Change the displayed name of a Garry’s Mod server by editing the hostname convar. For a self-hosted or dedicated server, open garrysmod/cfg/server.cfg, set hostname "Your Server Name", save the file, and restart the server. Then refresh the server browser; cached listings can continue showing the previous name temporarily.
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If your server is rented, first use the hosting control panel’s server-name or settings field. Many panels generate or overwrite the hostname line, so a manual edit can be lost the next time you save panel settings. Confirm that the final value appears in server.cfg or in the in-game browser.
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What actually controls the name
Garry’s Mod uses the hostname console variable, commonly called a convar, for the name presented to players in the server browser and connection information. The usual persistent location for that setting on a dedicated server is the game’s configuration file:
garrysmod/cfg/server.cfg
On Windows, the same path is commonly displayed with backslashes:
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garrysmodcfgserver.cfg
The setting must be written as a key followed by a quoted value:
hostname "Your Server Name"The name shown by a hosting company’s web panel is not necessarily the in-game name. A panel may have a separate label used only inside its own dashboard, while the Garry’s Mod browser reads hostname from the running server configuration. Treat those as two different values until you verify the name in-game.
Before changing anything
- Identify the server you are editing. If you operate several instances, each one has its own Garry’s Mod installation and configuration directory.
- Know who manages the configuration. With a self-hosted installation, you normally control
server.cfg. With a rented server, the control panel may rewrite selected lines whenever settings are saved. - Record the current file. Make a copy of
server.cfgbefore editing so you can restore it if a syntax error or panel change causes an unrelated setting to disappear. - Plan a maintenance window. Restarting is the dependable way to make a startup configuration change take effect, and connected players will be disconnected.
Change the name on a self-hosted or dedicated server
1. Stop the server
Stop the dedicated server cleanly before editing. This prevents the process from writing its in-memory configuration back over your changes while it is shutting down. If your management tool offers a Stop or Shut Down action, use that rather than abruptly closing the process.
2. Open the correct configuration file
Browse to the Garry’s Mod installation and open garrysmod/cfg/server.cfg. A typical dedicated-server layout places the file below the installation’s garrysmod folder. On Windows, use the equivalent garrysmodcfg directory in File Explorer; on Linux, use the forward-slash path in your file manager or shell.
If the file does not exist, check that you are inside the server’s Garry’s Mod directory rather than a client installation or a different server instance. Do not create a second server.cfg in a parent folder and expect the game to read it.
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3. Add or edit the hostname line
Find an existing line beginning with hostname. Replace only its value, or add one line if no hostname entry exists:
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4. Save as plain text
Save the file without changing its extension. A text editor may try to append .txt, creating server.cfg.txt; that file will not replace the real configuration. Preserve the existing encoding and line endings when possible, and make sure the account running the server can read the file.
5. Start the server again
Restart the server after saving. The configuration is read during startup, so changing the file while the process is running does not by itself guarantee that the active server has adopted the new value.
6. Verify the listing
Search for the server in Garry’s Mod’s server browser or connect directly and check the displayed server information. Refresh the browser if it still shows the old text. Listing services can cache results, so an old name may remain visible for a short period even after the running server has the new value.
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Example configuration
A small configuration might contain the hostname alongside other server settings:
// Public name shown to players
hostname "Northbridge Sandbox | Build 3"
// Other settings can follow
sv_cheats 0
The comment is optional. What matters for the name is the hostname command and its quoted value. Do not include the surrounding code-block formatting characters in the actual file.
Changing the name on a rented server or control panel
Hosted servers add a second layer of configuration. The exact labels differ between providers and panel versions, but the reliable approach is to determine whether a field changes the panel’s label, the game’s hostname, or both.
Use the panel’s server-name field first
Open the server’s settings and look for a field labelled Server Name, Hostname, or a similar term. One commonly documented layout places the field at System > Server Details. Save the setting and restart the server if the panel requests it.
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Check whether the panel owns the hostname line
Some panels manage commands at the top of server.cfg, including hostname and sv_password. When you save the panel’s Settings page, it can regenerate those lines and erase a manual edit. In that arrangement, change the name through the panel rather than repeatedly editing the generated file.
Put custom commands in the panel’s designated area
If the panel provides a Custom Commands or Additional Configuration section, use it for commands that the panel does not manage. Do not duplicate a panel-controlled hostname entry in a custom block unless the provider documents the order in which those commands run. A later command can override an earlier one, while a panel save can remove the earlier value entirely.
Restart and verify both names
After saving panel settings, restart when required, then check two places:
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- Read the name in Garry’s Mod’s server browser to confirm the active
hostnamechanged.
If the dashboard is correct but the game browser is not, the panel field probably controls only the dashboard label or the server has not yet restarted with the new configuration.
Self-hosted files versus panel settings
| Server arrangement | First place to change the name | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Self-hosted or dedicated installation | garrysmod/cfg/server.cfg |
Restart, then check the in-game browser. |
| Rented server with a managed Settings page | Panel field labelled Server Name, Hostname, or equivalent | Confirm the generated hostname value or the in-game listing. |
| Panel with a Custom Commands section | Use the provider’s documented configuration field; reserve Custom Commands for unmanaged settings | Check command order and whether a later generated line overrides it. |
| Panel label only | System > Server Details or equivalent dashboard field | Do not assume the dashboard label is the Garry’s Mod browser name. |
Why the old name is still visible
The server was not restarted
A saved file does not necessarily alter the already-running process. Stop and start the server, or use the panel’s Restart action, then wait for it to finish loading before checking again.
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The browser has a cached listing
Server browsers can retain a previous response. Leave and reopen the browser, refresh the list, or wait for the listing to update. A stale result does not prove that the configuration failed.
You edited the wrong installation
Multiple servers, staging copies, and client installations can have similarly named folders. Compare the path with the instance started by your launch script or hosting panel. Check the active server’s garrysmod/cfg/server.cfg, not a backup or development copy.
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A panel overwrote your manual edit
If the new name disappears after saving panel settings or restarting, the panel likely owns that line. Use its Server Name or Hostname field, or follow its documented Custom Commands workflow instead of editing a generated section.
The line is malformed
Check for a missing opening or closing quote, smart quotation marks copied from a word processor, an accidental .txt extension, or a second hostname line later in the file. The safest form is a single plain-text line such as:
hostname "Northbridge Sandbox | Build 3"The name changed in the panel but not in-game
This usually indicates that the panel’s field is a dashboard label rather than the game convar. Look for a separate game-settings field, inspect the generated configuration if available, restart, and verify from the Garry’s Mod browser.
The name changed briefly and then reverted
A startup script, panel synchronization task, or another configuration file may be applying a different value after launch. Search the active configuration for additional hostname lines and check the panel’s managed-settings documentation. Keep one authoritative value and remove competing entries where the panel permits it.
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One hosting guide reports that entering heartbeat in the server console can prompt the server to refresh its listed information. Treat this as an optional refresh step, not a substitute for saving the correct hostname and restarting when the configuration requires it. Panel permissions may prevent access to the console, and listing delays can still occur after a heartbeat.
Naming tips that prevent avoidable problems
- Keep the name readable at a glance; put the community or mode first and secondary details after a separator.
- Use ordinary letters, numbers, spaces, and common punctuation while testing. If a special symbol produces an unexpected result, temporarily replace it with plain text to isolate the problem.
- Do not put line breaks in the value. The setting belongs on one configuration line.
- Do not include passwords, administrator tokens, private addresses, or other sensitive data in a public name.
- After changing a temporary event name, restore the normal value in the same authoritative location so a later panel save or restart does not bring back an unintended label.
How to confirm the change conclusively
- Open the configuration used by the running instance.
- Confirm there is one intended
hostnameentry and that its value is enclosed in straight double quotes. - Save the file or panel setting.
- Restart the server through the same method that normally launches it.
- Wait until the server is fully online.
- Refresh the Garry’s Mod server browser and locate the instance by address, map, or other identifying detail rather than relying only on the old name.
- Compare the browser name with the panel label. If they differ, the panel and game are using separate values.
What the official documentation establishes
The Facepunch wiki’s CreateConVar documentation is the relevant official reference identified for this configuration model. Its summary explains that convars can be set through an interface and, for dedicated servers, can be supplied in server.cfg during startup. No dedicated official Facepunch article specifically for the hostname setting was identified, so panel behavior and exact menu labels should be treated as provider- and version-dependent.
Quick Recap
Quick decision guide
- You run the files yourself: edit
garrysmod/cfg/server.cfg, savehostname "...", restart, and refresh the browser. - You rent a server and have a Hostname or Server Name setting: change it there first, restart if requested, and verify the in-game listing.
- Your panel keeps undoing the file edit: the panel manages the line; use its settings page or documented custom-command mechanism.
- The dashboard name is correct but players still see the old name: treat the dashboard label and the game’s
hostnameas separate settings and inspect the generated configuration. - The file looks correct but the listing is stale: restart once more if needed, refresh the browser, and allow for listing cache or update delay.
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