To make Unturned apply server settings automatically, edit the plain-text Commands.dat in your server’s Server folder. Put one setting or command on each line, omit the slash used in chat, save the file, and restart the dedicated server. The entries are read during boot and persist across restarts. On newer servers, however, most configuration belongs in Config.txt, so Commands.dat is only part of the setup.
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What Commands.dat does at startup
Commands.dat is Unturned’s boot-time text file for basic dedicated-server options. When the server process starts, Unturned reads the file line by line and applies the settings before players join. Because it is read at boot, editing the file while the server is running does not change the active session; a full server restart is required.
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The file is persistent. Once a line is saved, the same value is loaded on every subsequent start until you change or remove it. This makes it useful for settings that should survive a crash, scheduled restart, or host migration, rather than for one-off commands that are meant to last only for the current session.
- One line equals one entry. Do not combine several settings on one line.
- Use the command name without a leading slash. The slash belongs to in-game chat syntax, not to the file.
- Use
//for comments. Unturned ignores text on a line that starts with two forward slashes when it loads the file. - Save and restart. The file is not continuously watched while the server is online.
Commands.dat is not a general script engine. It is intended for the server’s startup settings and supported boot-time entries. A command that normally depends on a live player, a selected target, or an already-running world may not be appropriate there.
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Where to find the file
The exact path depends on how the server was installed. Community documentation commonly gives this layout:
Servers/<ServerName>/Server/Commands.dat
On a home PC, that Servers directory is normally inside the folders created by the Unturned dedicated-server installation. Official Unturned 3.x documentation describes the same file as being in the individual server folder under the U3DS Servers directory.
Managed hosts generally do not expose the complete operating-system path. Instead, open the server’s control panel and look for a Config Files, Configuration, or similarly named area, then select Commands.dat. For example, a 2022 hosting guide places it under a panel’s Config Files section. The label and editor can differ between hosts, but the file name and line format remain the same.
| Server type | Where to look | What to do after saving |
|---|---|---|
| Self-hosted or rented machine | Servers/<ServerName>/Server/Commands.dat in the U3DS server folders |
Stop and start, or otherwise fully restart, the dedicated server |
| Managed game host | Control panel’s Config Files or Configuration editor | Use the panel’s restart action after the file reports that it was saved |
If the file does not exist, create a plain-text file named exactly Commands.dat in that server’s Server directory. Check that your editor did not append .txt; a filename such as Commands.dat.txt will not be read as the intended file.
Commands.dat syntax rules
Write one entry per line
Use the setting name followed by its value, separated by a space. The official examples use entries such as Name My Unturned Server and MaxPlayers 24. Keep the spelling and capitalization supplied by the documentation for your Unturned build. Community guides warn that names can be case-sensitive, so copying the label exactly is safer than relying on a remembered variation.
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Do not copy the chat slash
In chat, an administrator might type /admin or another slash-prefixed command. In the file, enter the file form only: Owner 76561197960287930, not /Owner 76561197960287930. A leading slash can cause the line to be ignored or treated as an unknown entry.
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Any line beginning with // is a comment and is ignored at launch. This lets you keep optional examples or explain why a value was chosen:
// Optional administrator line
// Owner 76561197960287930The official example uses this style for optional entries such as Owner and Password. Remove the two slashes when you actually want the setting active.
Keep the file as plain text
A basic text editor is sufficient. Avoid rich-text formatting, smart quotes, or decorative characters. Preserve the line breaks, and make sure the file is saved in the server folder you are actually launching; editing a similarly named test server is a common source of apparently ineffective changes.
A working starter file
This example combines the settings shown in the official Unturned documentation. Replace the name and SteamID64 with your own values and verify each option against the version you run:
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// Server settings
Name My Unturned Server
Map PEI
MaxPlayers 24
Perspective Both
Cheats Enabled
Owner 76561197960287930Name My Unturned Serversets the displayed server name in this example.Map PEIselects PEI at boot.MaxPlayers 24sets the example player limit.Perspective Bothallows both perspectives in the documented example.Owner 76561197960287930assigns owner privileges to the account represented by that 17-digit SteamID64. Do not copy the example ID for your own administrator.
The exact cheats spelling deserves special care. One set of guides uses Cheats Enabled; another gives Cheats as a bare line. Since the sources disagree and syntax can change between builds, start with the form shown in the documentation for your version and inspect the startup log if it is rejected. Do not assume that a line worked merely because the server started.
How to configure a self-hosted server
- Stop the server cleanly. A stopped process prevents the editor and the server from writing over each other. If you cannot stop it immediately, make a backup before editing.
- Open the correct server directory. Navigate to
Servers/<ServerName>/Server/under the U3DS installation and locateCommands.dat. - Back up the existing file. Copy it to a separate location or rename the copy so you can restore a known-good version if a new line causes a startup problem.
- Edit as plain text. Add one setting per line, keep exact capitalization, and remove the chat slash. Put optional lines behind
//until you are ready to enable them. - Save with the exact filename. Confirm it is
Commands.dat, not a second extension such as.txt. - Start or restart the dedicated server. Unturned reads the file during this boot. Waiting in the running session will not reload it.
- Check the startup output. Look for the selected map, player limit, perspective, owner assignment, and any unknown-command or parsing error. If a setting is missing from the log or has no visible effect, stop the server and correct the line before inviting players.
How to configure a hosted server panel
- Open the server instance that you intend to change, not another server in the same account.
- Enter Config Files (or the panel’s equivalent) and choose
Commands.dat. - Use the panel editor to add or modify the lines. Keep comments beginning with
//and avoid adding a slash before setting names. - Click the panel’s save button and wait for its confirmation. Some panels save asynchronously, so leaving the page immediately can discard the edit.
- Use the panel’s stop/start or restart control. A configuration save alone does not cause a running Unturned process to reread the file.
- Review the console output after startup. Record the working syntax and remove failed duplicate lines rather than leaving conflicting versions in the file.
If a panel regenerates files from a template, check whether it overwrites manual edits on each restart. In that case, use the panel’s persistent configuration field or template editor, if provided, so the entry survives the next deployment.
Owner, admin, and cheats settings
Owner
The Owner entry takes a player’s SteamID64 and grants that account owner-level administrator privileges, including access to cheat commands in-game. The value should be the account’s 17-digit SteamID64, not a display name or a shorter Steam identifier. The official example shows the format as:
Owner 76561197960287930Another way to make the assignment is to use /owner from the server console. A Squadnox guide describes that console command as saving permanent owner rights back to Commands.dat. If you use the console method, inspect the file afterward so you know exactly what was written and can keep a backup.
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Adminlist.dat and the in-game command
Owner is not the only administration mechanism. An administrator can also be granted through the in-game /admin command or through Adminlist.dat. Those mechanisms serve different operational needs: Commands.dat is a persistent boot-time declaration, while an in-game command is issued during a live session and may be temporary unless separately saved.
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Cheats
Cheats enables cheat commands for administrators, including actions such as spawning items or vehicles. Commands that require cheat access will fail when cheats are disabled, even if the user has another form of moderation permission. Because the available guides do not agree on whether the file should contain Cheats Enabled or a bare Cheats line, verify the accepted form in the wiki or the server log for your current build. Treat the log’s result as authoritative for that installation.
Grant only the access that your staff need. An owner with cheats enabled can affect the world and inventory, so keep the SteamID64 line private and remove it promptly when ownership changes.
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Commands.dat is best for basic options that must be known before the world starts. Community documentation specifically identifies Map and Password as boot-only settings, which is why they fit this file. A map change made in the text file will take effect on the next boot, not in the middle of the current session.
By contrast, Save is a runtime command for saving a running server. It does not replace the restart required after editing Commands.dat, and placing a live-session action in the file may not produce the result you expect. The practical test is whether the entry is documented as a startup option for your version; if it needs a current player, target, or active world state, issue it through the console or in-game command system instead.
| Need | Use | When it takes effect |
|---|---|---|
| Set a basic startup option such as map or player limit | Commands.dat |
At the next server boot |
| Assign persistent owner rights | Owner in Commands.dat, or console /owner that writes it |
After the assignment is saved and the server loads it |
| Issue a one-time administrative action | Server console or in-game command | Immediately, while the session is running |
| Configure most newer server options | Config.txt |
According to that file’s load behavior, normally on restart |
Commands.dat versus Config.txt
Unturned’s official documentation notes that most server options now live in Config.txt. Commands.dat therefore should not be treated as the complete configuration for a current server. Use it for the basic entries that your version still reads there, and look in Config.txt for options documented under that file instead of duplicating them.
Servers created before version 3.25.8.0 may require the legacy conversion steps described by the official documentation. The exact conversion procedure depends on the files and settings present in that older installation; make a backup before moving entries. Do not delete the old files until the converted server has booted successfully and its settings have been checked.
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| Question | Commands.dat | Config.txt |
|---|---|---|
| Primary role | Basic server options and boot-time entries | Most options on newer servers |
| Read timing | Server boot | Follow the configuration loader’s restart behavior |
| Legacy concern | May contain settings from older layouts | Pre-3.25.8.0 servers may need conversion |
| Best practice | Keep only entries documented for this file and build | Place options where the current official documentation assigns them |
Troubleshooting startup entries
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The change is not visible after editing | The server was not restarted, or the wrong server folder was edited | Stop and start the intended instance, then verify its console output and path |
| A line is ignored | Leading slash, misspelled setting, wrong capitalization, or unsupported entry | Remove the slash, copy the documented spelling exactly, and test one change at a time |
| Cheats do not work for an owner | Cheats is disabled or the syntax variant is not accepted by the current build | Check the log and version-specific documentation; test Cheats Enabled versus the documented bare Cheats form |
| Owner rights went to the wrong person | Incorrect SteamID64 or an old owner line remained active | Stop the server, correct or comment out the old line, and verify the 17-digit ID before restarting |
| The file keeps reverting on a host | The panel template or deployment process overwrites manual edits | Use the panel’s persistent configuration/template feature and restart only after it reports the saved value |
| Older server settings behave inconsistently | Installation predates 3.25.8.0 and has not been converted to the newer layout | Back up the server and follow the official legacy conversion procedure before moving settings |
Test changes in isolation
When several lines fail at once, restore the last known-good backup and add one entry per restart. This identifies whether the issue is a typo, a value that the build no longer accepts, or a setting that belongs in Config.txt. Keep the successful version as a dated backup so a later update can be compared against it.
Read the server log, not just the player list
A server can appear online while silently falling back to a default value. The startup console or log is the place to confirm that the map, player limit, perspective, owner, and cheats state were actually parsed. An online status alone does not prove that every Commands.dat line was accepted.
Safe maintenance checklist
- Keep a copy of the working
Commands.datbefore every major edit or game update. - Record the Unturned build and the date beside the backup; syntax can change, and community examples may be old.
- Use comments to explain intentional choices, but remove obsolete examples so a future administrator does not enable them accidentally.
- Never publish an owner SteamID64 together with other private administration details unless the account owner accepts that exposure.
- After an update, restart once, inspect the log for unknown entries, and confirm access with a non-destructive administrative check.
- Keep startup settings in Commands.dat and newer, broader options in Config.txt rather than maintaining conflicting values in both places.
Choosing the right way to run a command
Use this decision path before adding a line:
- Must the value survive every restart? If yes, look for the documented startup setting in Commands.dat or Config.txt.
- Does it describe the server before players connect? Map, password, name, player limit, and perspective are the kind of boot-time values that belong in configuration.
- Does it act on a live player or world? Use the server console or an in-game administrator command instead of assuming Commands.dat can execute it.
- Is the option documented for a newer file? Put it in Config.txt when the official documentation assigns it there, especially on servers created after the legacy layout.
- Did the log accept the exact syntax? If not, restore the backup, correct the line, and restart again before making additional changes.
Key takeaway
For auto-run server configuration, edit the correct Commands.dat, enter one exact, slash-free line per setting, use // for comments, and restart Unturned to load the changes. Use the file for persistent boot options and owner assignment, but check Config.txt for most newer settings and verify disputed syntax—especially cheats—in the documentation and startup log for your server version.
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