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Enshrouded stores dedicated-server configuration in enshrouded_server.json, located in the server installation root and generated the first time the server starts. Stop the server before changing it: the process rewrites this file during shutdown, so edits made while it is running can be lost. Validate the JSON before restarting; reports indicate malformed syntax can either prevent startup or make the server fall back to defaults.
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The settings that matter most are slotCount (a maximum of 16 concurrent players), userGroups (passwords and permissions), queryPort (UDP 15637 by default), and gameSettingsPreset. To use individual difficulty values, set that preset to Custom. This guide explains the confirmed fields, the conflicting reports you should treat cautiously, and a safe procedure for applying changes.
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The dedicated server creates enshrouded_server.json in its installation root on first launch. The exact folder depends on how you installed or rented the server; a hosting panel may expose it through a file manager rather than showing the operating-system path. The file is ordinary JSON, so it can be edited with a plain-text editor, but it must remain valid JSON.
Several setup guides document this file and its lifecycle, including Winternode’s settings guide and Nodecraft’s change procedure. If the file is missing, start the server once, let it finish initialization, then stop it cleanly and look in the installation root again.
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Safe procedure for changing the file
- Stop the dedicated server completely. Do not edit while the process is active because shutdown can write the previous in-memory configuration back over your changes.
- Make a backup copy. Save the current file under a name such as
enshrouded_server.json.backupoutside the active configuration path. Keep the backup until the server has started and you have tested a connection. - Open the active JSON file as text. Preserve double quotes around property names and string values. JSON does not accept comments, trailing commas, or unquoted keys.
- Change only the fields you need. Keeping the generated structure makes it easier to identify a typo and to restore a known-good version.
- Run the edited text through a strict JSON validator. Correct every reported line and column error before starting the server. Community reports disagree on the exact failure mode: one account says a syntax error blocks startup, while another says the server silently returns to defaults. Both outcomes are possible enough to justify validation; see the reports at this Steam discussion and this configuration discussion.
- Start the server and inspect the result. Confirm that the process stays online, the expected player limit appears, and a test player can connect. If a setting is ignored, stop the server again before making another edit.
Core options at a glance
| Option | What it controls | Confirmed value or behavior | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
slotCount |
Maximum simultaneous players | Up to 16 concurrent players | The cap is documented in configuration guides; a larger number is not established as supported. Many panels expose this as a player-slot control. |
queryPort |
UDP endpoint used for server-list queries and game traffic | 15637 by default | Firewall and forwarding rules must match the value in the file. A separate 15636 game port was reportedly removed in Content Update #2 by one source, so do not assume both ports are required. |
userGroups |
Named access groups, passwords and permissions | An array of groups; each group has its own password | Permission names reported include canKickBan, canAccessInventories, canEditBase and canExtendBase. |
gameSettingsPreset |
Selects a predefined difficulty profile or custom values | Default, Relaxed, Hard and Custom are repeatedly reported |
One post also lists Survival; that entry is not consistently documented. Your own gameSettings values require Custom. |
enableStarvingDebuff |
Whether the starving debuff is enabled | false is the default reported by one guide |
The available documentation does not establish every related hunger value or whether all presets override it. |
Player capacity: slotCount
Set slotCount to the number of people who may be online at once. The confirmed ceiling is 16 concurrent players. This is a simultaneous-player limit, not a total number of characters or accounts that may ever join. If your group normally has six players, setting the value to six prevents a seventh connection; it does not reserve six named accounts.
Change the number either in a hosting panel’s slot control or directly in the JSON. A panel is less error-prone for this single field, but verify that it actually writes the file and does not regenerate an incomplete configuration. After saving, restart the server and test one connection at the new limit. Do not advertise a capacity above 16 as supported unless a later official schema explicitly raises the cap.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsAccess control with userGroups
userGroups is an array of named groups. Each group carries a name, a password, permission flags and a reservedSlots value. This lets an owner separate ordinary players from trusted moderators or builders instead of giving every connection the same rights.
Passwords are per group
Because every group has its own password, changing one password does not automatically change the others. Give players only the credentials for the group they should use, and change a compromised group password while the server is stopped. Avoid reusing an administrative password elsewhere.
Reported permission flags
canKickBancontrols moderation actions such as removing or banning players.canAccessInventoriescontrols access to inventories.canEditBasecontrols base editing.canExtendBasecontrols base-extension actions.
The names above are the flags reported by configuration guides; the available material does not establish a complete official permission matrix or explain whether additional flags exist in every game version. Treat unlisted properties as unsupported until Keen Games documents them.
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reservedSlots and connection failures
reservedSlots is intended to protect places for a group. Community reports describe an unexpected case in which a value of 0 prevented access altogether, and another report says a fourth group named Default was needed before connections succeeded. These are troubleshooting observations, not guaranteed requirements for every installation. If valid credentials are rejected, compare the generated group structure with the working backup, check the spelling and capitalization of the group name, and test with the smallest documented configuration before adding more groups.
Difficulty profiles and custom game settings
The gameSettingsPreset field determines whether Enshrouded uses a predefined profile or reads your individual gameSettings values. The profiles repeatedly listed by guides are:
Default: the standard profile.Relaxed: a less demanding profile.Hard: a more demanding profile.Custom: uses the individual values ingameSettings.
One Steam post also lists Survival, but that label does not appear consistently in the other available guides. Do not select it merely because it appears in a copied example; first confirm that your installed server version accepts it. The conflicting lists are visible in this custom-difficulty guide and this Steam settings discussion.
How to apply your own values
- Stop the server and back up
enshrouded_server.json. - Set
gameSettingsPresetto the exact stringCustom. - Edit only the individual entries inside
gameSettingsthat you understand. - Validate the complete JSON, then restart.
- Test the behavior in a disposable area or with a small group before treating the configuration as final.
If you leave the preset at Default, Relaxed or Hard, your hand-edited gameSettings values may be ignored because the selected preset takes precedence. Setting Custom is therefore a prerequisite, not an optional label.
Starvation behavior: enableStarvingDebuff
One configuration guide reports enableStarvingDebuff as false by default. Changing it to true is the documented way to enable the starving debuff in configurations that expose this field. The available documentation does not establish a complete list of hunger-related fields, the exact debuff effect, or whether a selected preset overwrites this value. Keep the property’s Boolean form—true or false, not a quoted string—and test after restarting.
Networking: queryPort
queryPort is reported as UDP port 15637 by default. It carries server-list queries and game traffic, so a custom value must be reflected in the host firewall, router forwarding rule and any panel network setting. Only change it when another service already uses 15637 or your hosting provider assigns a different port.
A separate 15636 game port was reportedly removed in Content Update #2, but that change is attributed to a single source rather than an official schema in the available documentation. Do not blindly forward both ports. Use the port shown in your generated file and the network instructions for your installed build; if clients can see the server but cannot join, check UDP filtering and port mapping first.
Hosting panels versus hand-edited JSON
| Approach | Strengths | Risks and checks |
|---|---|---|
| Panel-managed settings | Simple controls for slots, ports and common presets; less chance of a typing error. | Some panels or install scripts have reportedly generated incomplete files. After saving, inspect the actual JSON and confirm that the panel’s value survives a restart. |
| Direct JSON editing | Access to the full exposed structure, including group permissions and custom values. | A missing comma, quote or brace can stop startup or reset values. Always stop first, back up and validate. |
For a one-off slot change, a panel is usually the quickest route. For several permission groups or custom difficulty values, direct editing gives clearer control, provided you keep a known-good backup. The comparison and reported incomplete-file behavior are described at this dedicated-server setup guide.
Troubleshooting by symptom
The server will not start after an edit
- Restore the backup to confirm that the file, rather than the executable or network, is responsible.
- Run the edited file through a strict JSON validator and fix the first error reported; later errors are often consequences of the first missing quote or comma.
- Check that Boolean values are unquoted and that every opening brace, bracket and quote has a matching close.
The server starts but settings revert
- Confirm that you edited the active installation-root file, not a downloaded copy.
- Stop the server cleanly before editing; shutdown writes can overwrite a live edit.
- Check whether the panel regenerated the file on startup or shutdown.
- For custom difficulty values, verify that
gameSettingsPresetis exactlyCustom.
Players cannot connect
- Confirm that
slotCounthas not been reached. - Check the group name, password and permission structure in
userGroups. - Inspect
reservedSlotsif a group is rejected despite valid credentials; temporarily return to the backed-up structure to isolate the problem. - Verify UDP 15637, or the custom
queryPort, in the host firewall and forwarding rule.
What is not established yet
The publicly available configuration examples do not constitute a complete official schema. They confirm the fields above but do not settle every possible gameSettings property, the units for time-looking numeric values, the full permission list, or whether every installation accepts the Survival preset. Some examples contain large time-like numbers that could represent nanoseconds, but that is an inference rather than a documented unit; do not convert or tune such values on assumption alone.
An Update 8 report dated April 21, 2026 says the schema was unchanged, but that statement comes from one source and was not cross-checked against official patch notes. If your generated file differs, preserve its structure, change only known fields, and keep the original available for rollback. Official Keen Games articles on difficulty and server roles were referenced by guides but were not available in the material used here, so claims about undocumented options should be treated as version-dependent.
Practical checklist before you go live
- Server stopped before editing.
- Backup stored outside the active configuration path.
- JSON validated with no syntax errors.
slotCountset to 16 or lower.queryPortmatches UDP firewall and forwarding rules.- Every
userGroupsentry has the intended password, permissions and reserved-slot behavior. gameSettingsPresetset toCustomwhen individual values are intended.- Server restarted and tested with a normal player account and, separately, an administrative account.
The Bottom Line
Edit enshrouded_server.json only while the server is stopped, validate it before restarting, keep slotCount at or below 16, configure access through userGroups, and select Custom before relying on hand-tuned game settings.
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