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Unturned Server General Settings Explained

A practical guide to Unturned 3.x server configuration: Commands.dat settings, gameplay config files, file locations, runtime commands, networking and troubleshooting.
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For an Unturned 3.x dedicated server, start with Commands.dat. It stores the server’s identity, map, player limit, access controls and several core gameplay switches, with one setting per line. Use a separate Config.txt file for detailed gameplay tuning on current builds. Older installations may still use Config.json, and hosting panels can place these files in different directories.

The most important practical rule is to identify the files used by your installed build, edit them while the server is stopped, and restart after changes. Runtime commands entered in the Server Console are a separate system; the Help command lists available commands and can describe an individual command.

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What Commands.dat controls

The Unturned 3.x Server Configuration documentation describes Commands.dat as the file for basic server settings. It is a plain-text file: write one command or setting on each line. The file normally contains the information that tells the server browser and connecting players what the server is, where it runs and who may join.

Do not confuse a line in Commands.dat with a command typed into the console. A line such as Name My Server is read when the server starts. A console command is executed while the server is running and may not have an equivalent persistent setting.

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Commands.dat settings at a glance

Setting Purpose Example Important qualification
Name Text shown as the server’s name in the server list Name Cedar Valley Survival Use a clear, distinctive name; restart after changing it.
Map Selects the world that loads Map PEI Official examples include PEI, Washington, Yukon, Russia and Germany. Workshop maps require WorkshopDownloadConfig.json.
MaxPlayers Sets the connection limit MaxPlayers 24 The documentation uses 24 as an example value; practical limits also depend on hardware and bandwidth.
Cheats Enables cheat and administrative functions Cheats Some runtime commands, including item giving, require cheats.
PvE Disables player-versus-player combat PvE It changes the combat model, not the server’s access permissions.
Port Specifies the network port used for forwarding Port 27015 Forward the same port, and check whether your build also uses the adjacent port.
Password Requires a password to join Password valley2026 Share it privately and change it if it becomes public.
Owner Grants owner-level administrative privileges Owner 76561198000000000 The value is a SteamID64, not a display name.
Perspective Controls allowed camera views Perspective First The documented choices are first-person, third-person or both; both is the default.

How to edit Commands.dat safely

  1. Stop the server. Editing while the process is writing files can lose changes or leave a partially written configuration.
  2. Locate the server’s data directory. A self-hosted installation commonly has a server folder under the game’s server data directory. Hosted control panels may expose a file manager instead.
  3. Back up the existing file. Copy Commands.dat to a dated backup before changing it. Keep a known-good copy outside the live folder.
  4. Open it as plain text. Use a text editor that does not add rich-text formatting. Keep each setting on its own line.
  5. Add or change only the required lines. Preserve the spelling and capitalization used by the documentation and your installed build. Do not put several settings on one line.
  6. Save, start the server and read the startup log. Confirm that the intended map and player limit appear and that no configuration error is reported.
  7. Test from a client. Check the browser name, camera options, password prompt and combat behavior before inviting players.

A minimal private test configuration could look like this:

Name Cedar Valley Test
Map PEI
MaxPlayers 8
Password valley2026
Owner 76561198000000000
Perspective Both

Only include switches you actually need. For example, omit Cheats on a survival server where administrative spawning should remain unavailable.

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Understanding each general setting

Name

Name controls the server-list label, not the folder name or a website title. Keep the name short enough to scan and include a region or play style only when it helps players choose the right server. A name change is normally visible after the next startup and browser refresh.

Map

Set Map to the map identifier expected by the server, such as PEI, Washington, Yukon, Russia or Germany. A typo can prevent the intended world from loading. Workshop content is a separate step: the official documentation says Workshop maps need WorkshopDownloadConfig.json. Download and configure the workshop collection first, then use the map name required by that collection.

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MaxPlayers

MaxPlayers is the connection ceiling. The official example uses 24; that is an example, not a performance guarantee. Raising the number increases the possible simulation, network and moderation load. Start below the machine’s tested capacity and increase it only after watching CPU, memory, bandwidth and tick behavior during a busy session.

Cheats

Including Cheats enables cheat and administrative capabilities, including functions such as spawning items or vehicles. The documentation also notes that some runtime commands, such as Give, require cheats. This is a trust decision: enable it only for a server whose administrators and player community understand the consequences. If the server should be a conventional survival experience, remove the line and restart.

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PvE

Including PvE disables player-versus-player combat. It does not create a whitelist, protect bases or make administrators safe from every other game mechanic. Use a password or other access controls when the goal is a private group, and explain the PvE rule in the server name or description so players are not surprised.

Port

Port selects the port used for server networking and port forwarding. Choose an unused port, allow it through the host firewall and forward it to the machine running the server. Secondary configuration guides commonly describe a second port at the next number (for example, 27015 and 27016), but that Port+1 behavior was not confirmed in the official documentation excerpt. Verify the requirement for your installed build, operating system and host before opening an extra port.

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Password

Password requires connecting players to enter the configured text. It is appropriate for a private test server, event or friends-only world. It is not a substitute for a strong operating-system account, firewall rules or careful administrator management. Avoid reusing a password used for another service.

Owner

Owner accepts a SteamID64 and grants owner-level administration. A display name can change; a SteamID64 is the stable identifier the setting expects. Verify every digit before starting the server. The documentation also allows administrators to be added at runtime with the Admin command or through Adminlist.dat, which is useful when several moderators need access without changing the owner.

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Perspective

Perspective restricts camera views. The documented choices are first-person, third-person or both, with both as the default. Pick one deliberately: first-person can create a more constrained competitive view, while allowing both gives players more flexibility but changes visibility and balance.

Commands.dat versus Config.txt and Config.json

Use the file that matches the type and age of the setting rather than putting every option in Commands.dat.

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File Best understood as Typical contents Version and loading notes
Commands.dat Basic server identity, access and core switches Name, Map, MaxPlayers, Cheats, PvE, Port, Password, Owner and Perspective Read during server startup; restart after edits.
Config.txt Current gameplay configuration Detailed tuning such as spawn rates, damage and decay, according to secondary guides Guides describe it as the current format on newer builds and say it is read at startup.
Config.json Legacy gameplay configuration Older servers’ gameplay settings Secondary guides identify it as legacy for servers created before build 3.25.8.0; the server may convert it at startup to a difficulty-specific file such as Config_NormalDifficulty.txt.

The transition around build 3.25.8.0 is important. Do not blindly create a new JSON file on a current installation or delete an old one before confirming what the startup log loads. The official documentation excerpt establishes the role of Commands.dat, but the exact gameplay-file behavior is described by secondary guides and can vary by build.

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Where the files are located

Published guides disagree about whether Config.txt sits beside the server folder or inside it. One layout places it at Servers/<YourServerID>/Config.txt with Commands.dat in the server folder; another places both files together. A hosted panel may use an entirely different visible path.

When you cannot find a setting, check both the server folder and its parent, then inspect the panel’s startup command and log. Look for duplicate files: editing an unused copy produces no change and can make troubleshooting confusing. The active path is the one named by the running build or panel, not necessarily the path shown in an older guide.

Runtime administration through the Server Console

Some actions are intentionally runtime-only. Open the dedicated server’s Server Console and type Help to list commands. Use Help followed by a command name when the console supports a detailed description. The official documentation points administrators to the command list at unturned.wiki.gg/Commands.

Use runtime commands for temporary administration, player management and diagnostics; use the configuration files for settings that must survive a restart. If a command is rejected, check whether Cheats is enabled, whether you are authenticated as owner or admin, and whether the command is available in the installed build.

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Public listing, workshop maps and networking checks

Making a server reachable

  • Set a valid Port and forward it from the router to the server machine.
  • Allow the port through the operating-system firewall and any provider firewall.
  • Confirm that the server is listening on the expected local address and port.
  • Test from outside the local network; a test from the host itself can succeed even when internet forwarding is wrong.

Using a workshop map

Prepare WorkshopDownloadConfig.json for the workshop content, confirm that downloads complete, and then set the map identifier in Commands.dat. If the map does not appear, read the startup log for a missing workshop item, an invalid identifier or a download permission error.

Browser listing and login tokens

Secondary guides state that a public browser listing requires a Game Server Login Token (GSLT), either configured as Login_Token under a Browser section or supplied with a GSLT command. The official site has a Game Server Login Tokens page, but the precise fields and current procedure should be checked against the documentation for your build. Do not assume a token is needed for a password-protected server visible only to invited players, and do not publish the token in screenshots or support posts.

Troubleshooting by symptom

The server starts with the wrong map

  • Check the spelling and capitalization of the Map line.
  • Confirm that you edited the active Commands.dat, not a duplicate in another directory.
  • For workshop content, verify WorkshopDownloadConfig.json and read the download errors in the startup log.

The server name or player limit does not change

  • Stop the server before saving and restart it after saving.
  • Remove duplicate Name or MaxPlayers lines so there is only one intended value.
  • Check whether a hosting panel regenerates the file from its web settings when the server starts.

Players cannot connect

  • Verify the external address, Port, router forwarding and firewall rules.
  • Check whether the provider uses a reserved port or requires entering it in a panel rather than editing the file.
  • Test from a different network and compare the server log with the client’s error.

A runtime command fails

  • Run Help and confirm the command name and syntax for this build.
  • Check owner or admin status.
  • Enable Cheats only if the server policy allows it and the command requires it.

Old settings seem to override new ones

Look for both Config.json and Config.txt, plus difficulty-specific files. Older guides disagree about precedence between configuration files and Commands.dat; newer layouts generally separate basic server settings from gameplay tuning. The startup log is the reliable way to see which file the installed build actually reads.

A practical first-start checklist

  • Back up the original files.
  • Set Name, Map, MaxPlayers and Port.
  • Add Password for a private server and verify the SteamID64 in Owner.
  • Choose PvE, Cheats and Perspective intentionally rather than copying every available line.
  • Configure gameplay values in the active current-format file, normally Config.txt; treat Config.json as a possible legacy file on pre-3.25.8.0 servers.
  • Restart, inspect the log, connect from a client and test each setting.
  • Keep a record of the working configuration so you can restore it after an update or panel migration.

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