What exactly are FiveM artifacts?

Artifacts are the builds of FXServer, the server software every FiveM server runs on. Cfx.re continuously publishes new builds with bug fixes and compatibility changes. Your server doesn't update itself, so you have to pull those new builds in yourself — at MC-Node via the Update FiveM Artifacts option in the panel.

How often should I update my FiveM server?

A fixed rhythm of every few weeks works fine for most servers. Definitely update when players get connection problems after a client update, and with big releases do the opposite: wait a few days until the first teething problems have been ironed out.

What's the difference between recommended and latest artifacts?

Recommended is an older build that has proven itself in practice; latest is the very newest build with the most recent fixes. For most servers recommended is the safe choice. You only pick latest if you need a specific fix that isn't in recommended yet.

Can I go back to an older version if an update goes wrong?

Yes — with a backup from before the update you simply restore your server. So always make a backup first, especially if your framework applies database changes too, because you can't just roll those back without one.

// FiveM

Updating your FiveM server: artifacts, txAdmin and resources

24 August 2026 · 4 min read

A FiveM server that runs perfectly today can suddenly start stuttering next week without you changing a thing. The culprit usually isn't your server itself, but everything around it: your players' FiveM client gets updated automatically, resources release new versions, and GTA V itself changes every now and then too. If you never update your server, you'll slowly but surely get stuck in weird bugs and connection problems. In this article you'll read how to prevent that: what artifacts actually are, how to update safely via the panel and txAdmin, and — at least as important — when it's smarter to wait a little.

What are server artifacts, exactly?

FiveM servers run on FXServer, the server software from Cfx.re. New builds of it appear continuously, and those builds are called artifacts. Each artifact has an incrementing build number and contains bug fixes, performance improvements and changes needed to stay compatible with new versions of the FiveM client.

That last part is where things usually go wrong. The client on your players' PCs updates itself automatically; your server doesn't. The bigger the gap between the two gets, the bigger the chance of problems. Cfx.re publishes artifacts in two flavours: recommended (an older, proven stable build) and latest (the newest build with all the recent fixes). For most servers, recommended is the sensible choice; you only grab latest if you need a specific fix that hasn't made it in there yet.

Why outdated artifacts cause problems

Running a few weeks behind usually goes unnoticed at first. But the older your artifact, the bigger the chance of complaints like these:

Connection problems. After a client update, players can suddenly get timeouts or hang while joining, even though nothing changed on your end. This is by far the most common reason a server seems to be "suddenly broken".
Bugs that were fixed long ago. Crashes, memory leaks and sync issues that newer builds have already fixed — you simply keep them.
Resources that expect new features. Script creators build on recent artifacts. If you run an old build, new versions of popular resources sometimes work only half, or not at all.
Missed security fixes. FXServer also gets fixes against abuse and exploits from time to time. You don't want to leave those sitting for months, especially not with a public server.

Updating via the panel and txAdmin

At MC-Node you don't have to download and transfer files yourself: the control panel includes the Update FiveM Artifacts option. With it enabled, your server automatically pulls in the newest artifact at the next restart. The knowledge base explains how to switch that option on and off. A sensible update evening looks like this:

Make a backup first. Your database and your resources folder are sacred. Making a backup takes a few minutes and turns every failed update into a minor inconvenience instead of a disaster.
Pick a quiet moment and announce it. Via txAdmin you schedule a restart with an announcement, so players don't drop out of the sky mid-scenario.
Enable the update option and restart. The server fetches the new artifact and boots with it. Because txAdmin ships together with FXServer, a new artifact often gets you a newer txAdmin as a free bonus.
Read along in the console. Errors and warnings appear right at startup. One red line doesn't mean everything is broken, but you do want to know where it comes from before your players notice.
Test it yourself before announcing anything. Connect to your server, walk around and test your most important scripts. Only when that feels right do you switch the update option off again if you like, so you decide when the next jump happens.

Updating resources without wrecking your server

The artifact is the foundation; your resources are the floors on top. Different rules apply there:

One resource at a time. Update ten at once and something breaks, and you get to guess which one is the culprit. Updating one by one feels slow, but is much faster on balance.
Read the changelog first. Serious script creators mention breaking changes, new dependencies and changed config files. Two minutes of reading saves you an evening of debugging.
Keep the old version. Rename the old folder to something like naam_resource_oud before putting the new one in place. If things go wrong, you're rolled back within a minute.
Practice on a test resource. New to updating? Run through the whole process with a small, unimportant resource first, before touching your framework or economy scripts. Frameworks like ESX and QBCore in particular sometimes come with database changes you can't simply undo.
Only restart what's needed. With refresh and ensure naam_resource in the console you reload a single resource without taking the whole server down — although after a big update, a full restart is still the cleanest test.

When you should NOT update right away

Updating everything immediately sounds diligent, but it isn't always smart. Right after a big release — a hefty GTA V update, a new artifact series or a major version of your framework — the chance of teething problems is at its highest. In the first days after such a release the nastiest bugs get found and fixed, and you'd rather leave that to servers with less to lose than yours.

Practical rules of thumb: don't update right before your busiest evening, wait a few days after big releases, and have a quick look in the Discord or forum of your most important resources to see whether problems are being reported there. If your server runs stably on recommended, there's rarely a reason to jump to latest. But don't postpone updating forever either: the longer you wait, the bigger the jump — and the more can break at once.

Make it a routine

The difference between servers that grow along smoothly and servers that fight fires every month is rarely knowledge — it's routine. Set a fixed moment, for example every two weeks on a quiet evening: make a backup, update the artifact, then resources one by one, and test briefly after each step. Write down what you updated, so you never have to search long when problems show up. All MC-Node FiveM plans — from Free (€0.00) to Enterprise (€56.00) — handle this from the same panel, so this routine stays the same whether you play with three friends or run a packed RP city.