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To put a Vintage Story server in the public directory, set "AdvertiseServer": true in that server’s serverconfig.json, save the file, and restart the server. On version 1.20 and later, advertising is disabled by default, so a newly created server normally remains absent from Browse public servers until you enable it.

You can also use the console command /serverconfig advertise on on servers that support that alias. The setting is still a server-configuration change: relaunch the server afterward, then allow several minutes for the directory to update.

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What makes a Vintage Story server appear in the directory?

The directory switch is named AdvertiseServer. It is a Boolean JSON setting, so the enabled value must be the unquoted word true:

"AdvertiseServer": true

This is not a setting called Public. Changing an unrelated key will not place the server in the browser. The official server configuration documentation identifies AdvertiseServer as the control for whether players see the server when they choose Browse public servers.

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From Vintage Story 1.20 onward, the default is off. That default makes a new dedicated server private with respect to the directory; it does not indicate that the server is broken or unreachable. Older releases can have different generated defaults, so inspect the configuration file for the version you are running rather than assuming the value.

What you need before changing the setting

  • Access to the active server instance, either its files or an administrative console.
  • Permission to stop and relaunch the server. Configuration changes are not reliably applied while the old process is still running.
  • A recent backup of serverconfig.json. Keep the original so you can restore it if an edit introduces a syntax error.
  • The exact server version. Version 1.20 and newer start with advertising disabled, while behavior in earlier releases may differ.

Make sure you are editing the configuration used by the instance that players actually run. If several worlds, installations, or service profiles exist on the machine, each can have its own configuration file. Editing an unused copy will appear to have no effect even when the JSON is perfectly written.

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Method 1: edit serverconfig.json

1. Stop the running server

Use your normal stop procedure and wait until the process has finished saving and exited. Editing a file while the server is shutting down can be overwritten by its final save. If your host provides a stop button, wait for its status to change from running to stopped before opening the file.

2. Back up the current configuration

Copy serverconfig.json to a dated backup such as serverconfig.json.before-advertising. Preserve the original extension and contents. The backup gives you a known-good rollback if the server refuses to start after the edit.

3. Open the active serverconfig.json

Open the file in a text editor that does not add rich-text formatting. Locate the existing AdvertiseServer entry. A typical fragment looks like this:

{
  "AdvertiseServer": false,
  "ServerName": "Your server name"
}

The surrounding configuration can contain many other keys. Do not delete them or replace the whole file with a short example. Change only the value associated with AdvertiseServer.

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4. Set the value to the JSON Boolean true

Change the line to:

"AdvertiseServer": true

Keep the comma rules required by JSON. If another property follows the line, retain the comma; if it is the final property, do not add a trailing comma. Do not write "true" in quotation marks and do not use on inside the file. Those are text values, not the Boolean value expected by the configuration parser.

5. Save without changing the file structure

Save the file in its existing plain-text format. Avoid automatic “pretty print” or conversion features that might alter key names or insert comments; standard JSON does not support comments. If your editor reports a syntax problem, compare brackets, quotation marks, and commas with the backup before attempting a restart.

6. Relaunch the server

Start the same server instance again. Server-configuration changes take effect only after the server is relaunched, so leaving the old process running will leave the previous advertising state in force.

7. Allow the directory to refresh

Open the game’s public-server browser and search for the configured server. A community guide reports that publication can take a few minutes. Refreshing immediately after startup can therefore produce a false “missing” result; wait several minutes before beginning troubleshooting.

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Method 2: use the administrative console

If you administer the server through an interactive console, the equivalent command supplied by community server guides is:

/serverconfig advertise on

Enter it exactly, including the leading slash. This changes the advertising setting without requiring you to hand-edit the JSON. Because the value belongs to serverconfig.json, relaunch the server after issuing the command so the new configuration is loaded, then wait for the directory refresh.

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To turn advertising off again, the official command form is:

/serverconfig advertise false

Use the same stop, relaunch, and verification cycle after disabling it. If your particular server build rejects the advertise on alias, edit the file directly with the Boolean value shown above; the setting name remains AdvertiseServer.

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How to verify that the listing is working

  1. Confirm that the server started normally after the change. A startup failure usually points to malformed JSON or an edit to the wrong file, not to the public directory itself.
  2. Open Vintage Story’s multiplayer browser and choose Browse public servers.
  3. Look for the server by the name configured for that instance. If several servers use similar names, verify the matching entry rather than assuming the first result is yours.
  4. Wait a few minutes, close and reopen the browser, and search again. Directory publication is not necessarily instantaneous.
  5. Attempt a normal connection only after the entry appears. Advertising controls directory visibility; it does not by itself repair an unreachable server, a blocked connection, or an authentication rule.

A successful listing means the directory can display the server. It does not mean that every visitor is allowed to join. Access controls such as a whitelist or password continue to govern admission.

Vintage Story server not showing in Browse public servers: troubleshooting

The file still says false

Reopen the active configuration after stopping the server. If it reverted to false, you may have edited a different copy or changed the file while the server was still running and its shutdown save restored the old value. Stop the correct instance, make the backup, edit that instance’s file, and relaunch it.

The key is misspelled or replaced with Public

The recognized key is case-sensitive AdvertiseServer. Variants such as AdvertiseServer with a missing letter, advertiseserver, or a made-up Public key are not substitutes. Remove an accidental duplicate and leave one correctly spelled entry with a Boolean value.

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The value is quoted or written as on

Inside JSON, use true without quotation marks. The following are not equivalent:

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"AdvertiseServer": true
"AdvertiseServer": "true"
"AdvertiseServer": "on"

Only the first line represents the Boolean enabled state expected by the configuration.

You changed the file but did not restart

Stop and relaunch the server. The official configuration guidance says serverconfig changes apply after a relaunch; refreshing the browser while the old process remains active cannot force it to reread the file.

You checked too soon

Allow several minutes for directory propagation, then reopen the public-server browser. A brief delay is normal according to a community guide. If the entry is still absent after a complete restart and a reasonable wait, return to the setting, file location, and JSON checks rather than repeatedly refreshing.

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The server appears, but players cannot join

Advertising and connectivity are separate concerns. The directory flag only asks Vintage Story to publish an entry. A server can be visible while a firewall, host-level network rule, incorrect address, or other access condition prevents a connection. Diagnose those network and access conditions separately; changing AdvertiseServer again will not open a blocked connection.

The console command is rejected

Use the file-edit method instead and write "AdvertiseServer": true in the server’s active configuration. Command names can vary with game versions or server wrappers, while the configuration key is the documented control. Relaunch after saving.

The server starts but the listing remains private

Check the version first. Version 1.20 and later intentionally default to advertising off. Then verify that the value is enabled in the generated file for that version, that the process you restarted is the process serving the world, and that you waited for the directory to refresh.

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Public listing, whitelist, and password decisions

Putting a server on the public list makes its presence discoverable to anyone who can browse that list. It does not require you to make the world open to every visitor. You can advertise a server for discoverability while retaining an admission control.

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The official guidance describes the whitelist as significantly more secure than a password and warns that disabling the whitelist is risky. Treat the whitelist as an access-control decision, not as a side effect of advertising. Inspect your own generated configuration before relying on any assumed default: published references disagree about the default whitelist mode, and that behavior can change between versions.

Listed but restricted

Keep the whitelist enabled and add only the player accounts you intend to admit. This lets friends find the server in the directory without turning the world into an open public server. If you use a password instead, distribute it only to the intended group and understand that possession of the password is the only gate described by that method.

Private and undiscoverable

Set advertising off when you do not want the server shown in the directory. The reverse console command is:

/serverconfig advertise false

After changing it, relaunch the server. Hiding the listing is a privacy measure, not a security boundary: someone who already knows a reachable address may still attempt to connect, subject to your whitelist, password, and other server controls.

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A repeatable change-and-rollback procedure

  1. Record the current game version and the server instance you intend to change.
  2. Stop that instance cleanly.
  3. Copy serverconfig.json to a dated backup.
  4. Change only AdvertiseServer to the required Boolean value.
  5. Validate the punctuation visually: matching braces, paired quotation marks, and commas only between properties.
  6. Start the same instance and watch for a normal startup.
  7. Wait several minutes, then check Browse public servers.
  8. If startup fails, stop the process, restore the backup, and start again. Once the server is healthy, repeat the edit carefully.

This procedure separates configuration errors from directory delays and preserves a known-good recovery point.

Quick reference

Goal Configuration or command Required follow-up
Show the server in the public browser "AdvertiseServer": true or /serverconfig advertise on Relaunch the server; allow a few minutes for listing propagation.
Hide the server from the browser "AdvertiseServer": false or /serverconfig advertise false Relaunch the server and verify it is no longer listed.
Keep a listed server closed to most players Advertise enabled plus your chosen whitelist or password policy Verify the access-control settings in the active configuration.
Recover from a bad edit Restore the backed-up serverconfig.json Start the server, then make a smaller, syntax-checked change.

Final checklist

  • The key is exactly AdvertiseServer.
  • The value is the unquoted JSON Boolean true.
  • You changed the configuration for the running instance, not an unused copy.
  • The server was relaunched after the change.
  • You waited several minutes before judging the listing absent.
  • Your whitelist or password policy matches the audience you want to admit.
  • You understand that directory visibility does not guarantee network reachability.

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