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Install the Rust dedicated server into its own directory, then select the staging branch with SteamCMD: app_update 258550 -beta staging. Start that installation with your normal server launch configuration, and have every tester run the separate Rust – Staging Branch client with its staging beta selected in Steam. A regular Rust client and a staging server are different versions, so they should not be expected to discover or join one another reliably.
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What the Rust staging branch is
Facepunch describes the Staging Branch as a separate version of Rust where new updates and features are tested before release to the main game. It is intended for testing and feedback, not for a server that must behave like the stable public release.
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Staging also follows its own test schedule. Facepunch says staging map wipes occur one week before regular Rust wipes, and test servers can update and restart frequently. Treat the environment as disposable and interruptible: preserve anything you need for testing, but do not assume that a save, plugin behavior, or uptime pattern will remain unchanged through the next staging update.
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Before you change the server
Use a separate installation
The safest arrangement is a dedicated staging directory rather than converting the only public installation. This lets you keep a public server and a staging server side by side and prevents an accidental branch switch from taking the stable server offline. If you must convert an existing installation, make a copy of its configuration and save data first.
Check the branch name you intend to use
The standard pre-release branch is named staging. Facepunch sometimes exposes temporary auxiliary branches such as aux01 or aux02 for a focused test. These names are not permanent: an auxiliary branch from an older announcement may no longer be listed or may have been replaced. Confirm the current name in Steam’s Betas list and in the current Facepunch announcement before changing a test server.
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Everyone testing the server needs the staging client installed or launched through Steam. A player who starts ordinary Rust will be on the public branch and may not see the staging server. Ask testers to update their client after every branch change, not just the server.
Install the Rust staging server with SteamCMD
- Install SteamCMD. Use the SteamCMD package appropriate for the operating system that hosts your dedicated server.
- Create or choose an empty Rust server directory. A separate directory is preferable when the same machine also runs a public installation.
- Start SteamCMD and log in anonymously. The Rust dedicated server can be downloaded with the anonymous account.
- Select the staging branch while installing. Run the following SteamCMD command exactly:
app_update 258550 -beta staging - Wait for SteamCMD to finish. The number
258550is the Rust dedicated-server App ID. The-beta stagingparameter tells SteamCMD to install the staging branch rather than the default public branch. - Exit SteamCMD or leave it ready for later updates. Keep the directory and its branch selection associated with this server instance; do not mix files from a public installation into it.
Facepunch’s server documentation notes that only one listed branch should be chosen for an installation. In practice, that means you should not try to combine staging, public, and an auxiliary branch in one update operation. Choose the branch that belongs to that directory and update it consistently.
Start the staging server
Once SteamCMD has downloaded the branch, start the server with the same launch configuration you use for a normal Rust dedicated server. The branch is selected during installation and updating; it does not require a special alternative server executable or a separate in-game switch.
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Keep the staging process and files identifiable if several servers run on one host. A separate working directory, service name, console log, and save location make it less likely that a maintenance script will update or restart the wrong branch. The exact launch options depend on your existing Rust server setup, so retain the options that define your normal map, identity, and administration policy rather than inventing a second configuration solely because the branch changed.
Expect interruptions. Facepunch has warned that staging test servers may update and restart frequently. Schedule automated restarts, backups, and test sessions around that cadence, and tell testers that a disconnect can be caused by a branch update rather than by a fault in your host.
Install and select the matching staging client
- Open Steam Library.
- Find Rust – Staging Branch. This is a separate Steam version from the ordinary Rust entry.
- Open its Properties.
- Open the Betas tab.
- Select
staging. Let Steam complete the download and any update before launching. - Launch Rust – Staging Branch. Connect from that client to the staging server.
If Steam shows a named auxiliary branch instead of (or in addition to) the standard staging option, select the exact branch required by the server. The client and server branch names must match; choosing a different test branch is still a mismatch even though both are non-public builds.
Verify that both sides are on the same branch
After the first install, verify the branch on the server and client before inviting testers. On the server side, confirm that the SteamCMD update completed against App ID 258550 with the intended -beta value. On the player side, confirm that Steam finished downloading the selected beta for Rust – Staging Branch. Then test one connection before distributing the server address.
- Server branch: the SteamCMD update command includes
-beta staging(or the currently available auxiliary name). - Client branch: Steam Properties → Betas shows the same branch selection, and Steam has no pending download.
- Build state: both installations have finished updating; a partially downloaded client can behave like an old build.
- Connection test: a staging client can discover and join the staging server before other testers are added.
Do this verification again after every branch change. Facepunch’s compatibility guidance treats selecting the correct game version as the first check when a server does not appear.
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Switch to an auxiliary branch such as aux01 or aux02
Confirm that the branch currently exists
Auxiliary branches are temporary test channels. An announcement may refer to aux01 or aux02 for a particular test cycle, but Steam may remove that branch when the cycle ends. Check the current Steam Betas list for Rust – Staging Branch and the current Facepunch announcement before updating a server that matters to your test schedule.
Update the server
In the auxiliary server’s SteamCMD directory, use the matching value. For example, when Facepunch has made aux01 available:
app_update 258550 -beta aux01Replace aux01 with the exact currently published name. Do not assume that an old auxiliary name will resolve indefinitely, and do not leave the server on an auxiliary branch after the test has ended unless you intentionally want that behavior.
Update every client to the same auxiliary branch
On each tester’s machine, open Steam Library → Rust – Staging Branch → Properties → Betas and choose the same named auxiliary branch. Wait for Steam to finish downloading, then launch that client. A client on ordinary staging is not automatically compatible with a server on aux01.
Public versus staging: choose the right branch
| Consideration | Public branch | Staging branch |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Stable release for normal play and production-like operation | Pre-release testing of new updates and features, with feedback and bug reporting |
| Client compatibility | Requires the ordinary Rust client | Requires the separate Rust – Staging Branch client with the matching beta selected |
| Update behavior | Follows the public release cycle | Can change and restart frequently during testing |
| Wipe timing | Regular Rust wipe schedule | Facepunch says staging map wipes occur one week before regular Rust wipes |
| Operational risk | Better suited to a predictable community server | Unreleased changes can break procedures, alter behavior, or invalidate test assumptions |
| Plugins and procedures | Use the versions and procedures intended for the public build | Third-party plugin compatibility is not promised; validate every plugin and test workflow |
There is no authoritative universal performance, uptime, or adoption benchmark for staging in the official material. Choose it because you need to test an unreleased change, not because it is expected to be faster or more stable.
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Troubleshoot a missing or unreachable staging server
The server does not appear in the browser
- Confirm that the player launched Rust – Staging Branch, not ordinary Rust.
- Open the staging game’s Properties → Betas and verify the branch name.
- Check the server’s SteamCMD update command and confirm the same branch was installed.
- Make sure both Steam downloads have finished and neither side is waiting for an update or restart.
A normal Rust client will not reliably discover or join a staging server because the versions are separate. Treat the branch mismatch as the first diagnosis before changing server settings.
The client connects and is immediately rejected
Recheck the exact branch on both sides. This includes auxiliary names: staging, aux01, and aux02 are distinct selections. Update the server, restart it after the update, and have the player restart Steam or the staging client after its download completes. Then perform a single connection test.
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That is expected in an experimental branch. Record the build and the change that preceded the behavior, preserve relevant logs and saves, and test again with third-party plugins disabled if your procedure allows it. Facepunch does not promise that third-party plugins will remain compatible with staging, so a plugin failure should not be treated as proof that the server branch itself is unusable.
An auxiliary branch cannot be selected
If the branch name is absent from Steam’s Betas list, it may no longer be available. Do not keep retrying an old name or substitute a similarly named branch. Check the current Facepunch announcement and choose a branch that is currently published, or return the server to standard staging or public as appropriate.
The server restarts unexpectedly
Staging test servers can update and restart frequently. Check whether a scheduled or automatic update coincided with the interruption, warn testers about the branch’s test cadence, and avoid scheduling critical tests during a period when Facepunch is actively deploying changes.
Return a server to the public branch
Back up the configuration and save data before changing branches. If the public server must remain online, use a separate directory rather than converting the staging installation in place.
- Stop the staging server cleanly.
- Copy the configuration and save data to a backup location.
- Open SteamCMD in the installation directory you intend to convert.
- Select the public branch explicitly with:
app_update 258550 -beta public - Allow SteamCMD to finish, then start the server with the public launch configuration.
- Update or launch the ordinary Rust client and test one connection before inviting players.
Facepunch notes that explicitly selecting public may be needed when returning from a newer branch to the default branch. If the installation remains in an uncertain state, remove its Rust steamapps folder and reinstall the desired branch, keeping your configuration and save backups outside that folder. Reinstalling is slower, but it avoids relying on mixed files from multiple branches.
Maintenance practices for a staging server
Keep public and staging data separate
Use different directories and clearly named service entries. Never point a public update job at the staging directory or vice versa. Separate locations also make rollback and deletion safer when an auxiliary test ends.
Back up before every branch change
Save configuration and world data before moving between public, staging, or an auxiliary branch. Keep the backup outside the server’s Steam-managed files so a reinstall cannot remove it.
Record the branch and build used by each test
At minimum, note the branch name, update time, client selection, and whether a restart occurred. This makes a failed reproduction meaningful when staging changes rapidly and prevents testers from comparing results from different builds.
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Revalidate procedures after updates
Run a small connection test after each update, then check the administrative actions, maps, plugins, and scripts that matter to your project. Do not assume that a procedure that worked on public or on last week’s staging build still works on today’s test build.
Communicate wipe and downtime expectations
Tell testers that staging wipes occur one week before regular wipes and that servers may restart during the test cycle. This avoids treating expected branch behavior as an outage and prevents people from storing anything they cannot afford to lose.
Quick command and workflow reference
| Task | Action |
|---|---|
| Install standard staging server | app_update 258550 -beta staging |
| Install a currently published auxiliary branch | app_update 258550 -beta aux01 (replace with the exact available name) |
| Return to public | app_update 258550 -beta public |
| Client for staging | Steam Library → Rust – Staging Branch → Properties → Betas → staging |
| Client for an auxiliary test | Steam Library → Rust – Staging Branch → Properties → Betas → matching auxiliary name |
The command changes the branch selected for that server installation; it does not make the ordinary Rust client compatible with the result. The client selection and the server’s -beta value must always be treated as one paired change.
Quick Recap
Final checklist
- SteamCMD is installed and the server directory is empty or dedicated to this branch.
- The server was updated with App ID
258550and the intended-betavalue. - The server starts with its normal Rust launch configuration.
- Each tester installed or launched Rust – Staging Branch and selected the matching beta.
- A connection test succeeded after both sides finished updating.
- Configuration and save data are backed up before any branch switch.
- Testers know that staging can wipe one week early and restart frequently.
- Plugins and test procedures have been rechecked because staging compatibility is not guaranteed.
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