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The reliable way to make a Conan Exiles server private is to set a non-empty ServerPassword and give it only to the people you want to play with. On a self-hosted Windows dedicated server, put that value in ConanSandboxSavedConfigWindowsServerEngine.ini under [OnlineSubsystemSteam]. On a rented server, enter the password in the host’s Server Settings, General, or equivalent panel. Keep AdminPassword separate: it grants administrative access and is not the password ordinary players use to join.
The quickest way to make your server friends-only
A password-protected server is private in the practical, friends-only sense: anyone who does not know the password should be unable to join. Funcom describes the purpose directly: “You can also set a password for your server, so only those friends you share the password with can play on it.” The password must not be blank, and it should be shared through a private channel rather than posted publicly.
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There are two different credentials:
ServerPasswordcontrols player entry.AdminPasswordlets an authorized player use administrative tools and change server settings.
Changing the admin password does not make a public server private. Conversely, giving someone the player password does not make that person an administrator.
What “private” means in Conan Exiles
A non-empty server password limits play to people who know that value. It does not necessarily remove the server from every server browser, hide its name, or replace network security. A browser listing and actual access are separate concerns: friends may still see a listing, but the password should stop an unauthorized join attempt.
#1 Best Overall
- EXPLORE A VAST WORLD: Explore a giant world, from the burning desert in the south to the snow-capped mountains in the north. Discover ancient cultures, ruins, and dungeons
- SURVIVE: Stay warm, cool yourself down, drink and eat, weather scouring sandstorms, prevent your mind from being corrupted when exploring dark dungeons, and battle vicious monsters to stay alive
- BUILD: Harvest resources to craft tools and weapons, then build anything from a small home to entire cities piece by piece. Build walls, traps, elevators, and more, then deck out your creations with a wide variety of different furniture, crafting stations, and NPC guards
- DOMINATE: Wage war against your enemies, use siege weapons and explosives and see their walls crumble to dust, then unleash your savage fury in violent and brutal combat
- BUILD AN ARMY OF THRALLS: Capture NPCs, drag them back to your base, and use the Wheel of Pain to break their will. Turn them into archers, crafters, entertainers, and more for your settlements
Network reachability also matters. If the server is not reachable from outside your home network, the password can be correct and the server can still be unavailable to friends. Funcom identifies UDP ports 27015 and 7777 as default listening ports and notes that a firewall exception may be needed for browser visibility. Treat those as the starting point for your firewall and router review, not as a guarantee that every hosting environment uses identical networking.
A password is therefore the documented, cross-platform access control. A whitelist may be available in a particular hosting panel or game version, but the available sources do not establish one current whitelist procedure that works on every platform. Do not assume a guide for one host or version applies to another.
Self-hosted Windows dedicated server: complete setup
1. Install the dedicated-server software
Install the Conan Exiles Dedicated Server tool through Steam or SteamCMD. Funcom’s setup documentation identifies SteamCMD application ID 443030. The installation location becomes the server’s working directory; you will need that location when opening the configuration files.
- Use a Windows machine that can remain online whenever friends need to play.
- Record the folder in which the dedicated server is installed.
- Keep Steam or SteamCMD available for future game updates, because a server that is not updated can stop matching the client version used by players.
The installation step does not make the server private. Privacy is applied in the configuration file after the server has been installed.
2. Start the server once and check network access
Launch the dedicated server and confirm that it can listen on its configured network ports. On Windows, create firewall exceptions for the server as required by your security policy. Funcom lists UDP 27015 and UDP 7777 as default listening ports; a blocked exception can prevent browser visibility or stop players outside your network from connecting.
Rank #2
- Includes a 6 inch Conan the Barbarian polyresin figurine, a custom comic book, 3 soundtracks featuring the music from Conan Exiles as well as the music from Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures and Age of Conan: Rise of the Godslayer, an artbook, a map of the world of Conan Exiles, a code to unlock 6 full-color digital comic books from Dark Horse Comics, a code to unlock the digital rule book created by Modiphius for their Conan pen and paper RPG, and a code to unlock the “Coming of Conan” eBook!
- Dominate the Exiled Lands - Carve out your piece of the Exiled Lands, taking it from other players if you must! Build siege weapons and use explosives to break down the walls of your enemy’s city.
- Survive in a Savage Land - Dress well or light a campfire to stay warm and make sure to cool yourself down in the heat. Hunt, cook, eat, and drink to stay alive. Build a shelter to weather scouring sandstorms.
- Brutal, Bloody Combat - Fight vicious monsters and other players using an action-oriented, combo-based combat system. Dodge, block, and learn to master the true art of combat to become the greatest fighter in the Exiled Lands.
- Play Together or Alone - Play alone locally or fight for survival and dominance in persistent multiplayer on public servers. You can also host your own server and invite others to join you in a world where you have full control of the rules and settings. Want to play with just handful of friends? Try co-op mode!
If you use a router, the router’s port-forwarding rules and the Windows firewall must both permit the traffic. The exact public address and forwarding interface depend on your network, so use the address and controls supplied by your router or hosting environment rather than copying a rule intended for a different setup.
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3. Open the correct configuration file
Stop the server before editing its files, then open:
ConanSandboxSavedConfigWindowsServerEngine.ini
This is the Windows dedicated-server configuration path. It is not the same file as ServerSettings.ini, which stores the administrator credential. If the server is installed in a custom directory, locate the ConanSandbox folder inside that installation and follow the same relative path.
4. Add the player password under the Steam subsystem section
In Engine.ini, locate the section named:
[OnlineSubsystemSteam]
Under that section, set a server name and a non-empty player password. The relevant entries are:
ServerName=Your private server nameServerPassword=Use-a-private-player-password
Rank #3
- Explore a vast world: explore a giant world, from the Burning desert in the south to the snow-capped mountains in the north. Discover ancient cultures, ruins, and dungeons
- Survive: stay warm, cool yourself down, drink and eat, weather scouring sandstorms, prevent your mind from being corrupted when exploring dark dungeons, and battle vicious monsters to stay alive
- Build: harvest resources to craft tools and weapons, then build anything from a Small home to entire cities. Build walls, traps, elevators, and more
- Dominate: wage war against your enemies, use siege weapons and explosives and see their walls crumble to dust, then unleash your savage Fury in violent and brutal combat
- Play together or alone: play alone locally or fight for survival and dominance in persistent multiplayer on public servers. You can also host your own server and invite others to join you
Use your own values in place of the examples. The important detail is the section: ServerPassword belongs under [OnlineSubsystemSteam] for this Windows dedicated-server setup. A value placed in another section, or a blank value, will not provide the intended player gate.
Save the file, then start the server again so it loads the updated configuration. Keep a backup copy of the file before making larger configuration changes; that gives you a known-good version to restore if an edit prevents the server from starting.
5. Set a separate administrator password
Put the administrative credential in:
ConanSandboxSavedConfigWindowsServerServerSettings.ini
After the server is running, join it as a normal player. Open Server Settings, select Make Me Admin, and enter the admin password configured in ServerSettings.ini. This is an in-game administrative authorization step; it is not the same as entering the player password at the join screen.
Use a different value for AdminPassword and ServerPassword. Anyone who knows the admin credential may be able to change settings or use administrative tools, so do not send it to ordinary players when you are only inviting them to play.
Rank #4
- Explore a giant world, from the burning desert in the South to the snow-capped mountains in the North
- stay warm, cool yourself down, drink and eat, weather scouring sandstorms, prevent your mind from being corrupted when exploring dark dungeons, and battle vicious monsters to stay alive
- harvest resources to craft tools and weapons, then build anything from a small home to entire cities piece by piece
6. Test the private join flow
- Confirm that the server is running and visible from the intended connection method.
- Join with the correct player password.
- Test once with an incorrect password to verify that the server rejects it.
- If possible, have a friend connect from outside the host machine’s local network; a local test cannot prove that firewall and router rules work for Internet players.
- Only after the test succeeds, send the server address and player password to invited players.
A successful administrative login does not prove that the player password is configured correctly, because the two credentials are read from different files and serve different purposes.
Where the password goes on a rented server
Managed hosts normally expose the same controls through a web panel rather than requiring direct file editing. Look for a panel labelled Server Settings, General, or a similar configuration page. Enter a non-empty value in the field labelled Server Password, save the change, and use the panel’s restart or apply control if it provides one.
The panel may also ask for:
- a server name;
- a geographic region;
- the number of player slots; and
- the rental duration.
Those choices affect discovery, capacity, and availability; they do not replace the password. Keep the panel’s administrator credential distinct from the player password, just as you would in a self-hosted installation.
Funcom’s historical Xbox rental guidance describes selecting a region, player-slot count, rental duration, server name, and server password through G-Portal, with an admin password used separately in the server settings menu. Because that guidance concerns a past rental flow, verify that the provider currently supports your platform and game version and that its labels and pricing have not changed. Do not rely on a Windows file path when the provider manages the files for you.
Console considerations
Console servers are usually rented rather than installed on a player-owned Windows machine. The practical workflow is therefore:
Best Value
- Explore a vast world: explore a giant world, from the Burning desert in the south to the snow-capped mountains in the north. Discover ancient cultures, ruins, and dungeons
- Survive: stay warm, cool yourself down, drink and eat, weather scouring sandstorms, prevent your mind from being corrupted when exploring dark dungeons, and battle vicious monsters to stay alive
- Build: harvest resources to craft tools and weapons, then build anything from a Small home to entire cities. Build walls, traps, elevators, and more
- Dominate: wage war against your enemies, use siege weapons and explosives and see their walls crumble to dust, then unleash your savage Fury in violent and brutal combat
- Play together or alone: play alone locally or fight for survival and dominance in persistent multiplayer on public servers. You can also host your own server and invite others to join you
- Choose a host that explicitly supports your console platform and current Conan Exiles version.
- Select the region, slot count, and rental term offered by that host.
- Set the server name and a non-empty server password in the rental panel.
- Set an administrator password separately if the panel or in-game settings provide that option.
- Use the console’s server browser or direct connection flow to confirm that an invited player can join with the player password.
Historical documentation is not a promise of current availability. Check the provider’s live control panel before paying, especially for platform support, geographic regions, slot limits, renewal terms, and whether password and admin fields are still exposed in the same places.
Server password versus admin password
| Credential | Purpose | Where it is configured on a Windows dedicated server | Who should receive it |
|---|---|---|---|
ServerPassword |
Controls whether a player may join | Engine.ini, under [OnlineSubsystemSteam] |
Invited players who need to enter the server |
AdminPassword |
Authorizes administrative tools and settings changes | ServerSettings.ini; then use Make Me Admin in Server Settings |
Only trusted administrators |
Keeping these values separate limits the damage if a player password is forwarded beyond your group. You can rotate the player password without handing out administrative authority, and you can change the admin credential without changing every player’s join instructions.
Self-hosting or managed hosting?
| Decision area | Self-hosted Windows dedicated server | Managed hosting |
|---|---|---|
| Initial setup | Install the dedicated-server tool, identify the files, and configure networking | Create a rental, choose the offered options, and enter settings in a web panel |
| Ongoing maintenance | You handle updates, restarts, firewall rules, and troubleshooting | The host handles much of the machine maintenance; you still manage game settings and access |
| File and mod control | Direct control of configuration files and the server installation | Control depends on the panel and the provider’s supported features |
| Capacity | Bound by your machine, network, and configuration | Bound by the provider’s available slot plans |
| Uptime | Depends on your electricity, Internet connection, and maintenance schedule | Depends on the provider’s infrastructure and the rental term |
| Region | Your machine’s physical network location | A region selected from the provider’s available locations |
| Cost model | Uses your existing hardware and connection, with their associated operating costs | Recurring rental cost; current prices vary by provider, platform, region, slots, and term |
Choose self-hosting when direct file and mod control matters and you can maintain the machine. Choose managed hosting when you want a web interface and less responsibility for server operations. In either case, the privacy mechanism remains a non-empty player password kept out of public channels.
Troubleshooting private-server problems
The server still appears public
- Check that
ServerPasswordhas a value rather than being blank. - Confirm that the entry is under
[OnlineSubsystemSteam]inEngine.ini. - Make sure you edited the active installation’s
WindowsServerconfiguration folder, not a different copy. - Stop and start the server after saving the file.
A server can remain visible in a browser while still requiring a password. Visibility alone does not show that the access control failed.
Friends cannot find or reach the server
- Verify that the server process is running.
- Review Windows firewall exceptions for the server.
- Check the default UDP ports,
27015and7777, and any router forwarding required by your network. - Test from outside the host’s local network; local and Internet connectivity can behave differently.
These checks address reachability, not password correctness. A friend who can see the server but receives a password error has a different problem from a friend who cannot see the server at all.
The password is rejected
- Have the player retype the current value rather than relying on an old saved entry.
- Check for accidental leading or trailing spaces in the configured value and in the shared message.
- Confirm that the host panel saved the change and that the server was restarted or its settings were applied.
- On a Windows dedicated server, recheck the exact file path and section name.
Make Me Admin does not work
Use the value configured as AdminPassword in ServerSettings.ini, not the player’s ServerPassword. Join the server first, open Server Settings, choose Make Me Admin, and enter the administrative credential. If the player password works but this step fails, troubleshoot the admin file and credential separately.
Quick Recap
Security and maintenance checklist
- Use a non-empty, hard-to-guess player password.
- Use a different, stronger admin password.
- Send the player password only to the intended group.
- Never publish the admin credential in a public chat, stream description, or server listing.
- Change the player password when someone who should no longer have access still knows it.
- Keep a backup of edited configuration files before changing settings.
- Apply server updates and confirm that the client and dedicated-server versions remain compatible.
- After updates or host migrations, recheck both password fields, because the active configuration location or panel labels may differ.
- Review firewall and router rules whenever the machine, Internet connection, or hosting region changes.
Final setup checklist
- Install the dedicated server with Steam or SteamCMD app ID
443030, or provision a supported managed server. - For Windows self-hosting, open
ConanSandboxSavedConfigWindowsServerEngine.ini. - Under
[OnlineSubsystemSteam], setServerNameand a non-emptyServerPassword. - Set a separate
AdminPasswordinServerSettings.iniif you need administrative access. - Check UDP
27015and7777firewall and network access. - Restart or apply the server configuration.
- Test one valid and one invalid player-password attempt.
- Share only the server address and player password with invited players.
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