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To make an Enshrouded dedicated server private, assign a password in the userGroups section of enshrouded_server.json, then restart the server. The older top-level password entry shown in many guides is outdated for current configurations.
A password controls who can join; it does not make the server invisible to anyone who knows its IP address, and there is no confirmed official server-side “hide from browser” switch. Dedicated servers are commonly hidden by each player’s browser filter until that player enables the dedicated-server option.
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What “private” means in Enshrouded
Enshrouded uses a password-based access model for dedicated servers. Players must supply a password associated with an enabled user group before they can join. This is the supported, documented way to restrict access.
Privacy here is not the same as making a server undiscoverable. A password stops an unauthorised player from completing the join process, but it does not remove the server from the network. Someone who obtains the address can still try to connect directly. The public server browser also has client-side filtering: dedicated servers may be hidden until a player enables the relevant dedicated-server option in the browser filter.
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The password does not create separate worlds. The official guidance describes all user groups as having access to the game world. Group settings can change administrative abilities, such as kicking or banning players and editing a base, but a password is not an isolation boundary between different copies of your world.
Choose the setup you are actually changing
Dedicated server
The instructions in this guide apply to a dedicated server that has an enshrouded_server.json file. This may be a machine you operate yourself or a rented game-server instance with a control panel. In both cases, the password ultimately belongs in the userGroups array.
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In-game or peer-to-peer hosting
An in-game host is different from a dedicated server and may use enshrouded_user.json or Steam session controls instead. Whether that type of session can be made private through a supported configuration key was not established. A commonly suggested workaround is to use a private Steam profile and invite friends from the Steam friends list, but that is not confirmed as an official Enshrouded privacy control. Do not assume the dedicated-server steps will change a peer-to-peer session.
Before editing the configuration
- Have access to the server’s files or its configuration panel.
- Know which groups should be allowed to join, such as Admin, Friend or Guest.
- Save a backup copy of
enshrouded_server.jsonbefore changing it. - Prepare a different, non-obvious password for each group you intend to use. Do not reuse a password from another game or service.
- Plan a maintenance window. The server must be stopped before a hand edit, and it must be restarted before the new value takes effect.
Stopping first matters because the running engine can keep an exclusive lock on its configuration. Editing a file while the process is active can fail silently, be rejected by the host, or be overwritten when the server shuts down.
Set a password in enshrouded_server.json
- Stop the server. Use the operating system service, startup script or hosting-panel stop control. Wait until the process is fully stopped.
- Open the current configuration file. Locate
enshrouded_server.jsonin the server’s configuration directory. Make sure you are editing the file belonging to the instance players actually use, not a backup or a second installation. - Find the
userGroupsarray. Current official guidance places passwords inside the objects in this array. Groups commonly include Admin, Friend and Guest. Ignore older instructions that put one password at the top level of the file. - Change the password value in each joinable group. Every group has its own password field. Give a password to every group that should remain available. If a group is left without a password, its behaviour may differ from what you expect, so do not treat an unfilled group as private.
- Leave the other group settings intentional. The same objects contain permission flags, including kick/ban and base-editing controls, and a
reservedSlotsvalue. Set those according to the role you want; changing them is not required merely to add a password. A password does not by itself remove a group’s ability to affect the shared world. - Preserve the existing JSON structure. Keep quotation marks, commas, braces and brackets intact. Do not rename fields, remove unrelated settings or paste a fragment from an older guide over the whole file. A malformed JSON file can prevent the server from starting.
- Save the file and restart the server. The new credentials are normally read during startup. Allow the process to finish loading before testing.
- Test from a separate player account. Try the intended password first, then deliberately try a wrong password. A correct password should allow the connection; an incorrect one should fail. Testing from outside the host machine helps detect cases where you edited the wrong instance or are connecting through a different address.
The exact objects in your generated file may contain more properties than this explanation lists. Keep those properties and edit only the password values you understand. The important distinction is the location: password fields belong to the objects under userGroups, not to the obsolete single top-level password line.
Using a rented hosting panel
Many rented server panels provide a password field or a configuration editor instead of requiring direct file access. The panel may write the same userGroups values for you.
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- Stop the instance from the panel.
- Open the Enshrouded configuration, server settings or JSON editor.
- Set the password for each user group that should accept players. If the panel exposes separate Admin, Friend and Guest fields, treat each as a separate credential.
- Save or apply the configuration.
- Start or restart the instance.
- Wait several minutes for the panel and game process to finish restarting before testing. A panel can report “running” while the game server is still loading its world.
If the panel offers only one password box, verify what it writes. Some interfaces are built around older configuration formats. Look for a preview of the generated JSON or ask the host whether its current template uses userGroups. A single legacy top-level field may not protect a current server.
How to test whether the server is private
Test with the correct and incorrect credentials
Connect with a player who is not logged into the host machine. Use the password for the intended group. Then repeat with a changed character or a deliberately incorrect password. If both attempts behave identically, check that the server was restarted and that the player is using the correct address and port.
Check the public browser separately
Do not use the server browser alone as proof that the server is hidden. The browser’s dedicated-server filter is reported to be client-side, so every player may need to enable the option to see dedicated servers. One player can fail to see the server while another sees it, without any difference in the server configuration.
Try direct connection only when appropriate
Players who know the server’s IP can add it directly in Steam. A host guide reports that this can place the server at the top of the browser list. This is why a password is access control rather than a secrecy mechanism: the address can still be shared or discovered, but the password should block an unauthorised join.
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Several third-party guides describe Enshrouded as having no separate public/private switch. The consistent practical control is the group password. No official “hide from browser” flag has been confirmed.
| Goal | What the password does | What it does not do |
|---|---|---|
| Stop strangers from joining | Requires a matching group password during connection. | It does not stop someone from attempting a connection if they know the address. |
| Keep the server out of casual browsing | May reduce successful joins even if the listing is visible. | It does not guarantee that the listing is absent; browser visibility is also affected by each player’s filter. |
| Hide the IP address | Nothing. | A password does not conceal or rotate the server’s network address. |
| Create separate permissions or worlds | Lets you assign different credentials to configured groups. | It does not create a separate world. Players admitted to the server share its world, with group permission flags controlling some actions. |
Common problems and precise fixes
The password has no effect
- Confirm that the server was stopped before the edit and restarted afterward.
- Check that you changed a password under
userGroups, not an old top-level entry. - Verify that you edited the active instance and not a similarly named backup file.
- Allow the restart to complete before testing; a panel may need a few minutes.
- Use a second player connection rather than testing only from the host machine.
The server will not start after saving
Restore the backup and compare the edited file character by character. Typical causes are a missing quotation mark, an extra comma, or a brace removed while editing. Keep every existing key and value unless you intentionally know its purpose. If the panel has a JSON validator or reset-to-default option, use it to identify the malformed section, then reapply only the password change.
Players can see the server and think it is public
Visibility in a browser does not prove that the password was ignored. The browser can show a listing while the join attempt still requires credentials. Ask the player to enter the password for the correct group. If they know the IP, direct connection is expected to reach the login stage; the password remains the gate.
One group works and another does not
Each group has an independent password. Check the exact group selected by the player and make sure its password was saved. Also inspect that group’s permission flags and reserved-slot setting. A password mismatch for Admin does not indicate that the Friend or Guest password is wrong.
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Some panels regenerate the JSON from form fields when the service starts. Change the password in the panel’s authoritative field, save it, then restart. If you hand-edit the file and the value reverts, the panel template is overriding your change; use the panel editor or contact the host for its current userGroups schema.
Changing or removing the password
Panel-managed server
- Stop the server.
- Clear the password field for each group you intend to open, or replace it with a new value.
- Save the panel configuration.
- Restart and wait for the server to finish loading.
Clearing only one group leaves other group passwords in place. If the goal is to remove password protection entirely, review every enabled group rather than assuming one global field controls them all.
Hand-edited server
Stop the server, open enshrouded_server.json, and empty the relevant group password values while preserving the surrounding JSON and all unrelated settings. Save, restart and test from another account. Keep a backup so you can restore the protected configuration if the open setting attracts unwanted players.
Self-hosting versus a rented panel
| Consideration | Self-hosted JSON | Rented panel |
|---|---|---|
| Editing effort | Requires file access, a careful JSON edit and an understanding of the existing userGroups objects. |
Usually exposes password fields or a configuration editor that writes the file for you. |
| Restart handling | You must stop the process before editing and restart it manually. | Stop, save and restart controls are normally available in one interface; allow several minutes for the process to finish. |
| Schema visibility | You can inspect every field, including permission flags and reservedSlots. |
Documentation quality varies. Confirm that the panel supports the current userGroups layout rather than an obsolete top-level password. |
| Recovery | You control backups and can restore a known-good file directly. | The provider may offer snapshots or reset tools, but the exact recovery options depend on the host. |
| Network visibility | Neither route supplies a confirmed official hide-from-browser switch; a password remains the main access control. | Same limitation. The panel changes configuration convenience, not the underlying visibility model. |
Security practices that prevent avoidable lockouts
- Use a long, unique passphrase for every group that should be available.
- Keep the Admin password separate from the Friend or Guest password, and share it only with people who need administrative permissions.
- Store a dated backup of the last known-good
enshrouded_server.jsonbefore each change. - Record which password belongs to which group in a secure password manager rather than in a public chat.
- After changing a password, test both a permitted account and an account using the previous credential.
- Review group permissions independently. A private password does not prevent an admitted player from using whatever kick/ban or base-editing flags that group grants.
Version and evidence limits
Most available setup instructions date from 2024 or 2025, and no separate 2026-specific change was established. The userGroups location and the deprecation of the old top-level password are the important current distinctions, but configuration formats can change with a game update or host template.
If your build rejects the documented structure, compare the generated file with the current Keen Games support documentation for your version before changing field names. Do not add an invented “private” or “hidden” key: no official server-side browser-hiding flag has been confirmed.
The Bottom Line
Set a password in every intended group under userGroups in enshrouded_server.json, stop and restart the server, and test from a separate account. This restricts joining, but it does not hide the server’s IP or guarantee that its listing is absent from every player’s browser.
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