FiveM Artifacts Explained

1. What a FiveM artifact is

Cfx.re publishes new FXServer builds several times a week on runtime.fivem.net, numbered in increasing order. Each build is a complete server package: the FXServer binaries, the Citizen runtime and the bundled txAdmin. Your resources, server.cfg and database are not part of it; they stay where they are when you change builds.

The build number is what the server list and the game client check. When Cfx.re ships a client update that needs a newer server, servers on older builds stop accepting new players until they update, which is why artifact updates are the most common maintenance job on a FiveM server.

2. Recommended, latest or a specific build?

Cfx.re marks one build as Recommended: the one that has been out long enough to be trusted. The Latest build is the newest one published, sometimes only hours old. For a public roleplay server, Recommended is the safe choice; take Latest only when a client update requires it or a changelog entry fixes a problem you have.

Older builds stay online, so you can also pin a specific number, for example when a resource you depend on breaks on a newer build. The changelog at changelogs.fivem.net lists what changed between builds and flags the ones marked as critical.

3. Check which build your server runs

Open the txAdmin login page of your server: the footer shows two versions, such as tx: v8.1.1 | fx: b followed by a number. That fx number is your artifact, and you do not even have to log in to read it. The server console prints the same number right after start.

4. Update on a VibeGAMES server (one click)

In the game panel, open your server and click Artifacts Updater under Game Server. The list shows the builds from runtime.fivem.net, with a Recommended tag on the one Cfx.re suggests and an Optional tag on the latest build; a search box finds a specific number.

Pick a build and press Install. The panel stops the server, downloads the build directly from Cfx.re and starts the server again; the Console page shows when it is back. Your resources, server.cfg, txAdmin data and database are untouched. If you jump many builds at once, make a backup first.

Servers switched to FiveM for GTAV Enhanced always run the latest build automatically, so the updater is read-only there; switch back on the GTAV Enhanced page if you need to pin a build.

5. Update by hand on a VPS or dedicated server

Stop the server. Download the build you want from runtime.fivem.net (fx.tar.xz for Linux, server.7z for Windows), extract it into a new folder next to the old one, and point your start command or run.sh at the new folder. Your server-data folder with the resources, server.cfg and cache stays where it is.

Start the server and watch the console for the build number and for the line that says the license key authentication succeeded. Keep the old folder until you are sure everything runs; rolling back is then a matter of pointing the start command back.

6. When an update breaks something

A server that no longer starts after an update is usually a resource that uses an API the new build removed, or a txAdmin profile that needs a reset. Check the console for the first red line, disable the resource it names and try again. If that does not help, install the Recommended build again; downgrading is as safe as upgrading.

Resource authors publish compatibility notes on the Cfx.re forum and on their release pages, so after a big jump it pays to update your largest resources (framework, inventory, anti-cheat) in the same session.

7. How often should you update?

Once every few weeks is enough for most servers, plus whenever a client update leaves players unable to connect. Watch the changelog for builds marked critical: those close security or stability problems and are worth installing right away. On VibeGAMES an update is one click and about a minute of downtime, so there is no reason to stay a year behind.