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To keep a Rust dedicated server online while removing it from the public browser, give it a separate server.queryport, then block that query port for inbound UDP traffic in your host or provider firewall. Leave the game port open for players who connect directly. Facepunch’s hidden-server guidance says the Steam queryport must remain blocked; otherwise the server can be discovered through the Steam master-server list and Rust’s server listings.
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What removing a Rust server from the list actually does
This procedure hides a server from normal browser discovery. It does not shut down the Rust process, change the game port, or automatically create a whitelist. Players who know the server’s address and game port can still attempt a direct connection unless you add separate access controls.
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A hidden server and a private server are therefore different things:
- Hidden: the query endpoint is blocked, so Steam and Rust cannot obtain the server’s listing data through the normal discovery path.
- Private: access is restricted with permissions, a whitelist or another admission system.
- Password-protected: a password can stop unauthorized joins, but the server may still be visible in the browser unless its query port is blocked.
If your goal is “friends can join by address, strangers should not find the server in the browser,” block the queryport and distribute the direct connection details privately. If your goal is “only approved players may join,” use the hidden-server setup together with explicit access control.
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How Rust server discovery works
Rust discovery has two relevant stages. The client first asks Steam for Rust servers. It then sends Source A2S queries to the returned addresses. A server appears in the browser when it responds to those queries. The query endpoint supplies data such as the server name, player count, map and active-player information to Rust and third-party applications.
The game connection port is not the same endpoint as the queryport. Facepunch’s server-creation documentation identifies server.queryport as the port needed for browser appearance. When it is not explicitly set, Rust derives a default in relation to server.port or rcon.port. The game port and queryport must be reachable UDP ports when used, and they cannot be identical.
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Before you change the configuration
Record the ports currently in use
Find the values of server.port, server.queryport and, if applicable, rcon.port in your startup parameters and server.cfg. Check both the game-server process and the firewall rules. A provider’s network firewall can be separate from the operating system firewall, so document both layers before editing either one.
Choose a dedicated queryport
Set an explicit queryport rather than relying on Rust’s automatic default. Choose a UDP port that is not used by another service and keep it different from server.port. A nonstandard value makes the configuration easier to audit, but the firewall block—not the number itself—is what prevents discovery.
Plan a recovery path
Keep console access, an out-of-band management panel or another administrative route available before restarting. A typo in a startup parameter can prevent the server from starting, while an overly broad firewall rule can block the game port as well as the queryport.
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Step-by-step: hide the server but keep direct connections working
1. Set server.queryport explicitly
You can set the convar in the launch parameters or in server.cfg. The important requirements are that it is a UDP port, it is not the same as the game port, and the value is used consistently in the firewall rule.
A startup configuration uses the convar in this form:
+server.port GAME_PORT +server.queryport QUERY_PORTIn server.cfg, the corresponding entries are:
server.port GAME_PORT
server.queryport QUERY_PORTReplace GAME_PORT and QUERY_PORT with the actual numeric ports assigned to this server. Do not copy the same number into both settings. If a hosting panel has separate fields for the game port and queryport, enter the same pair there rather than adding conflicting values in a second configuration file.
2. Allow the game port and block the queryport
Create an inbound firewall rule that rejects UDP traffic to the queryport. Apply the rule wherever inbound traffic is filtered:
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Keep the game port’s required inbound UDP rule in place. The objective is not to block all UDP traffic and not to close the server’s public address; it is to deny the discovery endpoint while preserving the connection endpoint.
If your provider offers both “allow” and “deny” rule lists, make sure the deny rule for the queryport is effective for unsolicited inbound traffic and is not overridden by a broader allow rule. If you use multiple network interfaces, check that the block applies to the interface receiving Internet traffic.
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3. Restart the server and inspect the startup log
Restart after saving the convar and firewall changes. Confirm in the startup output or administrative console that the intended game port and queryport are loaded. A restart is important because a value entered only in a panel or configuration file may not affect an already-running process.
Do not test success by searching only one browser filter. A cached result can remain visible temporarily, and a server can disappear because it is offline or nonresponsive rather than because the hide rule is correct. Test the direct path and the discovery path separately.
4. Test a direct connection from an allowed client
Facepunch documents the hidden-server connection command:
client.connecthidden IP:PORTRun it from the Rust client console, replacing IP:PORT with the server’s public address and game connection port. Use the game port, not the queryport. A successful connection confirms that the game endpoint remains reachable even though the server is not intended to answer browser queries.
If direct connection fails, first verify the game port, server process, provider firewall and local firewall. Do not unblock the queryport as a first troubleshooting step; that would change the visibility test rather than diagnose the game connection.
5. Add access control when hiding is not enough
A hidden listing is not an authorization mechanism. Facepunch documents a private-server pattern using server.maxplayers 0 and granting approved users skip-queue access through global.skipqueueid. Configure the permissions and identifiers deliberately, then test with one approved account and one unapproved account.
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Use this layer when the server should accept only a known group. The firewall controls discovery; the permission or queue configuration controls who is admitted after a connection attempt reaches the game server.
6. Reduce accidental disclosure
Facepunch recommends that Steam users remain Invisible when operating a hidden server and warns that streams can expose IP-address and port details. If you demonstrate or administer the server publicly, use an off-screen keybind for the direct-connect command when appropriate. Do not display the address, port pair or management console in a stream overlay or recording.
Configuration choices compared
| Approach | Visibility | Access | Operational complexity | Metadata exposure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leave the queryport open | Server remains discoverable in Steam and Rust listings. | Anyone who finds it can attempt to join; separate password or permissions may still apply. | Lowest; no special firewall block. | Name, player count, map and other A2S information can be queried. |
| Block a separate queryport | Normal browser discovery is prevented while the block is effective. | Direct connections remain possible; no authorization is added automatically. | One explicit queryport plus a firewall rule at each relevant network layer. | A2S discovery is interrupted, but the public game address still exists. |
| Block the queryport and enforce approved access | Hidden from ordinary browser discovery. | Direct access can be limited with the documented queue and permission settings. | Firewall management plus identifier and permission management. | Discovery is blocked, while the game endpoint remains available to connection attempts. |
Why a server may still appear after you block the queryport
The wrong port was blocked
Check the running value of server.queryport, not merely the number you intended to configure. If the convar was omitted, Rust may have selected a default related to server.port or rcon.port. If the firewall blocks a different number, A2S queries can continue to receive replies.
The provider firewall is still allowing traffic
A local deny rule does not help if traffic is redirected through a provider-level rule that still permits the queryport, and a provider rule may not protect a second interface. Review the effective rules at every layer and confirm that the deny applies to inbound UDP on the exact queryport.
The server is answering through another configured endpoint
Make sure there is only one active queryport setting. Remove or correct duplicate startup arguments, panel values and configuration-file entries that disagree. Restart after resolving the conflict, then read the startup output again.
You are seeing a stale browser result
Browser data and master-server updates are not an instantaneous proof of current reachability. Test from a client that is not relying on an old favorite or cached entry, and allow time for the listing state to refresh. The decisive configuration check is whether the queryport is blocked and whether a direct game-port connection still works.
Why a server may disappear unexpectedly
Not every disappearance is intentional hiding. A server can vanish because its queryport is blocked, because the server no longer responds to A2S queries, or because it has been removed from listings under Facepunch’s community-server policies.
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Check network reachability first
- Confirm the server process is running.
- Confirm
server.portandserver.queryportare still the expected, different UDP ports. - Check provider and host firewall changes, including recently edited security groups.
- Verify that the server has not become unresponsive to the queries used for browser information.
Then check policy status
Facepunch states that breaches of community-server rules can lead to browser delisting or other sanctions. A policy delisting is separate from an administrator deliberately blocking the queryport. If the network checks are correct but the server remains absent, review the applicable policy status and any notices associated with the server before changing unrelated settings.
Common mistakes and their fixes
Using the game port as the queryport
The two ports must not be identical. Assign a distinct UDP queryport, update the configuration, and block that exact value. Reusing the game port can either break the server’s expected networking or make it impossible to hide the discovery endpoint independently.
Blocking both ports
A firewall rule that denies the entire UDP range or the server’s whole public address will also stop direct players. Narrow the rule to inbound UDP on the queryport and leave the game port’s required rule intact.
Assuming hidden means secure
Anyone who obtains the public address can still try a direct connection. Add the documented approved-user or queue controls when the server must be private, and avoid exposing the address in streams, screenshots or public chat.
Changing the server name instead of the network path
A name such as “private” does not stop Steam or A2S clients from querying the server. Visibility is controlled by the queryport’s reachability, not by the text displayed as the server name.
Forgetting an IPv4 or provider-side rule
Apply the intended block wherever your traffic is actually filtered. If your environment has a provider firewall in addition to the host firewall, configure both according to the provider’s rule model and verify which one is authoritative for inbound UDP.
A repeatable verification checklist
- Configuration:
server.queryportis explicitly set, numeric and different fromserver.port. - Protocol: the game and query endpoints use the required UDP configuration.
- Firewall: inbound UDP to the queryport is denied at the provider and host layers that handle Internet traffic.
- Game access: inbound access to the game port remains allowed, and
client.connecthidden IP:PORTreaches the server. - Privacy: administrators use Invisible status where appropriate and do not reveal the address and port in public broadcasts.
- Authorization: if the server is private, approved-user or skip-queue controls are configured separately from the visibility rule.
- Policy: an unexpected disappearance is checked against both network responsiveness and Facepunch’s community-server requirements.
When to use a visible server instead
Keep the queryport reachable when you want public players to find the server through Rust’s normal browser, want listing metadata to be available to server tools, or do not want to distribute direct-connect details manually. In that case, monitor queryport responsiveness and follow the applicable community-server rules. A visible server can still use passwords or permission systems, but those controls do not make its listing disappear.
Use the hidden configuration when controlled distribution of the address is acceptable and the administrative team can maintain firewall rules, direct-connection instructions and any separate admission controls. The key design decision is whether discovery or access is the problem: the queryport firewall rule addresses discovery, while permissions address access.
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