Intermediate

FiveM Server on Pterodactyl – Full Setup Guide (2026)

⏱️ 20 min read 🚗 FiveM 📅 Updated May 2026

Running a FiveM server through Pterodactyl Panel gives you full control — restart, monitor, manage resources, and add players without SSH. This guide covers everything from the egg install to getting txAdmin running and your server listed publicly.

Prerequisites: You already have Pterodactyl Panel installed and Wings connected. If not, start with the install guide first.

🥚 FiveM + txAdmin Egg

Download the working 2026 egg file and import it directly into your Pterodactyl Panel.

⬇ Download Egg JSON

Step 1 — Get a FiveM License Key

FiveM requires a license key tied to a Steam account. It's free.

  1. Go to keymaster.fivem.net
  2. Log in with Steam
  3. Click New Server → fill in your server IP and name
  4. Copy the license key (looks like: cfxk_xxxxxxxxxxxx)
Important: The license key is locked to a specific IP address. If you change your server IP later, you'll need to update it in keymaster.

Step 2 — Import the Egg

  1. In your Pterodactyl admin panel, go to Admin → Nests
  2. Create a new nest called "FiveM" (or use an existing one)
  3. Click Import Egg
  4. Upload the fivem-txadmin.json file you downloaded above
  5. Hit Save

Step 3 — Create the FiveM Server

  1. Go to Admin → Servers → Create New
  2. Name your server
  3. Select a node and allocation (you need port 30120 open — this is the main FiveM port)
  4. Under "Container Image", select the FiveM egg you just imported
  5. Set resources:
    • RAM: minimum 4GB (8GB recommended for scripts)
    • Disk: minimum 10GB
    • CPU: 200–400%
  6. Under "Egg Variables", paste your license key
  7. Hit Create

Step 4 — Open Required Ports

On your VPS, make sure these ports are open:

ufw allow 30120/tcp
ufw allow 30120/udp
ufw allow 40120/tcp   # txAdmin web panel

Step 5 — Start the Server & Set Up txAdmin

  1. In Pterodactyl, start your FiveM server
  2. Watch the console — it will output a txAdmin setup URL like:
    http://YOUR_IP:40120/
  3. Open that URL in your browser
  4. Follow the txAdmin first-run wizard — choose a recipe (QBCore, ESX, or vanilla)
  5. txAdmin will auto-download and configure your framework
🎉 Your server is live! Players can connect in FiveM by pressing F8 and typing connect YOUR_IP:30120

Step 6 — Add to FiveM Server List (Optional)

To appear in the public FiveM server browser:

  1. In your server.cfg, add: sv_master1 "https://servers-frontend.fivem.net/api/servers/join"
  2. Make sure sv_projectName and sv_projectDesc are set
  3. Your server will appear in the browser within ~5 minutes of starting

Common Issues

Server won't start — "License key invalid"

Double-check the IP in keymaster.fivem.net matches your VPS IP exactly. The license is IP-locked.

txAdmin panel unreachable

Make sure port 40120 is open in your firewall. Check: ufw status and also check your VPS provider's firewall/security group settings.

Players can connect but get "server shutting down"

Your server is running out of RAM. Increase the memory allocation in Pterodactyl.

Next Steps