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When a FiveM server is missing from the public browser, check it in this order: confirm port 30120 is reachable from outside your network, verify that sv_licenseKey is valid and used only once, and make sure sv_master1 remains commented out. Those three checks account for most listing failures; the remaining sections cover query errors, slot limits, filters, registration delays and outdated server files.
Start with an outside-network test
A test made on the server computer can be misleading because the request may never leave that machine or local network. Use a different connection instead: open your server’s information endpoint from a phone using mobile data, a computer at another location, or another network that is not connected to the same router.
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- Find the public IP address or DNS name that players use to connect.
- Open
http://SERVER_ADDRESS:30120/info.jsonin a browser on the outside connection. - Check whether the page loads and returns server information.
If the page does not load, solve reachability before changing FiveM settings. A failed outside request normally means port forwarding, a host firewall, a provider firewall or an incorrect public address is blocking the master server’s path to your instance. A page that loads proves the endpoint is reachable; it does not by itself prove that the server has registered correctly, so continue with the configuration checks below.
Make port 30120 reachable on both protocols
FiveM listing traffic depends on the server’s normal endpoint being reachable on port 30120 over both TCP and UDP. Routers and firewalls commonly treat those protocols as separate rules. Opening only one is therefore not a complete fix.
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| Where to check | Required action | Typical failure symptom |
|---|---|---|
| Home router | Create a port-forwarding entry for port 30120 to the server’s private LAN address, with TCP enabled. | The server works locally but the outside info.json request fails. |
| Home router | Create a second entry for port 30120 to the same machine, with UDP enabled. | Some connectivity tests pass, but listing or server queries remain unreliable. |
| Windows or Linux host firewall | Allow inbound TCP 30120 and inbound UDP 30120. On Windows, create separate inbound rules for the two protocols. | Router forwarding appears correct, yet the port is still closed from the internet. |
| VPS or dedicated host | Allow TCP and UDP 30120 in the provider’s network firewall or security-group panel as well as in the operating-system firewall. | The service listens locally, but external probes cannot reach it. |
Use a stable private address for forwarding
A home router forwards to a private address such as a 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x address. If that address changes after a reboot, the forwarding rule can silently point at the wrong computer. Reserve the address in the router’s DHCP settings or configure an equivalent static assignment, then confirm that the forwarding target still matches the machine running the FiveM process.
Check the address players actually use
Do not test an old address copied from a previous setup. Confirm the current public address, DNS record and port in the connection details you give players. If your internet service uses carrier-grade NAT, ordinary port forwarding may not be possible; in that case the outside test will continue to fail until the host provides a reachable public address or another network arrangement.
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Verify the Cfx.re license key
A missing, expired or reused sv_licenseKey can prevent successful registration even when the port is open. Keys are issued through the Cfx.re keymaster portal. Check the server configuration and startup console for the key associated with this instance.
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- Make sure the configuration actually loaded by the running process contains
sv_licenseKey; editing a different or unused config has no effect. - Replace a key that has expired or been revoked in the keymaster portal.
- Use one license key for one running server instance. Do not copy the same key into multiple simultaneously running configurations.
- Restart the server after correcting the value and watch the startup output for authentication or registration errors.
Keep the key private. It is a credential, not a value to publish in a support post or a public configuration repository. If the key is valid but the console reports a different registration error, return to the reachability test rather than assuming the key is the only problem.
Keep sv_master1 commented out
The sv_master1 setting has an unusual failure mode: when it is uncommented, Cfx.re treats the server as private. A private listing does not behave like a normal public result and the browser can omit the usual connect button.
Open the configuration file used at startup and ensure the sv_master1 line is commented out, using the comment character appropriate to the file format. Do not add a master-server value simply because the server is absent from the list. Save the file, restart the instance and check the browser again after registration has had time to complete.
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Read the console for master-server query errors
Once 30120 is reachable and the key and privacy setting are correct, inspect the server console while it starts and while it remains online. Messages about failed master-server queries, listing registration or an inability to contact the query service indicate a problem on the path between your instance and the listing service rather than a client browser filter.
Try sv_listingIPOverride only when the console points to a query problem
A community guide reports that setting sv_listingIPOverride to the server’s public IP address together with the port resolves query errors in many cases. This is a secondary, single-source recommendation rather than a guaranteed Cfx.re fix. Apply it only when the console shows a query or address-selection error, use the public address that outside players can reach, then restart and recheck the log. If the override makes no difference, remove it and return to verifying routing and firewall rules instead of stacking more overrides.
Separate txAdmin access from game-listing access
One guide also recommends opening TCP port 40120 for txAdmin. That port is associated with the administration interface, not the primary FiveM listing endpoint. Open it only if you need remote txAdmin access and have secured that interface; opening 40120 will not substitute for TCP and UDP 30120 and should not be treated as a listing fix.
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Check the slot setting and account tier
A hosting guide reports that running more than 48 slots requires a paid Cfx tier and recommends setting sv_maxclients to 48 or lower when the required tier is not active. The exact tier wording and current pricing were not independently confirmed, so treat this as a diagnostic limit rather than a universal pricing statement.
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sv_maxclientsvalue in the configuration that actually starts the server. - If it is above 48 and you do not knowingly have the tier that permits it, lower it to 48 or below.
- Restart the server and watch for slot, entitlement or registration errors.
Do not infer that a low player count means the slot setting is harmless: the configured maximum, not the number currently connected, is what matters for this check.
Remove client-side reasons the result is hidden
A server can be registered and still be invisible in an individual browser because of filters. Clear the search text and reset filters for region, language, tags, maximum ping, player count, empty or full servers, and any favorites-only view. Then search by the exact server name and wait for the list to refresh.
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One guide reports that a newly started server can take up to eight minutes to appear. That timing is not established by an official source and should not be used to excuse a failed port test. Use it only as a reasonable waiting window after the endpoint is reachable, the console shows no registration error and the configuration has been restarted.
Update old server artifacts carefully
Outdated server artifacts can fail to register with current services. Search summaries attribute a policy that the master server may no longer accept registrations from old artifacts, but that claim is not clearly tied to a specific guide or current Cfx.re statement. Treat it as a lower-confidence possibility after the network and configuration checks.
Record your current artifact version, back up the server data and update through the normal FiveM distribution channel. After updating, start the server with the same configuration, confirm that resources still load, and compare the new console output with the earlier registration errors. Do not delete the old installation until the updated instance is verified.
Do not mistake sv_endpointprivacy for a listing switch
One guide says sv_endpointprivacy hides connection details rather than hiding the server itself. That interpretation was not confirmed against official Cfx.re documentation. If the server is completely absent, look first for failed registration messages and perform the outside info.json test instead of toggling this setting at random. Change it only when you understand the privacy effect you want and have ruled out the primary causes.
A complete troubleshooting sequence
Use this order so that each test answers a different question and you do not spend time changing unrelated settings.
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- Confirm the running configuration. Identify the exact config file and startup command used by the live instance. Verify that its port, license key and slot values are the ones you are editing.
- Test from outside. Load
http://SERVER_ADDRESS:30120/info.jsonover mobile data or another remote network. - Fix reachability. Correct router forwarding, host-firewall rules and VPS provider rules for both TCP and UDP 30120. Repeat the outside test until it succeeds.
- Validate licensing. Confirm an active key from the Cfx.re keymaster portal and ensure no other running instance uses it.
- Check public-listing mode. Comment out
sv_master1; do not supply a master value for a public server. - Restart and read the console. Record any master-server query or registration error instead of relying only on the browser list.
- Address query-specific errors. If the log identifies an address-selection problem, evaluate the reported
sv_listingIPOverridesetting, understanding that this is a lower-confidence community fix. - Check entitlement and filters. Keep
sv_maxclientsat 48 or below unless your current Cfx arrangement explicitly permits more, reset browser filters and allow a short registration delay. - Update artifacts last. Back up, update the server files and compare the post-update console output if the listing still fails.
How to interpret the result
| What you observe | Most useful next action |
|---|---|
info.json fails from another network |
Fix port forwarding or firewall rules for TCP and UDP 30120. |
info.json loads, but startup reports license errors |
Replace or correctly load the sv_licenseKey; ensure it is not shared. |
| The server appears private or lacks a connect button | Comment out sv_master1 and restart. |
| The console reports master-server query failures | Check the public address selection and consider the documented sv_listingIPOverride workaround with its uncertainty noted. |
| Other players can find it, but one computer cannot | Reset that browser’s filters, search text and favorites-only settings. |
| Nothing changes after all checks | Capture the full startup and registration errors, verify the artifact version and recheck the live configuration rather than a template file. |
The key distinction is whether the server is unreachable, rejected during registration, deliberately private or merely filtered out locally. Establish that distinction with the outside endpoint test and the console before changing additional variables.
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