The FiveM Glossary
35 terms a FiveM server owner actually runs into — what each one means, and more usefully, what it changes about how you run your server. No definitions copied from a wiki, and no pretending the awkward ones do not exist.
Server list & ranking
BurstA short-lived boost applied to a server's list position, separate from its accumulated upvote power.Cfx.reThe organisation and platform behind FiveM and RedM, which also runs the master server list, forums and Keymaster.LocaleThe country or language code a server advertises, used by players to filter for servers they can actually play on.Server listThe in-client directory where players browse and join FiveM servers, sorted largely by upvote power.sv_hostnameThe server name shown in the FiveM list — the single most-read piece of text your server owns.sv_projectName / sv_projectDescThe project name and description shown on a server's detail panel — the pitch a player reads after the name.TagsKeywords set in server.cfg that place your server into the filters players browse by.Upvote powerThe weighted, decaying score the FiveM server list sorts on — not a raw count of upvote clicks.
Frameworks & scripts
EscrowCfx.re's asset-protection system that encrypts a paid resource's code and ties it to the buying account.ESXOne of the two dominant FiveM roleplay frameworks, providing jobs, inventory, money and a shared API for scripts.fxmanifest.luaThe manifest file that declares what a resource contains, which game build it targets and what it depends on.MLOA custom building interior added to the map, the main way servers create spaces the base game does not have.ox_libA shared library of UI, callbacks and utilities that a large share of modern FiveM resources depend on.QBCoreThe other dominant FiveM roleplay framework, newer than ESX and built around a metadata-rich player object.QBoxA community fork of QBCore focused on modern tooling, ox_lib integration and stricter code standards.ResourceA self-contained folder of scripts, assets and a manifest that the server loads to add functionality.Streamed assetsModels, textures and map data delivered to the player's client at connect time from a resource's stream folder.
Hosting & infrastructure
KeymasterThe Cfx.re portal that issues the licence key every FiveM server needs in order to appear online.OneSyncThe Cfx.re server-side synchronisation model that lifts FiveM past the original 32-player ceiling.PingRound-trip latency between a player and the server, and the main reason a player picks one region over another.QueueThe waiting line that forms when a server is full, and one of the few perks that can be sold without breaking the rules.resmonThe in-client profiler that shows how much CPU time each resource consumes per frame.Server artifactsThe versioned FXServer binaries a FiveM server runs on, published by Cfx.re as numbered builds.server.cfgThe main configuration file that tells a FiveM server what to load, what to call itself and how to behave.TebexThe payment platform Cfx.re designates for selling FiveM server perks and resources.
Gameplay & roleplay
FiveMThe multiplayer modification for Grand Theft Auto V that lets anyone run a custom server with their own scripts, vehicles and rules.Metagaming and powergamingUsing out-of-character information in character (metagaming), or forcing outcomes others cannot react to (powergaming).Player retentionThe share of new players who come back — the number that decides whether visibility turns into a community.RDM and VDMKilling another player without roleplay reason, on foot (RDM) or with a vehicle (VDM) — the most-enforced rule on most servers.Roleplay (RP)The dominant FiveM genre, where players act consistently as a character inside an in-world economy and rule set.
Admin & moderation
Bans and appealsThe enforcement record behind a server's rules, and the process that makes that enforcement survivable.Discord integrationThe link between a FiveM server and its Discord, used for whitelisting, roles, logs and player retention.Platform Server AgreementThe agreement every FiveM server operates under, covering monetisation, content and platform manipulation.txAdminThe web-based control panel bundled with FXServer for starting, monitoring, configuring and moderating a FiveM server.WhitelistA gate that restricts joining to approved players, usually via an application, interview or Discord role.
Where to go next
If you came here because your server is not getting players, the two terms worth reading first are upvote power — which decides where you sit on the list — and player retention, which decides whether that position is worth anything.
From there: the live leaderboard shows what the numbers look like at the top, the upvote calculator turns a target into a campaign size, and the answers library covers the longer questions, including when buying upvotes is the wrong move.