Rust displays your server’s hostname in the server browser. Change it with the server.hostname convar, using one of three routes: add +server.hostname "Name" to the launch command, put server.hostname "Name" in server.cfg, or issue server.hostname "Name" through the live console or RCON. A file-based change takes effect after a restart; a live command changes the running server immediately, but its survival across a restart must be verified.
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What Rust calls the server name
In Rust terminology, the name players see in the server browser is the server hostname. It is controlled by the server.hostname convar. Changing a map title, an operating-system computer name, or a control-panel label does not necessarily change this value. The setting must reach the Rust server process itself.
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You do not need a physical product or additional software to rename the server. The correct method depends on how the server is started and whether you need the change to remain after restarts.
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Choose where to set the hostname
| Method | Where the value is entered | When it takes effect | Persistence to verify | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launch parameter | The startup command or script | At the next server start | Normally part of the startup configuration; check that a panel or script does not overwrite it | A self-hosted machine where you control the command |
server.cfg |
The identity-specific cfg directory |
After a restart | Designed as a file setting, but the active path and precedence must be checked on your build | A stable, readable configuration managed as a file |
| Live console or RCON | The running server console or an RCON client | Immediately | Not established consistently; test after a restart before relying on it | A quick rename or a temporary change while the server is online |
For a permanent name, choose one location and keep the hostname there. Defining it in several places makes later troubleshooting harder because available documentation and recent hosting tests disagree about which source wins when values conflict.
Before you edit anything
Identify the server identity
Rust servers commonly keep configuration under an identity folder. Examples documented for different setups include rust/server/server.identity/cfg/ and server/main/cfg/, where main is the identity. These are examples, not a universal path. The actual identity and directory layout depend on the running build and how the server was installed.
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If you operate through a hosting panel, determine whether the panel exposes the startup command, an identity-specific file editor, or only a live console. A panel may regenerate its command or configuration when you save settings, so the place that is authoritative for your installation matters more than a generic folder example.
Record the current value
Copy the current hostname before changing it. This gives you a known rollback value and helps distinguish a failed edit from a browser cache or delayed server-list refresh. Keep the intended new name in the same spelling and capitalization that you want players to see.
Use one source of truth
Decide whether the launch line or server.cfg will own the setting. Do not leave one name in the launch command and another in the file while diagnosing a problem. The official Rust wiki guidance summarized for this setting says the configuration file overrides command-line settings at startup, while a newer hosting test reported the opposite. Because the sources conflict, no precedence should be treated as settled for every build.
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Plan for spaces and conservative characters
Put quotation marks around a name containing spaces in the launch command, configuration entry, or console command. A hosting provider advises keeping the name below 40 characters and avoiding special characters for reliable display. That is vendor guidance rather than a published Facepunch rule, so treat it as a compatibility precaution, not a hard game limit.
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The launch parameter is read when the Rust server process starts. This is useful when you own the startup script or can edit the command exposed by your host.
- Stop the server if your host requires it before editing the startup command.
- Open the script, service definition, or panel field that actually launches Rust.
- Add the parameter
+server.hostname "Your Server Name"to the command. Keep the leading plus sign; it identifies a launch-time convar. - Preserve the surrounding quotation marks when the name contains spaces. For a one-word name, quoting it is still a safe, clear convention.
- Save the command and start the server.
- Open the server browser or query the running console after startup and confirm that the displayed hostname matches the new value.
Do not put a second, different hostname in server.cfg while testing this method. If a panel silently rebuilds the startup command, inspect the resulting command after saving; an edit that appears in a temporary field may not be the command used on the next start.
Example parameter:
+server.hostname "Harbor Builders"
The example name is only a syntax demonstration. Replace it with the name you want players to find.
Method 2: change server.cfg
A configuration file keeps the hostname in a text file that Rust reads during startup. The file is not automatically created in every installation, so create it manually when it is missing.
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- Locate the identity used by the running server. Look for that identity’s
cfgdirectory rather than assuming that every installation uses the same path. - If
server.cfgdoes not exist, create a plain text file with exactly that filename. Community notes report that the server does not create the file on its own. - Enter the hostname on its own line, without the launch-line plus sign:
server.hostname "Your Server Name". - Save the file in the active identity’s
cfgdirectory. - Restart the Rust server. Editing the file while the process is running does not by itself reload the value.
- After startup, confirm the hostname in the browser or through the server’s console.
Correct configuration-file syntax:
server.hostname "Harbor Builders"
Incorrect file syntax is the same line with a leading plus sign. The plus belongs to a launch parameter; it is not part of the server.cfg command.
Finding the right configuration directory
The official wiki places configuration under an identity folder, with a form such as rust/server/server.identity/cfg/. Another guide gives server/main/cfg/ for an identity named main. An older community discussion described a root-level cfg directory for an old Experimental branch. These examples reflect different layouts and versions, so use the path belonging to the build you are actually running.
If a file edit has no effect, the most likely explanations are that the file is in a different identity, the filename is not exactly server.cfg, the server was not restarted, or another configuration source is setting the convar. Check those possibilities in that order before changing syntax.
Method 3: change the running server through console or RCON
A live command is the fastest way to test a new name without editing a file. Enter the command in the server console or send it through an RCON client connected to that server:
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- Connect to the console or RCON endpoint for the running server.
- Submit the command exactly as shown, replacing
New Namewith the desired hostname. - Use quotation marks if the name contains spaces.
- Check the response and the server browser. One documented source reports that the console echoes the new value on success, but console output can vary by implementation.
- Restart the server during a maintenance window and verify the name again if you need the change to be permanent.
This route changes the live process. Evidence is not consistent on whether a live hostname command is written back to persistent configuration, so regard it as an immediate change until a full stop-and-start test proves otherwise. If the old name returns, place the desired value in the launch command or server.cfg instead.
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What happens when launch and file settings conflict?
Available guidance does not establish one universal precedence rule. A summary of the official Rust wiki says server.cfg overrides command-line settings at startup. A more recent hosting blog’s test reported launch-line values winning. The disagreement may reflect game-version, startup-wrapper, or hosting-panel differences.
Use a single definition for the hostname whenever possible. If you inherit a server with both locations populated, make the values identical or remove the unwanted definition, then restart and verify. Testing one change at a time is more reliable than trying to infer precedence from a browser listing alone.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to verify the change
Verification should cover both the running process and the next restart, because those are separate failure points.
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- After applying the chosen method, check the server browser for the exact new spelling.
- If the browser still shows the old name, query the server’s console or RCON interface and inspect the active hostname there.
- Allow for the listing to refresh before concluding that the command failed; compare the live console value with the browser value rather than relying on one display.
- Stop and start the server when practical.
- Check the hostname again after the restart. A value that appears live but disappears after startup is not yet persistent.
- Once the correct source is confirmed, remove conflicting values from other locations and document the active path or launch setting for future administrators.
Troubleshooting a Rust hostname that will not change
The command was accepted, but the browser still shows the old name
Check the live console or RCON response first. If the active convar contains the new value, the server process accepted the change and the browser listing has not caught up yet. If the active value is old, the command may have been sent to a different server, entered with a typo, or rejected by the console connection. Reissue server.hostname "New Name" against the intended server and verify the response.
The name changes live and then reverts after a restart
A live command alone has not demonstrated persistence. Put the desired value in one persistent location: either the actual launch command or the active identity’s server.cfg. Restart, then test again. If both locations already contain different names, remove the conflict before repeating the test.
server.cfg appears to be ignored
Confirm that the file is named exactly server.cfg, is plain text, contains server.hostname without a leading plus sign, and sits in the identity-specific cfg directory used by this server. Create the file manually if it was absent. Finally, perform a real server restart; saving a file does not reload it into an already running process.
The launch edit has no effect
Inspect the command that is executed, not only the editor or panel field where you typed it. The parameter must include the leading plus sign and the hostname must be quoted when it contains spaces. A hosting panel or wrapper may replace the command when the server starts, so confirm that +server.hostname "Your Server Name" is present in the effective startup command.
Only part of the name appears
Review the quotation marks. Without them, a multi-word launch argument or console command may be split at the first space. Also consider the conservative display guidance: keeping the hostname under 40 characters and avoiding special characters can prevent compatibility problems, although that guidance is not a documented Facepunch limit.
The file path from a guide does not exist
Do not create a second configuration tree solely to match an example. Paths vary by identity and build. Locate the directory associated with the identity used in the actual startup command, then place or create server.cfg there. Older instructions may refer to an Experimental-era root-level cfg directory that does not apply to a current installation.
Self-hosted and panel-managed servers
Self-hosted machine
When you control the operating system, choose either the startup script or the identity-specific configuration file as the authoritative location. The launch line is convenient for administrators who already manage a service definition; server.cfg is easier to inspect as a list of server settings. In both cases, keep a copy of the previous line or file entry so a typo can be reversed quickly.
Panel-managed server
Panels commonly expose some combination of a startup-command editor, a file manager, and an RCON console. Use the panel’s documented field that maps to the Rust process, not a generic server label that may affect only the panel interface. If the panel offers both a hostname setting and a raw command, avoid setting different values in both. After saving, restart from the panel and verify the effective name; a panel can rewrite files or commands during that operation.
Recommended naming practice
Make the distinctive part of the name easy to read in a crowded browser. Use ordinary letters, numbers, spaces, and simple punctuation, and keep the total comfortably below the 40-character vendor recommendation. Avoid changing capitalization repeatedly while troubleshooting, because it makes it harder to tell whether a listing has refreshed.
Do not rely on a temporary live command for a name that players must find after every maintenance restart. Store that value in exactly one persistent source, verify it through a restart, and treat RCON as the tool for testing or emergency changes.
Quick Recap
Final checklist
- The intended value is written as the
server.hostnameconvar. - A launch setting includes
+; aserver.cfgline does not. - Names containing spaces are enclosed in quotation marks.
server.cfgis in the active identity’scfgdirectory and was created manually if necessary.- A file-based change was followed by a restart.
- A live console or RCON change was tested again after a restart before being considered permanent.
- Only one configuration source defines the hostname.
- The final name is checked both in the running server and in the browser listing.
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