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For an Unturned 3.x server, put basic identity, access, and administration settings in Commands.dat, with one command per line. Use the current difficulty-specific Config_*.txt file for gameplay tuning. Config.json is a legacy format used by older servers and may be converted when the server starts. Because self-hosted installations and control panels place these files differently, locate the files used by your installed build before editing them.

The official Unturned 3.x Server Configuration documentation (labelled July 23, 2026) identifies Name, Map, MaxPlayers, Cheats, PvE, Port, Password, Owner, and Perspective as Commands.dat settings. This guide explains what each does, how to apply changes safely, and how to diagnose the common file and networking mistakes.

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Which file controls what?

Unturned separates server identity and access controls from detailed gameplay rules. Editing the wrong file can appear to do nothing, especially after an update or when a hosting panel generates its own configuration.

File or interface Primary purpose When it is read or changed Important qualification
Commands.dat Server name, map, player limit, password, owner, port, cheats, PvE, and perspective Loaded as server configuration; restart after edits Official 3.x documentation calls this the basic server-settings file. Commands are separated by newlines.
Config_*.txt Gameplay tuning such as spawn rates, damage, decay, and browser-related options Read at startup according to host and community guides; restart to apply file edits The exact filename depends on the selected difficulty, for example Config_NormalDifficulty.txt.
Config.json Legacy gameplay configuration Older servers may convert it during startup Guides associate the legacy format with servers created before build 3.25.8.0. Do not assume it remains authoritative after conversion.
Adminlist.dat Persistent list of administrators Loaded by the server You can also grant administration at runtime with the Admin command.
Server Console Runtime commands and diagnostics Immediately while the process is running Help lists available commands and can describe a specific command.
WorkshopDownloadConfig.json Workshop-map downloads Used when the server needs to obtain Workshop content Official map documentation calls for this file when using Workshop maps.

There is a precedence disagreement in third-party guides: some older instructions claim Config.json overrides Commands.dat, while newer instructions treat Commands.dat as the operational identity file and Config text files as gameplay files. On a migrated installation, inspect which file your build actually rewrites and test one setting at a time.

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Find the correct server directory

Before changing a value, stop the server and make a backup of every configuration file. Two layouts are reported for self-hosted installations:

  • One layout stores Commands.dat in a Server subfolder and places Config.txt one level above, under a path such as Servers/<YourServerID>/Config.txt.
  • Another layout stores both files inside the Server folder.

Hosted panels can add another layer or expose the files through a text editor rather than a normal filesystem. If editing a file has no effect, search the entire server profile for duplicate Commands.dat, Config.txt, and Config.json files, then check the panel’s documented startup directory. Do not keep two competing copies and assume the game will merge them.

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A safe edit procedure

  1. Stop the Unturned server process cleanly. A running process can overwrite your changes when it shuts down.
  2. Copy the complete server profile to a backup location and record the current build number and selected difficulty.
  3. Open the file in a plain-text editor. Avoid word processors that add formatting or smart quotes.
  4. Change one setting, save as plain text, and confirm that the filename and extension remain exactly Commands.dat or Config_*.txt, not .txt.txt.
  5. Start the server and check its console output. Join from a client or inspect the server browser to verify the result.

Commands.dat settings explained

Name: the browser name

Name sets the name shown in the server list. Use a short, distinctive value that tells players the region, rules, or community. This is a label, not an operating-system filename. If the old name remains visible, verify that you edited the active profile and allow the browser time to refresh its listing.

Map: the loaded world

Map selects the world loaded at startup. The official documentation uses PEI, Washington, Yukon, Russia, and Germany as examples. Spell the map value exactly as the game expects. A Workshop map is a separate case: configure WorkshopDownloadConfig.json so the server can download the required content, and make sure clients can obtain the same workshop items.

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MaxPlayers: the connection ceiling

MaxPlayers sets the maximum number of simultaneous players advertised and accepted by the server. The official example uses 24; that number is an example, not a universal recommendation. Choose a limit your CPU, memory, network uplink, and gameplay settings can sustain. Raising the value does not add capacity to a hosted plan or residential connection, and a full server can still reject a player even when the browser listing has not updated.

Password: private access

Set Password to require the password when players connect. Distribute it privately and change it when it has been shared beyond the intended group. If you remove the password line, confirm the resulting behavior on a second client; panel templates sometimes regenerate a value on restart.

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Owner: the primary administrator

Owner accepts a SteamID64 and grants that account administrator privileges. Copy the complete 64-bit identifier, not a display name or a shorter Steam account ID. Treat the value as an access credential: only place trusted accounts in this field and keep a backup of the original file in case you need to recover access.

Adminlist.dat and the runtime Admin command

For more than one administrator, use Adminlist.dat or add an administrator while the server is running with the Admin command. The persistent file is useful for a stable staff list; the console command is useful for a temporary grant or emergency recovery. Remove former staff from the persistent list and restart if the server does not recognize the edit immediately.

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Cheats: privileged commands

Enabling Cheats permits administrator cheat functions such as spawning items or vehicles. Some runtime commands, including Give, require cheats. Enable it only on a server whose rules and staff can tolerate those powers; a public survival server normally leaves it disabled. Community and host guides commonly describe these toggle-style entries as enabled when the line is present and disabled when it is removed, but the official excerpt does not spell out that syntax. Confirm the behavior on your build with a test account before relying on it.

PvE: disable player-versus-player combat

Including PvE changes the server to player-versus-environment rules by disabling player-versus-player combat. This does not make every interaction harmless: zombies, wildlife, environmental hazards, vehicles, and server events can still injure players. Announce the rule in the server name or welcome message so players know what to expect.

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Perspective: camera restrictions

Perspective controls whether players can use first-person, third-person, or both views. The documented default is both. Restricting perspective can make a competitive ruleset more consistent, while allowing both is the least surprising choice for a general server.

Port: the listening port

Port specifies the port used for forwarding and incoming connections. Forward the same protocol and port through the router or firewall to the machine running the server, and permit the server executable through the host firewall. Some secondary guides report that Unturned also uses the next port (for example, a configured 27015 and 27016), but that Port+1 behavior was not confirmed in the official documentation. If remote players cannot connect, check your installed build’s networking guidance rather than opening a broad range by guesswork.

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Commands.dat syntax and runtime commands

Put one command on each line. Keep the key spelling and capitalization used by the documentation, and do not combine several entries on one line. Lines beginning with // are described as comments by community and host guides, although that behavior is not confirmed in the official excerpt; test comments on a non-production copy if you plan to use them.

Commands.dat is for startup configuration. Commands that are intended to run while the server is live belong in the Server Console. Type Help to list available commands, or use Help with a command name to request its description. This is the most reliable way to discover build-specific syntax instead of copying a command from an older guide. The official command index is available at unturned.wiki.gg/Commands.

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Gameplay tuning: Config.txt and the legacy Config.json

Use the current difficulty-specific text configuration for values that change how the world plays: spawn rates, damage, item or vehicle behavior, decay, and related tuning. A guide may refer to a file such as Config_NormalDifficulty.txt; the suffix reflects the selected difficulty. These files are generally read at startup, so stop, edit, and restart before judging a change.

Servers created before build 3.25.8.0 may still have Config.json. Secondary guides report that the game converts this legacy file at startup into a difficulty-specific text file. After conversion, inspect the generated file and make future edits there unless your build’s console or documentation says otherwise. Keep the original JSON backup until you have confirmed that all settings survived the conversion.

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Do not assume the difficulty key

Some guides identify a Mode entry in Commands.dat and describe Normal as the default. The official documentation excerpt does not confirm that key, and the key name is therefore unverified here. Select difficulty through the control panel or the interface documented for your build, then verify which Config_*.txt file the server actually loads. The same caution applies to a Welcome key: it did not appear in the official excerpt.

Public listing, login tokens, and browser settings

A server can be reachable by direct address yet absent from the public browser. Host guides state that a Game Server Login Token (GSLT) is required for public listing and describe either a Login_Token value under a Browser section or the runtime GSLT command. The official site has a dedicated Game Server Login Tokens page, but the exact implementation can vary by build and hosting panel. Obtain the token through the current official process, store it as a secret, and follow the panel’s field name if it generates the browser section for you.

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Browser-related gameplay options belong with the gameplay configuration rather than the identity entries in Commands.dat. If a listing remains stale, first confirm that the server is running, the name and port are correct, and the token is attached to the active profile; then allow time for the listing service to refresh.

Troubleshooting checklist

The setting did not change

  • Stop the process before editing and restart after saving.
  • Search for duplicate files and verify the active profile and startup directory.
  • Check spelling, capitalization, and the file extension.
  • For gameplay values, edit the difficulty-specific Config text file rather than an old JSON file.
  • Read the startup console for parse errors or a message identifying the loaded configuration.

Players cannot connect

  • Confirm that the server is listening on the configured Port.
  • Forward the port to the correct private IP address and allow it through the operating-system firewall.
  • Check whether your build requires an additional port; Port+1 is reported by secondary guides but is not confirmed by the official excerpt.
  • Test from outside the host’s local network, because some routers do not support local loopback.
  • For a password-protected server, verify the client is using the current password and that no panel template restored an old value.

The server appears but the map or Workshop content fails

  • Check the exact Map spelling.
  • For Workshop maps, verify WorkshopDownloadConfig.json and make sure the server can download every dependency.
  • Review the console for download, permission, or missing-content errors, then restart after correcting the file.

An administrator cannot use commands

  • Verify the account’s SteamID64 in Owner or Adminlist.dat.
  • Confirm that the account connected after the change and that the server was restarted when required.
  • Remember that commands such as Give may require Cheats.
  • Run Help in the Server Console to confirm the command name and syntax for the installed build.

A practical configuration sequence

  1. Create or identify the server profile and stop the server.
  2. Set Name, Map, MaxPlayers, Port, and an optional Password in Commands.dat.
  3. Add the trusted administrator’s SteamID64 to Owner; maintain additional staff in Adminlist.dat.
  4. Choose PvE, Perspective, and (only when appropriate) Cheats.
  5. Configure Workshop downloads separately when the map is not one of the standard examples.
  6. Set spawn, damage, decay, and other world rules in the current difficulty-specific Config text file. Migrate an old Config.json first if the server predates build 3.25.8.0.
  7. Start the server, inspect the console, and use Help for runtime operations.
  8. Test locally and from an external connection before publishing the address or sharing the password.

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