How to Add FiveM Resources and Fix Common Script Errors

How resources are organised

Resources load from the resources/ folder in your server data directory. Any folder there is treated as a resource, except folders in square brackets, which are categories that can hold many resources. Category names are for organisation only; you can ensure [category] to start everything inside.

resources/
  [framework]/
    my-framework-core/
      fxmanifest.lua
  [scripts]/
    my-script/
      fxmanifest.lua
      client.lua
      server.lua

Folder names are free-form, but they are what you type after ensure. Files named the old __resource.lua still load with a deprecation warning, but new resources should use fxmanifest.lua.

fxmanifest.lua basics

The manifest is always Lua and tells the server which files to load. A minimal one looks like this:

fx_version 'cerulean'
game 'gta5'

author 'Your Name'
description 'What this resource does'
version '1.0.0'

shared_script 'config.lua'
client_scripts {
    'client/*.lua'
}
server_scripts {
    'server/*.lua'
}

dependencies {
    'oxmysql'
}

Step-by-step: add a resource

1. Read the resource's page

   Look for dependencies, a required framework, SQL to import, and any config values to edit.

2. Upload the folder

   Place it under resources/, in a category folder if you like, using SFTP or your host's file manager.

   Copy

   resources/[scripts]/my-script/fxmanifest.lua

3. Check the folder is not nested

   Open the resource folder and confirm fxmanifest.lua is directly inside. Archives often unzip to my-script/my-script/.

4. Import any SQL

   If the resource ships a .sql file, import it into the database before starting.

5. Add it to server.cfg

   Add ensure my-script below the lines for anything it depends on.

   Copy

   ensure my-script

6. Load it live

   In the console run refresh, then ensure my-script. Watch the output for errors.

7. Test as a player

   Join and test the feature. Keep the console open while you do.

Hosting with ChicagoServers? The GTA V FiveM server hosting page lists what is included, such as free server backups and SFTP file access.

Dependency order

The manifest's dependencies field says a resource needs another to load before it. The documentation does not promise that it will start missing dependencies for you, so do not rely on that. Instead, list dependencies explicitly above the resources that use them in server.cfg, and keep your order consistent:

1. Database layer and libraries
2. Framework core
3. Framework add-ons and job scripts
4. Standalone scripts and UI
5. Your own scripts

If a script calls an export from a resource that has not started yet, you will usually see a runtime error that names the missing export. The fix is almost always to move the dependency's ensure line higher. Also remember that restarting a dependency at runtime can stop the resources that depend on it without restarting them again, so restart the dependents too.

Reading the txAdmin console

txAdmin's Live Console shows the server output with a log file, command history and search. Search for the resource name first. The following messages come directly from FiveM's source or documentation:

Community guides also report "No such export" errors when a resource calls another that is not running or started later, and "attempt to index a nil value" for something that has not initialised yet. Both usually point back to start order.

Hitch warnings and performance

A "server thread hitch warning" line, shown as server thread hitch warning: timer interval of ... milliseconds, means the server thread was blocked longer than it should be. Community guides attribute most hitches to a resource looping over all players, slow database queries, or events sent too often. An isolated one at startup is normal; repeated ones under load are worth chasing.

FiveM's own profiler finds the culprit. Run these in the server console:

profiler record 500
profiler status
profiler view
profiler saveJSON profile.json

• profiler record 500 captures 500 frames. Trigger the lag while it records.
• profiler status shows whether the capture has finished.
• profiler view opens the capture in Chrome. When run on the server, it gives you a link to copy into Chrome.
• profiler saveJSON profile.json saves it for later. In Chrome DevTools, use the Performance tab and load the profile. The yellow resource tick events show time per resource, with file and line numbers.

Fixes follow the finding: update or replace the resource, reduce its loops, timers or events, or disable it to confirm it is the cause.

When the server is up but players cannot find or join it

• Check sv_master1 is commented out. If the line is present uncommented, the server shows as private and the browser's connect button is disabled.
• Test http://your-ip:30120/info.json in a browser, and try connect ip:port from the F8 console in FiveM.
• A new server can take up to about 8 minutes to appear in the server list.
• Slow startup on a self-run Windows machine is often Microsoft Defender scanning FXServer files. FiveM's docs suggest adding an exclusion for the server folder.

Frequently asked questions