Rust has no built-in whitelist. To restrict admission by player, run Oxide/uMod on the dedicated server, install the community Whitelist plugin, and grant each approved Steam64 ID the whitelist.allow permission. If you also need the server to stay out of public discovery, separately firewall the query port and apply the other privacy measures described below.
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What a Rust whitelist does
A whitelist is an admission rule: only accounts you explicitly approve can join. In Rust, that rule is not part of the vanilla dedicated-server configuration. Facepunch’s official hidden-server guidance therefore uses Oxide/uMod and the Whitelist plugin to add permission-based admission.
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Requirements before you begin
- A running Rust dedicated server. You need administrator, console, or RCON access that can execute Oxide commands.
- Oxide/uMod for the server build. The framework must match the Rust server version. Rust updates can require reinstalling or updating Oxide/uMod.
- The Whitelist plugin file. Keep the plugin’s
.csfile in the server’soxide/plugins/directory. - A Steam64 ID for every approved player. A display name is not a reliable identity because names can change.
- Access to the server’s identity-specific files. Facepunch identifies the configuration location as
rust/server/server.identity/cfg/; replaceserver.identitywith the actual identity used by your server.
Back up the identity’s configuration directory before changing files. The usual files you will care about are server.cfg, users.cfg, and the Whitelist plugin’s own configuration under the Oxide/uMod configuration directory.
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Install or update Oxide/uMod
- Stop the Rust server cleanly if it is running.
- Download the Rust-compatible Oxide/uMod build and extract it into the Rust server installation, following the framework’s installation layout.
- Start the server and watch the console for Oxide/uMod framework and plugin-loader messages. A successful framework load is required before the Whitelist plugin can work.
- If the server has just updated Rust, verify that the Oxide/uMod build supports that server version. Reinstall or update the framework when the console reports an incompatibility or fails to load plugins.
Do not grant permissions until the framework is loaded. A command entered before Oxide/uMod is available will not create a working whitelist.
Install the Whitelist plugin
- Obtain the current Whitelist plugin package from the uMod plugin listing.
- Place the plugin’s
.csfile inoxide/plugins/inside the Rust server installation. - Restart the server, or load the plugin through the Oxide command system if your administration workflow permits live loading.
- Check the console for a successful Whitelist load. If the plugin reports compile errors, missing dependencies, or an unsupported API, stop and resolve that issue before adding players.
The plugin’s settings, when it has configurable options, are written in the Oxide/uMod plugin configuration directory. Keep that file with your backups; editing server.cfg does not replace plugin configuration.
Find each player’s Steam64 ID
Permissions are assigned to the numeric Steam64 identity, not to a name. Collect the Steam64 ID for every person who should be able to connect and verify each value before granting it. A Steam64 ID is a long numeric value, commonly beginning with 7656119.
Keep an administrative list outside the game with the player’s current name, Steam64 ID, date added, and who approved the access. The name is useful for human auditing; the ID is what the permission system uses.
Administrative access is separate from whitelist access. Oxide’s owner documentation places users.cfg beside server.cfg in the identity-specific cfg directory and documents the ownerid and moderatorid formats. Make sure the account you use to run commands is already authorized as an owner, moderator, console user, or RCON administrator.
Grant whitelist access
Run the grant command from the server console, through RCON, or from an authorized in-game F1 console. Replace the example number with the player’s complete Steam64 ID:
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oxide.grant user 7656119XXXXXXXXXX whitelist.allowFacepunch’s hidden-server guide also shows the shorter alias:
o.grant user 7656119XXXXXXXXXX whitelist.allowRepeat the command once for every approved account. The permission is specific to the supplied Steam64 ID; granting it to one player does not approve a group or everyone on the server.
After each grant, check the console for a successful permission message. If the command is rejected, confirm that you are using an authorized console, that the plugin has loaded, and that the ID contains no spaces or missing digits.
Test both allowed and rejected connections
Test admission before you give the address to the group. Use an approved account first. Then temporarily remove its permission and attempt another connection, or use a separate account that has never been granted access. The purpose is to verify both sides of the rule, not merely that the plugin appears in the console.
- Connect with an account that has
whitelist.allow. - Temporarily revoke that account’s permission:
oxide.revoke user 7656119XXXXXXXXXX whitelist.allow- Attempt to connect again and confirm that the plugin returns its not-whitelisted response.
- Restore access:
oxide.grant user 7656119XXXXXXXXXX whitelist.allowThis is an operational check you should perform on your own server; it is not a claim that every plugin release produces an identical message or behavior. If an approved account is rejected, verify the exact Steam64 ID, inspect the permission entry, and reload the plugin only after checking its console errors.
Reloading and maintaining the plugin
When you change the plugin’s configuration, reload it with:
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oxide.reload WhitelistUse a reload only after saving a backup and checking the console. A reload does not repair an incompatible Oxide/uMod installation or a plugin compile error.
Rust server updates, Oxide/uMod updates, wipes, and host migrations are the points at which a whitelist most often stops working. Use this maintenance sequence:
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- Back up
rust/server/<identity>/cfg/,users.cfg,server.cfg, and the plugin configuration before an update. - Update Rust and Oxide/uMod as a matched pair rather than updating only one component.
- Confirm that the Whitelist
.csfile is still inoxide/plugins/. - Start the server and look for a successful framework and plugin load.
- Test one approved account and one unapproved account after every major update or wipe.
A wipe changes the world state, but it should not be treated as proof that permissions survived. Check the permission system and configuration after the wipe instead of assuming that an old setup is still active.
Where the configuration files belong
Identity-specific configuration
Facepunch’s server guide identifies the path as:
rust/server/server.identity/cfg/Here, server.identity is a placeholder for the identity name in your own launch configuration. Do not create a second arbitrary cfg directory and expect the server to read it; use the directory belonging to the running identity.
server.cfg and users.cfg
The Oxide owner documentation places users.cfg beside server.cfg. These files handle server and administrative settings, not the Whitelist plugin’s permission data by themselves. Use the documented ownerid or moderatorid entries to make sure your administrative account can issue commands.
Plugin configuration
uMod stores plugin settings under its configuration directory. The permission grant is issued through the Oxide permission system; changing a server setting in server.cfg does not substitute for granting whitelist.allow.
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Whitelist versus the built-in skip-queue method
For a very small group of trusted players, Facepunch documents a built-in alternative. Set the server’s maximum player count to zero, then add approved Steam IDs with global.skipqueueid in users.cfg:
server.maxplayers 0
global.skipqueueid <id> [name] [note]This is a skip-queue access shortcut, not the same thing as a permission-based whitelist. It has different behavior and administration, so choose it only when that behavior matches your goal.
| Approach | Dependency | Per-player control | Discovery control | Maintenance | Policy consideration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oxide/uMod plus Whitelist plugin | Requires a compatible Oxide/uMod build and plugin | Grant or revoke whitelist.allow for each Steam64 ID |
Does not hide the server by itself | Check framework and plugin after Rust updates and wipes | Plugin use may place the server under Modded listing rules |
| Built-in skip queue | Uses documented server and user configuration | Add or remove skip-queue IDs in users.cfg |
Does not hide the server by itself | Maintain the identity’s configuration entries | Different semantics from a whitelist; verify current listing policy |
The plugin route is the clearer choice when you need explicit permission grants and revocations. Skip queue is simpler for a tiny trusted group when bypassing the queue, rather than enforcing a plugin permission, is the behavior you want.
How to make the server private and harder to discover
Admission and discovery are separate controls. A whitelist answers “who may join?”; privacy hardening answers “who can find or learn about the server?” Use both when you are hosting a private group.
Firewall the Steam query port
The server.queryport endpoint can expose server information to queries and list scrapers. Facepunch recommends firewalling the Steam query port for a hidden deployment. Configure the firewall so ordinary public queries cannot reach that port while preserving the traffic your players and administration actually require. Test the rule from outside the hosting network; a firewall rule that only works for local clients does not make the deployment private.
Use nonstandard ports where appropriate
Facepunch also recommends choosing nonstandard game and RCON ports where appropriate. This is not authentication and will not stop a determined scan, but it reduces exposure from simple scans and avoids relying on a well-known default endpoint. Record the final ports securely and give them only to approved players and administrators.
Protect players’ Steam visibility
Ask members of the private group to keep their Steam game visibility private. Public game details can disclose that a player is using Rust or reveal activity that helps others identify the server or its community. This is a player-side privacy measure, not a replacement for server permissions.
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Hide the endpoint on stream
If an administrator streams, a connection command can prevent the address from being displayed in the console. Facepunch documents this keybind:
bind f6 "client.connecthidden IP:PORT;console.clear"Replace IP:PORT with the real endpoint. Test the bind before streaming and avoid pasting the endpoint into visible chat, overlays, screenshots, crash reports, or public configuration snippets.
Reduce player-name exposure
Set:
censorplayerlist trueThis masks player names from third-party list scrapers. It reduces information leakage but does not block a player who already knows the endpoint, and it does not grant or revoke whitelist permission.
Troubleshooting common failures
The grant command says the permission does not exist
- Check that Oxide/uMod loaded before you issued the command.
- Check that the Whitelist plugin loaded without compile errors.
- Use the exact permission spelling
whitelist.allow. - Reload the plugin only after correcting the underlying load problem.
An approved player is still rejected
- Compare the stored Steam64 ID with the ID of the account actually connecting.
- Remove accidental spaces, truncated digits, or a copied display name.
- Run the grant command again from an authorized console and inspect the response.
- Confirm that the player is connecting to the server identity whose plugin and permissions you changed.
Everyone can still see the server
That is expected if you configured only the whitelist. Permission-based admission does not suppress server-list discovery. Apply the query-port firewall and privacy measures separately, and remember that nonstandard ports and hidden connection commands reduce exposure rather than making discovery mathematically impossible.
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- Stop assuming that a wipe or update preserved every component.
- Check the identity-specific
cfgdirectory and plugin configuration backup. - Verify that Oxide/uMod matches the current Rust build.
- Confirm that the Whitelist plugin file is present and loaded.
- Re-run an approved and rejected connection test.
RCON works but in-game commands do not
Use the server console or RCON as the authoritative administration path while you repair in-game authorization. The account issuing an F1 command must have the required owner or moderator status; being on the whitelist does not automatically grant administrative rights.
Command reference
| Command | Purpose | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
oxide.grant user <Steam64ID> whitelist.allow |
Allows one player through the Whitelist plugin | Add an approved player |
o.grant user <Steam64ID> whitelist.allow |
Short alias for the grant operation | Use when the shorter Facepunch-documented form is convenient |
oxide.revoke user <Steam64ID> whitelist.allow |
Removes one player’s whitelist permission | Remove access or perform a rejection test |
oxide.reload Whitelist |
Reloads the plugin | Apply plugin configuration changes after backing up |
server.maxplayers 0 |
Enables the documented skip-queue setup | Use only with the corresponding skip-queue entries |
global.skipqueueid <id> [name] [note] |
Adds a skip-queue user | Configure the built-in alternative in users.cfg |
censorplayerlist true |
Reduces player-name exposure to list scrapers | Privacy hardening for a less discoverable server |
Listing and policy implications
Facepunch’s current plugin guidance says gameplay-changing or user-interface plugins belong under the Modded section. Before advertising a server as Community, check the current policy and evaluate what the installed plugin changes. Rules can change, and the fact that a server uses a whitelist does not by itself establish which listing category is permitted.
Describe the server accurately to players: say whether access is controlled by the Whitelist plugin or by skip queue, provide the connection endpoint privately, and identify the recovery contact for access changes. Do not rely on a public listing label as a security control.
Operator checklist
- Rust dedicated server is running and you have console or RCON administration.
- Oxide/uMod is installed for the exact Rust server build.
- Whitelist
.csfile is inoxide/plugins/and loads without errors. - Every approved player has a verified Steam64 ID.
oxide.grant user <Steam64ID> whitelist.allowhas been run for each approved account.- An approved connection and a rejected connection have both been tested.
- Identity-specific
cfg,users.cfg,server.cfg, and plugin configuration are backed up. - After every Rust update, Oxide/uMod update, wipe, or migration, plugin loading and admission are rechecked.
- If privacy matters, the query port is firewalled, sensitive game and RCON ports are not left at predictable defaults without a reason, player Steam visibility is private, and
censorplayerlist trueis considered. - The server’s Community or Modded classification has been checked against Facepunch’s current guidance.
The Bottom Line
Use Oxide/uMod with the Whitelist plugin, grant whitelist.allow to each approved Steam64 ID, and treat firewall and query-port controls as a separate privacy layer. The built-in skip-queue method is suitable only when its different access behavior fits your small trusted group.
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