QBCore is the most widely used roleplay framework for FiveM (GTA V RP) servers. It bundles a character system, jobs, inventory, an economy, and dozens of supporting resources into one ecosystem. The good news for 2026 is that you no longer have to clone repositories by hand and wire them together one by one — the official txAdmin recipe deploys the entire base server for you. This guide walks through the recommended install path, the dependencies that matter, and the all-important resource startup order. Always cross-check the latest specifics against the official QBCore documentation, since resource names and versions change frequently.
What you need before you start
- A FiveM server license key (CFX key) from keymaster.fivem.net — see our FiveM Keymaster license key guide.
- The latest recommended FiveM server artifacts. New to artifacts? Read FiveM server artifacts explained.
- A MySQL/MariaDB database. MariaDB 10.6+ is recommended over MySQL 8, which has authentication-plugin quirks.
- A clean server-data folder where the recipe can deploy.
Step 1: Deploy with the txAdmin recipe
The fastest, most reliable way to install QBCore is the official txAdmin recipe. txAdmin ships inside the FiveM server artifacts, so once you launch the server executable it opens a web management panel for the rest of the process.
- Start your server artifacts to launch txAdmin and open the panel in your browser.
- Link your FiveM (CFX) account and set an admin password.
- At the deployment step, choose Popular Template, then select QBCore Framework.
- Confirm the server data folder (the suggested path is fine).
- Paste your CFX license key when prompted, then click Run Recipe.
The recipe downloads roughly 70 resources into a [qb] folder plus standalone dependencies, imports the QBCore SQL schema, and writes a working server.cfg. Let the install run all the way through — it pauses briefly between downloads to avoid GitHub rate limiting, so it is normal for it to take several minutes.
Step 2: Understand the key dependencies
QBCore is not a single resource — it is a framework core plus a set of dependencies. The recipe installs these for you, but you should know what they do so you can troubleshoot later.
| Resource | Role |
|---|---|
oxmysql | Database wrapper — every framework query goes through it. Must load first. |
qb-core | The framework core: players, jobs, items, shared events. |
pma-voice | Proximity/voice chat used by QBCore servers. |
PolyZone | Zone/area detection used by many jobs and scripts. |
progressbar | UI progress bars for actions like crafting and repairs. |
For a deeper look at the database layer, see our oxmysql database guide, and for voice configuration, our pma-voice setup guide.
Step 3: Connect the database
The recipe imports the schema, but oxmysql still needs to know how to reach your database. Add the connection string convar to server.cfg before the line that starts oxmysql. The modern URI-based format is the current standard:
set mysql_connection_string "mysql://USER:PASSWORD@HOST/DATABASE?charset=utf8mb4"
ensure oxmysqlReplace USER, PASSWORD, HOST, and DATABASE with your own values. If your password contains special characters (such as = or @), URL-encode them or the connection string will break. If you are on a managed panel, the database credentials are usually shown in your control panel’s database section.
Step 4: Get the ensure order right
This is where most failed installs go wrong. In FiveM, ensure starts a resource (and restarts it if it is already running). Resources must start in dependency order: the database layer first, then the framework core, then everything that depends on it. A simplified, correct order looks like this:
# Database first
ensure oxmysql
# Framework core and shared libraries
ensure qb-core
ensure PolyZone
ensure progressbar
ensure pma-voice
# Then all qb-* jobs, inventory, HUD, etc.
ensure qb-multicharacter
ensure qb-spawn
# ... remaining resourcesIf oxmysql starts after a resource that needs the database, you will see SQL or “table doesn’t exist” errors in the console. If qb-core starts after a qb-* job, that job will fail to find the framework exports. The recipe writes a sensible order by default — only reorder things deliberately. The exact list of resources and their names can drift between QBCore releases, so confirm against the current recipe if something is missing.
Step 5: Set yourself as admin and start the server
Start the server from txAdmin and join. To grant yourself in-game admin permissions, add your identifier to the principal/ACE permission lines in server.cfg — the QBCore docs’ “Setting Permissions” page covers the exact format. For an in-game management menu, pair this with our FiveM admin menu setup guide.
Once you confirm the framework loads cleanly, you can layer on additional resources. If you want a hassle-free environment with the artifacts, database, and txAdmin already wired up, our managed FiveM hosting plans let you deploy the QBCore recipe in a couple of clicks. You can also browse setup walkthroughs in the XGamingServer FiveM documentation.
Frequently asked questions
QBCore vs QBox vs ESX — which framework should I install?
QBCore is the established choice with the largest script ecosystem and the most tutorials, which is why it is the default in this guide. QBox is a community fork that modernizes parts of QBCore, and ESX is an older alternative framework. Pick one and commit — mixing frameworks causes conflicts. Always follow the install steps from that framework’s own current documentation.
My server starts but resources throw SQL errors. What’s wrong?
Almost always a database problem. Check that your mysql_connection_string is correct, that ensure oxmysql appears before any resource that uses the database, and that the QBCore SQL schema actually imported. Special characters in the password that aren’t URL-encoded are a common culprit.
Do I have to use txAdmin, or can I install QBCore manually?
You can install manually by downloading qb-core and its dependencies and writing your own server.cfg, but the txAdmin recipe is the officially recommended path because it handles downloads, the database import, and a working config automatically. For most people, the recipe is faster and less error-prone.
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