How to Fix a RedM Server That Will Not Start or List

RedM tells you exactly what went wrong in the panel console. Open Console and read from the top of the last start, not the bottom.

1. The licence key

A RedM server will not start without a valid sv_licenseKey in server.cfg. The console says so plainly. Common problems:

• No key set at all.
• A key registered to a different IP address. Keys tied to a fixed IP stop working if the server IP changes. Update the entry at keymaster.fivem.net.
• A key already in use by another running server.
• A revoked key. The keymaster page shows the status.

2. The endpoint ports

endpoint_add_tcp "0.0.0.0:30120"
endpoint_add_udp "0.0.0.0:30120"

Both must use the port allocated to your server, shown on the server overview, and both must be present. Keep the address as 0.0.0.0. Binding to a specific address here is a common cause of a server that starts cleanly and cannot be reached.

3. A resource failing to start

The console names the resource and the error. Work through them one at a time:

• A missing dependency, which the error usually names.
• A database connection string that is wrong or points at a database that does not exist.
• A Lua error with a file and line number.

To isolate a bad resource, comment out its ensure line with a # and start the server. If it comes up clean, you have found it.

4. The server runs but is not listed

• A server with an invalid licence key runs in a limited state and is not listed. Fix the key first.
• Give it a few minutes after a start before deciding it is missing.
• Prove it is joinable with connect YOUR_IP:YOUR_PORT in the RedM F8 console. If that works, the problem is the listing and not the server.
• Set a distinctive sv_hostname. A default name is very hard to find.

5. Players connect and time out

This is usually a resource crashing during the join, or a very large asset download timing out. The console logs the player joining and then the failure. Check for streamed assets that are larger than they need to be.

Back up before you experiment

Download server.cfg and your resources folder from Files before a round of changes. Remove your licence key from any copy you share.

What to send support

Open a ticket with your IP and port and the first hundred lines of console output from a fresh start. Never include your licence key.