RedM gives you more than one door into a server. Players can search for it in the RedM browser, paste its address into Direct Connect, type a command in the F8 console, or click the Cfx.re link the server creates for itself. If you just received an address from a friend, use Direct Connect: it does not depend on the public list at all, so it works even on a server that went online a minute ago.
What every player needs first
A PC copy of Red Dead Redemption 2. The store does not matter (Steam, Epic Games or the Rockstar Games Launcher), but the game must be installed and started at least once. RedM hooks into an existing installation, and a copy that has never been launched gives it nothing to hook into.
The RedM client. Grab RedM.exe from redm.net and run it. It installs itself, finds your Red Dead Redemption 2 folder and opens the RedM launcher.
A Cfx.re account. The client asks you to sign in or create one the first time it opens. There is nothing else to register.
Finding your server's address
If you are the owner, open your server in the control panel. The Overview tab shows the address and port, with a copy button beside it, and the Join button shows the same details from any tab.
Send that exact address:port to your players. RedM's default port is 30120, but always use what the panel shows.
Joining from the server browser
- Start RedM and open the server list
- Search for a word from the server name. The search is forgiving, so one distinctive word usually finds it
- Select the server and press Connect
This is how most players will arrive, and it is the only option for someone who does not have the address. A server that is new or misconfigured may not be listed yet; see the troubleshooting section below.
Joining with Direct Connect
- In the RedM launcher, switch to the Direct Connect tab
- Paste the address and port, for example
203.0.113.10:30120 - Press Connect
No waiting for the list to refresh, no searching. This is the route to give people the moment the server is up.
Joining from the F8 console
Inside RedM, F8 opens a console that accepts the same address:
connect 203.0.113.10:30120
Type it and press Enter. It is the quickest way to switch from one server to another without going back to the launcher.
Sharing the Cfx.re link
Once your server has authenticated with Cfx.re, it gets its own link of the form https://something.users.cfx.re/. The server prints it a single time during startup, on a line that mentions Authenticated with cfx.re Nucleus.
Opening that link launches RedM and connects straight to the server, which makes it the tidiest thing to pin in a Discord channel. Because it only appears once per boot, keep the Console tab open while the server starts and copy it from there. Missed it? Restart the server and watch for the line again.
Troubleshooting
The server is missing from the browser. Check these in order:
- Try Direct Connect. If that works, the server is healthy and only the listing is affected.
- Make sure the server has a valid Cfx.re license key. Without one it is never listed.
- Look in
server.cfgfor a line that turns the server private. The usual suspect is thesv_master1line: it ships commented out, and enabling it hides the server and greys out its connect button. - Give a brand new server several minutes. The first listing is not instant.
- Listing relies on the UDP side of the game port. A server reachable over TCP but not UDP can accept connections and still never show up.
"Server specified an invalid game enforcement". The server's sv_enforceGameBuild asks for a Red Dead Redemption 2 build the player does not have, or the setting is missing. Players should update both the game and RedM, and the owner should set the build their framework expects. The fix belongs on the server, not on the player's PC.
Stuck on the loading screen. Usually a resource on the server that fails to start. The owner should look through the Console for a resource throwing errors during startup. On a server with lots of custom content, a slow first join can also just be the client downloading every asset.
Direct Connect works, the Cfx.re link does not. The link is handled by Cfx.re, not by your server. Confirm the Nucleus line appeared in the console and give it a few minutes.
RedM refuses to start. Launch Red Dead Redemption 2 on its own, let it reach the main menu, quit, and try RedM again.
A licensing or "not authorized" error on connect. The server's license key is the problem. The owner should generate a new key at portal.cfx.re and put it on the server.
Frequently asked questions
Which method should I send to my friends? The address and port for Direct Connect. It works whether or not the server is listed.
Do players need a separate RedM account? Only the free Cfx.re account the client asks for on first launch.
Why can I join with Direct Connect when nobody finds the server in the list?
Joining only needs the server to be reachable. Being listed also needs a valid license key, a public setup in server.cfg, and some time after the first boot.
Is the Cfx.re link permanent? It is tied to the server's authentication with Cfx.re and printed on every boot, so you can always fetch it again from the console after a restart.
Server running but still unreachable after these checks? Contact support with your server name and we will look from our side. No server yet? See our RedM server hosting plans.
