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Freedom251 › Blog › Dedicated Servers

How to Set a Password on a Squad Server

By Freedom251 Team · · 9 min read

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To password-protect a Squad server permanently, open SquadGame/ServerConfig/Server.cfg, add or edit ServerPassword=YourPassword, save the file, and restart the server. An authorized administrator can instead use AdminSetServerPassword <Password> for a temporary runtime change. These are different from the RCON password in Rcon.cfg, which controls remote-console access rather than player joins.

What the two password methods do

Squad has a file-based password for players joining the game server and an administrator command for changing that protection while the server is running. Choose the file method when the password must survive a restart; use the command when you need a quick, temporary change during an active session. The official configuration reference documents the player setting as ServerPassword: Server Configuration – Official Squad Wiki.

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Method Where you change it Survives restart? Access required Best use
Persistent configuration SquadGame/ServerConfig/Server.cfg Yes, after the server reads the saved file Access to the server files, or an equivalent host file manager A standing password for a private or organized server
Runtime administration command In the server administration console Normally only until the next restart An authorized administrator with the required command access A short-lived event, emergency lock, or quick test

The installation guide places the configuration directory under the server’s SquadGame/ServerConfig tree for both Windows and Linux deployments: Server Installation – Official Squad Wiki. The exact parent directory depends on where you installed the dedicated server.

Set a persistent password in Server.cfg

This is the durable method. It writes the join password into the server configuration so it can be applied again when the service starts.

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1. Stop or prepare the server for a configuration edit

If you manage the machine yourself, use your normal service or server process controls and make sure you know how you will restart it after saving. A running process may continue using its current settings until it is restarted. On a rented server, look for a stop, restart, or file-management control in the provider’s panel. The panel labels differ between hosts, so do not assume that a button has the same name everywhere.

Before editing, make a copy of Server.cfg. A backup gives you a quick way to restore the previous configuration if you accidentally remove another setting.

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2. Open the correct configuration file

  1. Open the dedicated server’s installation directory.
  2. Enter the SquadGame directory.
  3. Open ServerConfig.
  4. Open the file named Server.cfg in a plain-text editor or your host’s web file editor.

Windows and Linux use their own installation locations, but the relevant configuration area is the same relative path, SquadGame/ServerConfig. If you cannot find it, verify that you are looking at the dedicated-server files rather than a client installation. The official installation documentation describes the server layout: Server Installation – Official Squad Wiki.

3. Add or change ServerPassword

In Server.cfg, add this line if it is missing:

ServerPassword=YourPassword

Replace YourPassword with the value you want players to enter. If a ServerPassword line already exists, edit that line instead of creating a second one. Keep the setting in the configuration file exactly as a key and value separated by an equals sign.

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Use a password that is not reused for RCON, operating-system accounts, or other services. Share it only with the players who should be admitted. The password protects the join step; it does not by itself grant administrative privileges once someone is in the game.

4. Save the file and restart

Save Server.cfg without changing its filename or extension. Restart the dedicated server so it reloads the configuration. A file edit that is never followed by a restart may leave the currently running process using the old value.

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Keep the new value available to your intended players, but do not post it in a public server description or an open chat channel if the server is meant to remain private.

Change the password temporarily with AdminSetServerPassword

An authorized administrator can change the active server password without editing the file by using:

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AdminSetServerPassword <Password>

The server-administration reference lists this command under the private access level: Server Administration – Official Squad Wiki. Replace the placeholder with the password you want active at runtime. You must already have the administrator permissions needed to issue private-level commands.

Remove a runtime password

Use an empty command argument to remove the runtime password:

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AdminSetServerPassword ""

The administration documentation specifies an empty string for removing the password. Use the console’s exact quoting convention when entering an empty value; if your console accepts an empty argument without quotation marks, follow that console’s syntax.

Understand the command’s limitation

The command changes the running server’s state. Treat that change as temporary unless you also put the desired value in Server.cfg. A restart can restore the value stored in the file, or leave the server without a password if no persistent value is configured. For a password that must remain in place after maintenance, use the file method described above.

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Do not confuse the join password with the RCON password

ServerPassword controls whether a player can join the game server. The Password entry in Rcon.cfg authenticates RCON remote-console connections. They are separate credentials in separate configuration contexts, as documented in the configuration reference: Server Configuration – Official Squad Wiki.

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Credential File or command Who uses it What it protects
Player join password ServerPassword=... in Server.cfg, or AdminSetServerPassword ... at runtime Players connecting to the server Entry to the game server
RCON password Password in Rcon.cfg RCON clients and remote administrators Remote-console authentication

Changing the RCON password will not set a player join password. Conversely, adding ServerPassword will not authenticate an RCON tool. Keep the two values distinct so that distributing a join password does not also disclose your remote-administration credential.

Instructions for a rented or managed Squad server

You can password-protect a rented dedicated server if the host gives you access to the server configuration or exposes the setting through its control panel. Managed hosts commonly provide a web file manager, an editor, or a configuration area that maps to the same SquadGame/ServerConfig/Server.cfg location.

  1. Open the provider’s control panel and stop the server if the panel requires it before file changes.
  2. Open the file manager or configuration editor for the server’s SquadGame/ServerConfig directory.
  3. Edit Server.cfg and add or update ServerPassword=YourPassword.
  4. Save the change, then use the provider’s restart control or documented service action.
  5. Test the password from a separate client connection.

There is no universal restart button or service command across hosting companies. If the panel hides the file, ask the host where its Squad server configuration is stored and how it expects a restart after edits. Do not apply instructions written for a different provider’s interface without checking the labels in your own panel. The installation guide’s directory reference remains the useful constant: Server Installation – Official Squad Wiki.

If the host offers only an in-game administration console and no file or service access, you can still use AdminSetServerPassword when your account has the required permission. That gives you a runtime lock, but it does not replace access to Server.cfg when you need persistence.

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Test the password correctly

Test after the restart, not only immediately after saving. Use a client that is not already authenticated or connected through an existing session. The goal is to verify the real join path that ordinary players will use.

  1. Wait for the server to finish restarting and appear available.
  2. From a separate client, select the server and begin joining.
  3. Confirm that the client displays a password prompt or otherwise requests the configured join password.
  4. Enter the exact value saved in Server.cfg.
  5. Confirm that the client can join with the correct value.
  6. If practical, retry with an incorrect value to confirm that the protected server does not accept it.

A client that was already connected before the change is not a reliable test of the new setting. The documented testing guidance likewise calls for a fresh, unauthenticated connection after restarting: How To Set A Password On Your Squad Server.

Troubleshoot a password that does not work

The server still admits players without a password

  • Confirm the line is in SquadGame/ServerConfig/Server.cfg, not in Rcon.cfg or an unrelated file.
  • Check that the key is spelled ServerPassword and that it has an equals sign: ServerPassword=YourPassword.
  • Make sure you saved the file on the actual dedicated-server machine or in the host panel’s server-specific file area.
  • Restart the server after saving. A running process may not read the edit until startup.
  • Test with a new client connection rather than relying on an already connected player.

The password prompt appears, but the expected value is rejected

  • Recheck the value in the file and communicate the exact same value to the tester.
  • Verify that you edited the active server instance if the machine hosts more than one deployment.
  • If you changed the value with AdminSetServerPassword, remember that the runtime value may differ from the value in the file.
  • After a restart, test again using the value currently stored in Server.cfg, because the file is the persistent source.

The runtime command has no effect

  • Confirm that you are authenticated as an administrator allowed to use the private command level.
  • Enter the command in the server administration console, not in ordinary player chat.
  • Use the documented form AdminSetServerPassword <Password>; use an empty string only when intentionally removing the runtime password.
  • If you need the change to remain after maintenance, also edit Server.cfg and restart.

The setting disappears after a restart

This normally indicates that only the runtime command was used, or that the persistent file was edited in the wrong installation or host instance. Put the desired value in the active server’s SquadGame/ServerConfig/Server.cfg, save it, restart, and repeat the fresh-client test.

Operational practices for a private server

  • Keep a backup of Server.cfg before making edits so you can restore other settings.
  • Use a join password that is different from the RCON password in Rcon.cfg.
  • Give the join password only to the intended community, event participants, or testers.
  • Change the persistent value when the group of authorized players changes, then restart and retest.
  • Use the runtime command for a time-limited lock when you do not want to alter the long-term configuration.
  • Document who has permission to use private-level administration commands; a player password is not an administrator permission.

These practices keep access control and remote administration separate: the former decides who may enter, while the latter governs who may operate the server remotely.

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Which method should you choose?

Situation Recommended action Reason
You run a closed community server every day Set ServerPassword=... in Server.cfg, then restart The setting is reapplied when the server starts
You need to lock an active server for a one-off event Use AdminSetServerPassword <Password> It changes the live state without a file edit
You want to open the server again temporarily Use the empty-string form of AdminSetServerPassword The administration reference defines an empty argument as removal of the runtime password
You rent a server and have a web file manager Edit the host’s copy of Server.cfg, then use its restart control The panel is the provider’s route to the same configuration area
You only have RCON credentials Do not edit or rely on the RCON Password for player access RCON authentication and the join password are separate

Quick checklist

  • Use SquadGame/ServerConfig/Server.cfg for a persistent player password.
  • Enter ServerPassword=YourPassword as the configuration value.
  • Save the file and restart the dedicated server.
  • Use AdminSetServerPassword <Password> only for an authorized runtime change.
  • Use an empty string with that command to remove the runtime password.
  • Keep ServerPassword separate from the Password in Rcon.cfg.
  • Test from a fresh client connection after the restart.

Sources and command references

The configuration key and the distinction between player and RCON credentials are documented in Server Configuration – Official Squad Wiki. The command, its private access level, and the empty-string removal behavior are documented in Server Administration – Official Squad Wiki. Installation paths for Windows and Linux server layouts are described in Server Installation – Official Squad Wiki. A practical restart-and-test sequence is also described by How To Set A Password On Your Squad Server.

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Dedicated Serversgame server administrationRCONserver.cfgSquad server

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