-
Notifications
You must be signed in to change notification settings - Fork 2
Creating Your First Server
This guide will walk you through creating your first FiveM server using InkWash. It's super easy with our interactive wizard!
Before you start, make sure you have:
- ✅ InkWash installed (Installation Guide)
- ✅ A FiveM license key (How to get one)
- ✅ About 500MB of free disk space
- ✅ Internet connection
- Go to https://portal.cfx.re/servers/registration-keys
- Log in with your Cfx.re account
- Click "Register Server"
- Fill in the server details (you can use anything, it's just for registration)
- Click "Create"
- Copy the key (it starts with
cfxk_)
Save this key somewhere safe - you'll need it!
- Open Command Prompt (Press
Win + R, typecmd, press Enter) - Navigate to your InkWash folder:
cd C:\path\to\inkwash - Type:
inkwash.exe create
The wizard will ask you several questions. Here's what each one means:
Question: "What do you want to name your server?"
Example: my-first-server
Tips:
- Use lowercase letters and hyphens
- No spaces (InkWash will fix this automatically if you do)
- Choose something memorable!
Question: "Which FiveM build do you want to use?"
What is this? The version of FiveM server software.
Recommended: Just press Enter to use the recommended version!
Advanced: If you need a specific version, you can choose from the list.
Question: "Which license key do you want to use?"
Options:
- If you haven't added a key yet: Choose "Add new key"
- If you have keys saved: Select one from the list
Adding a new key:
- Select "Add new key"
- Give it a label (like "Main Key" or "Test Key")
- Paste your license key (the one starting with
cfxk_)
Question: "What port should your server use?"
Default: 30120
Tips:
- Just press Enter to use the default
- Only change this if you know what you're doing
- Make sure no other program is using this port!
Question: "Where do you want to install the server?"
Default: A folder next to InkWash
Tips:
- The default is usually fine!
- Make sure you have enough space (about 500MB)
- Don't use OneDrive or Dropbox folders
Final step: Review your choices!
The wizard will show you everything you selected. If it looks good, press Enter to continue!
InkWash will now:
- ✅ Download FiveM server files (~200MB)
- ✅ Extract the files
- ✅ Clone default resources
- ✅ Generate server.cfg
- ✅ Create launch scripts
This takes about 2-5 minutes depending on your internet speed.
You'll see a progress bar for each step!
🎉 Success! Your server is ready!
InkWash will show you:
- Server name
- Installation path
- Next steps
To start your new server:
inkwash.exe start my-first-serverReplace my-first-server with whatever you named your server!
Your server is now running!
To connect:
- Open FiveM
- Press F8 to open console
- Type:
connect localhost:30120
inkwash.exe listinkwash.exe stop my-first-serverinkwash.exe logs my-first-serverinkwash.exe logs my-first-server --followYour server's configuration is in server.cfg. You can edit this file to:
- Change server name
- Add resources
- Configure onesync
- Set max players
- And more!
Location: YourServerFolder/server.cfg
Now that you have a server, you might want to:
- Add mods - Convert GTA5 mods to FiveM resources
- Install resources - Add custom resources
- Configure server - Advanced settings
- Check your license key is correct:
inkwash.exe key list - Make sure port 30120 isn't in use
- Check server logs:
inkwash.exe logs my-first-server
- Make sure the server is running:
inkwash.exe list - Check you're using the right port (default: 30120)
- Try
connect localhost:30120in FiveM console (F8)
- Check your internet connection
- Make sure you have enough disk space (~500MB)
- Try again - sometimes downloads fail
Still having issues? Check the Troubleshooting Guide or open an issue!