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How to Customize Your SCP: Secret Laboratory Server Name

Edit server_name in the per-port config_gameplay.txt file, restart the server, and troubleshoot formatting, player-list titles and browser visibility.
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Edit the server_name value in config_gameplay.txt inside the configuration folder for the server port you run, save the file, and restart the server. The exact parent folder depends on your operating system or hosting company, so confirm the path on your own installation.

What controls the SCP: Secret Laboratory server name?

The name shown for your server is controlled by the server_name entry in config_gameplay.txt. Each server port has its own configuration directory, so the file belonging to port 7777 is separate from the file belonging to another port. Editing a different port’s file will not change the server you are currently running.

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The setting uses a key-and-value format. A guide example is:

server_name: My ... SCP:SL Server

Replace the text after the colon with the name you want players to see. Keep the key itself as server_name; changing a similarly named option will not rename the server.

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Find the configuration file for your server port

First identify the port used by the instance you want to rename. Then open the configuration directory for that port. The common locations are:

Platform or setup Typical location What to verify
Windows %AppData%SCP Secret Laboratoryconfig<port> Replace <port> with the instance’s actual server port.
Linux ~/.config/SCP Secret Laboratory/config/<port>/ Use the account that runs the server, because its home directory contains the configuration.
Managed hosting Host-specific file manager location Search the host’s configuration or server-data area for the folder named with your port.

The base path is not identical on every installation. Published SCP: Secret Laboratory guides agree that the configuration is separated by port but show different parent directories, and managed hosts commonly relocate files. If the standard path is absent, use the host’s file manager or inspect the generated server files rather than creating a second configuration tree in a guessed location.

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Inside the port directory, look for config_gameplay.txt. Make a copy of that file before editing so you can restore the previous value if the server fails to read the change.

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Change the name step by step

  1. Stop the server if your host recommends editing only while it is offline. At minimum, ensure no control panel is actively rewriting the configuration.
  2. Open the config_gameplay.txt file inside the folder for the correct port.
  3. Find the line beginning with server_name. Replace only its value with the desired display name, preserving the configuration’s existing key-and-value syntax.
  4. Save the file in the same folder. Do not save a second copy with an extra extension such as .txt.txt, and do not edit a similarly named file from another port directory.
  5. Start or restart that server instance. SCP: Secret Laboratory reads this configuration at startup, so a running process will continue using the old value until it is restarted.

For a managed server, use the provider’s restart control after saving. For a self-hosted server, stop the running process and launch it again using your normal server procedure. The important requirement is a complete process restart, not merely closing the text editor or refreshing a control-panel page.

Use rich text without breaking the name

SCP: Secret Laboratory supports rich-text styling in the server name, including colour, size, bold and italics. The exact tag syntax can depend on the server version and the formatting system it supports, so use tags documented for your current build rather than copying syntax from an unrelated game or an old guide.

Every opening tag must have a matching closing tag, and nested tags must be closed in the correct reverse order. If the tags are not properly paired or nested, the styling can be ignored. A safe way to build a formatted name is to add one style at a time, restart the server, and check the result before adding another style.

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  • Keep the unformatted name first. Confirm that the plain text appears before troubleshooting decoration.
  • Add one supported style, save, restart, and verify.
  • When combining styles, close the innermost tag before the outer tag.
  • If formatting disappears while the plain name remains, remove the newest tag pair and test again; the problem is usually malformed or unsupported markup rather than the server_name key.

Formatting that looks correct in the text file is not proof that it will render everywhere. Check the in-game view and the server browser after the restart, because different interfaces may display the name differently.

Make sure the new name is visible to players

Public server listing

A custom name appears in the server browser only when the server itself is listed there. Editing server_name does not automatically publish an unlisted server. If the server is not registered on the public list, players will not find the new name through browser search.

One published guide states that inclusion on the official server list requires verification by Northwood Studios. An unverified server can still be joined by direct connection, but it should not be expected to appear in the official browser simply because a name was configured.

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Direct connection

Direct connection is separate from public listing. Players who know the server address and port can join an unlisted server, subject to the server’s network and access settings. This is useful for a private test: restart the server, connect directly, and confirm the name before troubleshooting browser visibility.

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Official-list rules

Eligibility rules can change. A Community Division requirements PDF dated January 2022 said that gameplay options had to remain unchanged for official listing, with specific exceptions. That document is not a guarantee of current eligibility. Check the current Northwood Studios or Community Division requirements before changing gameplay settings or relying on an older listing rule.

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Understand the other settings people often confuse with the name

player_list_title

player_list_title controls the text displayed above the in-game player list. Guides report that when it is left at its default, it matches server_name. If you set a custom player_list_title, the heading can differ from the browser name even though the server itself has been renamed correctly.

Use this distinction when checking your work:

What you want to change Setting to edit Where it appears
Server’s advertised name server_name Server browser and other server-name displays, when the server is listed.
Heading above the player list player_list_title In-game player-list panel.
Remote administrator accounts config_remoteadmin.txt Administrative permissions, not the public server name.

Remote administrator SteamIDs

Administrator SteamIDs belong in config_remoteadmin.txt. Putting an ID or an administrator label in the server-name line will not grant permissions and can produce a confusing display name. Keep identity and access configuration separate from presentation settings.

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Troubleshoot a name that does not change

Symptom Likely cause Action
The old name remains everywhere. The server was not restarted, or the wrong port directory was edited. Confirm the running port, reopen that port’s config_gameplay.txt, verify the value, save, and perform a full restart.
The file cannot be found in the expected path. Your operating system, service account, or host uses a different base directory. Check the managed host’s file manager or the account that launches the server. Look for the generated per-port folder rather than making a new one.
The name changes in one place but not another. You are viewing a separate interface, such as the player-list heading, or the server is not publicly listed. Compare server_name with player_list_title, then test both browser listing and direct connection.
Plain text appears but colours, size or emphasis do not. Formatting tags are unsupported, unclosed or nested incorrectly. Remove the markup, confirm the plain name, then re-add supported tags one at a time with correctly ordered closing tags.
The browser does not show the server at all. The server is unlisted, unverified, still starting, or otherwise ineligible for the official list. Use direct connection to separate naming from listing, then review the current official listing requirements.
The configuration keeps reverting. A host panel or running process may be regenerating the file. Stop the instance if required by the host, edit the file in the host’s designated configuration area, save, and restart through the host control panel.

Do not use a changed browser result alone as proof that the configuration failed. First verify that the server process restarted and that the edited file belongs to the port you actually launched. Then check the in-game player-list heading separately from the browser listing.

Port folders and launch-method differences

The per-port folder matters even when the server software was installed by someone else. Many setup guides use port 7777 in examples; if that is your server’s port, its configuration is normally under a directory named 7777, but you should verify the actual port in your installation.

Installation instructions found online are not fully consistent. Some guides describe installing the server through SteamCMD with application ID 996560 and launching with ./LocalAdmin 7777. Another guide says the server software is LocalAdmin, supplied by Northwood Studios, and is not distributed through SteamCMD. Because those instructions conflict, do not change your installation method merely to rename a server. Use the current official SCP: Secret Laboratory server documentation for your build, and focus on locating the generated configuration directory for the process you already run.

Pre-restart checklist

  • You identified the correct server port.
  • You opened config_gameplay.txt inside that port’s configuration folder.
  • The line uses the exact key server_name.
  • The new value contains the intended spelling and punctuation.
  • Any rich-text tags are supported, paired and closed in the correct order.
  • You saved the file in the host’s designated location.
  • You performed a full server restart.
  • You checked direct connection or the in-game display before diagnosing public-list visibility.

Following that sequence isolates the three issues most often mistaken for a naming failure: editing the wrong port, omitting the restart, and expecting an unlisted server to appear in the browser.

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