTP access. It is not on Cfx.re’s list of authorized FiveM hosts (fivem.net, 10 Oct 2026).

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What a FiveM “Keymaster” key is now

“Keymaster key” remains common language in old tutorials, forum posts and search results, but the current authority for creating a server registration key is the Cfx.re Portal. Cfx.re’s server setup documentation describes the credential as a free license key, and the command reference directs administrators to portal.cfx.re for one.

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The key authenticates a public FiveM server with Cfx.re services. It is a server credential, not a license for Grand Theft Auto V, a framework license, a Steam Web API key, a Discord token or a Tebex secret. Keep it private in the same way you would protect any deployment credential.

“If you haven’t done so yet, register a free license key on the Cfx Portal.”

That wording appears in the Cfx.re/FiveM server setup guidance. The command reference describes sv_licenseKey as “A string variable that sets the license key for this server. Get one at portal.cfx.re.”

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Prepare the account and installation before you create the key

Use the account that will manage the server

Generate the key while signed in to the Cfx account that will own or manage the server. This keeps the credential tied to the account responsible for the installation rather than to a temporary helper’s account. If a team is involved, decide whose account is the long-term administrative account before starting the deployment.

That decision is especially important when a freelancer or hosting technician is helping. The helper can assist with txAdmin or files, but the account selected in the Portal should be the one your organization can continue to access. Use a display name that makes ownership and environment obvious, such as Community Production, Staging or Local Development.

Choose txAdmin or a manual installation

There are two supported setup paths:

Path What it does Best fit Where the key is supplied
txAdmin recipe deployment Links txAdmin to your Cfx account and writes the recipe-generated configuration. A new server or anyone who wants guided setup. The recipe deployer’s license-key field.
Vanilla/manual FXServer Leaves file layout, configuration and launch control in your hands. Administrators who already maintain an FXServer and server-data directory. The executed server.cfg via sv_licenseKey.

You can generate the key before choosing either path, but the txAdmin workflow presents the Portal link at the point where the recipe needs the credential. The important distinction is not which path creates the key; both use the same Portal credential. The distinction is where you enter it and which configuration txAdmin or FXServer ultimately loads.

Decide whether the server is public or LAN-only

A public server follows the normal registration-key process. For an intentionally local, LAN-only server, the official command reference says that sv_lan true makes the server LAN-only and skips license-key checks. LAN mode is an operating mode, not a way to obtain or substitute a key for a public server.

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Decide this before troubleshooting. A server that starts in LAN mode can give the impression that its configuration is complete even when no public-server key has been configured. If you later list the server publicly, remove the LAN-only setting and configure the normal authentication path.

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Generate the key in the Cfx.re Portal

  1. Open the Cfx.re Portal and sign in with the account that will manage the server.
  2. Open the area for server registration keys.
  3. Choose Create a key.
  4. Enter a display name that identifies the intended use, such as My RP Production or Local Development. A useful name matters when an account has more than one server or environment.
  5. Click GENERATE.
  6. Copy the generated value exactly. Treat it as secret configuration data; do not publish it in a screenshot, forum post, public repository or chat transcript.

The Portal is the current replacement for the older Keymaster terminology. If an old guide tells you to look for a separate legacy Keymaster page, use the Portal workflow instead. Do not search for a second credential type: the generated registration value is what the current setup and command documentation mean by a server license key.

Choose labels that prevent configuration mistakes

The display name is an administrative label, not part of the credential. A name such as My RP Production tells you where the key belongs when several keys appear in the account. It does not go into server.cfg, and it is not a replacement for the generated value. If you create separate production and development environments, label them separately so a copied value can be traced to the intended server.

Install the key with txAdmin (recommended for a new server)

txAdmin is the more guided route because it links the management account and writes the recipe configuration for you. The following sequence follows the Cfx.re-maintained setup flow.

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  1. Start FXServer and open txAdmin in a browser.
  2. Link txAdmin to the Cfx account that will manage the server, then authorize the requested access.
  3. Choose the server recipe or template and continue until the recipe deployer displays its input-parameters step.
  4. Open the Portal link shown in that step. Sign in if the browser session is not already authenticated.
  5. In the Portal, select Create a key, enter a recognizable display name, and click GENERATE.
  6. Copy the generated value and return to txAdmin. Paste it into the recipe deployer’s license-key field.
  7. Run the recipe. Let txAdmin finish writing the server configuration, then save and run the server.

What txAdmin should receive

The license-key field should contain the generated registration-key value, not your Cfx password and not another service’s token. Do not add the sv_licenseKey variable name in that field unless the field specifically asks for a complete configuration line; the recipe deployer’s label is the authority for what it expects.

Paste the complete value without replacing characters, adding explanatory text or surrounding it with a second pair of quotation marks. If the field is empty when the recipe runs, the generated configuration may omit the convar and FXServer can report that no license key was specified.

If you leave the deployer before entering the key

Return to the recipe’s input-parameters step and use its Portal link to create or retrieve the appropriate key. The important checks are that you are signed in to the intended Cfx account and that the value is entered in the license-key field before the recipe runs.

If txAdmin has already written a configuration, inspect the resulting server settings rather than assuming the recipe saved the value. A manual correction belongs in the configuration file that the deployed process actually executes. Restart the server after changing it so the new value is read.

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Install the key manually in FXServer

A manual installation requires you to place the convar in the exact configuration file that the FXServer process executes. The official vanilla setup pattern separates the FXServer artifact from a server-data directory.

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  1. Download and extract the FXServer artifact.
  2. Keep a separate server-data directory for the server’s configuration and resources.
  3. Create or open the server.cfg that the process will execute.
  4. Add the generated value as this convar, preserving the quotation marks:
sv_licenseKey "YOUR_GENERATED_KEY"
  1. Launch FXServer from the server-data directory with the configuration explicitly selected using +exec server.cfg. The executable invocation varies by operating system, but the configuration argument must point to the file containing the convar.
  2. Start the server and confirm that the process is using the intended server-data directory and configuration file.

The command reference defines sv_licenseKey as a string variable for the server’s license key. If authentication fails, first verify the copied value and the launch context rather than creating unrelated credentials.

Why the exact file matters

Editing a server.cfg that is not loaded by FXServer has no effect. Multiple server-data directories, copied test configurations and launch scripts can make this easy to miss. The reliable check is the command used to start FXServer: its +exec argument should identify the same server.cfg where you placed the convar.

Keep the file path consistent when moving between a local computer and a host. A hosting panel may expose a configuration editor while launching a different server-data directory than the one you edited over SSH. Confirm the launch context in the panel or startup command before changing the key again.

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Where the key belongs: a quick reference

Installation situation Action Credential format
New server using a txAdmin recipe Paste the generated value into the recipe deployer’s license-key input before running the recipe. The generated key value.
Existing manual FXServer Add the line to the server.cfg loaded with +exec server.cfg. sv_licenseKey "YOUR_GENERATED_KEY"
LAN-only testing Set sv_lan true if the server is intentionally LAN-only. License-key checks are skipped; this does not provide public-server authentication.
Public server with more than 48 slots Use the normal account-associated key and check the separate capacity entitlement. The registration key remains separate from Element Club capacity.

Public servers, LAN servers and slot capacity are different issues

Public authentication

A public server needs the registration key in the normal authentication path. The Cfx.re Project Building documentation states: “For running public server you need to specify license key obtained at https://portal.cfx.re/.” This is why a local configuration that happens to work in LAN mode may still fail when you publish the server.

LAN-only operation

Setting sv_lan true tells the server to operate as LAN-only and skips license-key checks. Use it only when that restriction is intentional. It is not a bypass for a publicly listed server, and it does not generate a reusable registration key.

More than 48 players

The registration key itself is described as free. A separate rule applies to game-server hosting capacity: the official hosting-provider guidance says that more than 48 slots requires FiveM Element Club Argentum or above, obtained through the Cfx Portal. The Cfx-account-associated registration key must still be added to the server instance. Do not describe a paid capacity entitlement as the Keymaster or registration key.

The 48-slot figure is the threshold documented in that hosting guidance as accessed on October 18, 2026. Product terms and capacity rules can change, so check the current Portal terms when planning a larger server. Buying or activating capacity does not replace the registration key, and generating additional keys does not itself increase the allowed player count.

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Choosing the right setup path

Question Choose txAdmin when… Choose vanilla/manual when…
How much configuration control do you need? You want the recipe to write the initial configuration. You need direct control of files, launch arguments and server-data layout.
Who is setting up the server? You want account linking and guided prompts. You already maintain FXServer configurations and know which file is executed.
Where will the key be entered? In the recipe deployer’s license-key field. As sv_licenseKey in the executed server.cfg.
Is the server public? Provide the generated key during deployment. Provide the generated key in the launch-time configuration.
Is it LAN-only? Use the LAN setting deliberately; key checks can be skipped. Set sv_lan true only for an intentionally local server.

Moving an installation or changing administrators

When a server moves from a local machine to a hosting provider, the key still belongs in the new instance’s txAdmin field or executed server.cfg. Copy the configuration carefully, then verify that the host is launching the expected server-data directory. A working key on the old machine does not help if the host starts a different configuration.

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If responsibility changes, make sure the long-term managing Cfx account is the one used for the Portal key. Update the new deployment with the account-associated credential and remove exposed copies from temporary setup notes. Keep the display name descriptive so production and test keys are not confused during a migration.

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Troubleshoot the common license-key errors

“No license key specified”

  • For txAdmin, return to the recipe deployer’s input-parameters step and enter the generated value in the license-key field.
  • For a manual installation, add sv_licenseKey "YOUR_GENERATED_KEY" to the exact server.cfg loaded by FXServer.
  • Check the launch command for +exec server.cfg and confirm that it points to the server-data directory and file you edited.
  • Save the file and restart the server process so the updated configuration is loaded.

Do not respond by pasting the display name, your Portal login password or a different API token. The error means FXServer did not receive the registration-key convar in its active configuration.

Authentication or license error after entering a key

  • Return to the Cfx.re Portal and verify that you copied the generated value from the intended account.
  • Compare the value entered in txAdmin or server.cfg with the Portal value exactly.
  • Confirm that FXServer is loading the configuration you edited, especially if more than one server-data directory exists.
  • Check the launch context and the file selected by +exec. Legacy Cfx.re support guidance specifically recommends double-checking the key and launch context for this class of error.

Check one variable at a time: account, key value, active configuration file and startup command. This avoids masking an authentication problem with an unrelated change to resources or networking.

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The key was exposed publicly

Because the value is a server credential, treat an exposed key as compromised. Revoke or replace it in the Portal if that control is available, then update every server, hosting panel or deployment file that used the old value. The cited official pages do not publish a universal recovery time, so do not assume that replacement follows a fixed service-level deadline.

Search deployment notes, screenshots, public repositories and support conversations for the old value. Replace it wherever it was copied, then restart each affected server. A replacement in the Portal alone does not update a txAdmin recipe, manual file or hosting-panel field that still contains the previous value.

A public server works in LAN mode but not publicly

Check whether sv_lan true is enabled. LAN mode skips license-key checks, so it can hide a missing or invalid public-server credential. Remove the LAN-only setting for a public deployment and complete the normal Portal-key configuration.

The server has more than 48 slots

Do not solve a capacity error by generating multiple registration keys. Verify the separate Element Club entitlement requirement documented for more than 48 slots, and make sure the registration key associated with the managing Cfx account is still configured on the server instance.

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The key works on one environment but not another

Compare the startup commands and configuration paths first. Production and development may have separate server-data directories, txAdmin instances or hosting-panel profiles. Confirm that each public instance has a valid Portal-generated value in its active configuration and that a test machine is not accidentally being started with the production file.

Protect and maintain the credential

Store it as secret configuration

  • Keep the value out of screenshots, public issue trackers, forum posts and shared tutorials.
  • Restrict access to the server-data directory, hosting panel and deployment files that contain it.
  • When sharing a configuration for support, replace the value with a neutral example such as YOUR_GENERATED_KEY.
  • Do not confuse the registration key with passwords or tokens belonging to other services.

Use meaningful Portal display names

Names such as My RP Production and Local Development make it easier to identify the intended environment later. The display name is an administrative label; it is not the key value and should not be pasted into server.cfg.

Update every deployment after replacement

If you replace a compromised or retired value, update txAdmin, manual configuration files and hosting-panel fields that used it. A server still carrying the old value can continue to fail authentication even after the Portal has a replacement ready.

Final setup checklist

  • You signed in to the Cfx.re Portal with the account that will manage the server.
  • You used Create a key, entered a recognizable display name and selected GENERATE.
  • You copied the generated value without substituting a game license, framework license or unrelated token.
  • For txAdmin, you pasted it into the recipe deployer’s license-key field before running the recipe.
  • For vanilla FXServer, you added sv_licenseKey "YOUR_GENERATED_KEY" to the server.cfg selected by +exec server.cfg.
  • You are not relying on sv_lan true for a public server.
  • If you plan more than 48 slots, you checked the separate Element Club capacity requirement.
  • You kept the generated value private and know where to replace it if it is exposed.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get a FiveM Keymaster key in 2026?

Open portal.cfx.re, sign in with the Cfx account that will manage the server, open the server registration-key area, choose Create a key, enter a display name, click GENERATE and copy the value. “Keymaster” is the older name for this Portal workflow.

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Where do I put the Cfx license key in txAdmin?

Enter the generated value in the recipe deployer’s license-key field during the input-parameters step, before running the recipe. Do not paste your Cfx password or another service token there.

Where does sv_licenseKey go in server.cfg?

Put sv_licenseKey "YOUR_GENERATED_KEY" in the exact server.cfg loaded by FXServer. Start the process with the appropriate +exec server.cfg argument and verify that it points to the file you edited.

Do I have to pay for a FiveM license key?

No. Cfx.re describes the registration key as free. A separate capacity rule can apply to hosted servers with more than 48 slots: the documented requirement is FiveM Element Club Argentum or above. That paid entitlement is not the registration key.

Can I run a FiveM server without a license key?

An intentionally LAN-only server can set sv_lan true, which skips license-key checks. That does not authenticate a public server. A public server needs the normal Portal-generated registration key.

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Why does my server say no license key specified?

Usually FXServer did not read the convar. For txAdmin, enter the value in the recipe field. For a manual setup, add the convar to the active server.cfg, check the +exec launch argument and restart the process.

Is a FiveM registration key the same as a GTA V or Steam key?

No. It authenticates the server with Cfx.re services. It is separate from a Grand Theft Auto V game license, framework license, Steam Web API key, Discord token and Tebex secret.

What should I do if the key appears in a public post?

Treat it as compromised. Revoke or replace it in the Portal if that control is available, then update txAdmin, server.cfg files and hosting-panel fields that used the old value. Restart affected servers after updating them.

The Bottom Line

The old FiveM Keymaster workflow is now the Cfx.re Portal: create a free registration key under the account that will manage the server, then give that value to txAdmin or set it as sv_licenseKey in the server.cfg FXServer actually loads. LAN mode can skip checks for private testing, while more than 48 slots may require a separate Element Club capacity entitlement.

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