How do I configure a custom map on my Rust server?

To run a custom map, you need its .map file. Make sure it was made for the current version of Rust: maps made for an older version may not load after a forced update. This is up to you to check.

Upload the .map file to a file host that gives a direct download link, such as catbox.moe (free, no account needed). The link must start the download straight away, not open a page with a download button. To test it, paste the link into your web browser: if the file starts downloading, the link works.

1. Sign in to the control panel at panel.chicagoservers.co and open your Rust server.
2. Open the Startup tab. Under World, paste the direct download link to your .map file into Custom map URL.
3. Change Save folder to something new, such as customworld, so the custom map gets a fresh save and your current world is kept.
4. Click Save startup, then Restart at the top of the page.

The server downloads the map as it starts. The first start takes a little longer than usual, because it has to generate files for the new map. While Custom map URL is set, the Map, World size and Map seed above it are not used. A map wipe on the Wiper tab keeps your custom map: it's downloaded again at the next start.

Players' games also download the map from the same link when they join, so keep the file at that link for as long as the server uses it.

A new save folder starts with an empty server.cfg, so settings you had there (such as PvE or decay) need setting again on the Configs tab. See Common Rust server settings (server.cfg).

To go back to a normal map, empty Custom map URL, set Save folder back to what it was, save and restart.

Set it up the old way? If you added a server.levelurl line to server.cfg on the Configs tab before, delete that line and put the link in Custom map URL instead, so the server isn't given two maps.

Using Dropbox

A Dropbox share link ends in dl=0, which opens a Dropbox page instead of downloading the file. Change it to dl=1 and keep the rest of the link as it is. For example, https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/abc123/mycustommap.map?rlkey=xyz&dl=0 becomes https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/abc123/mycustommap.map?rlkey=xyz&dl=1. Some customers have trouble with Dropbox links, so we recommend catbox.moe.

If you can't get a working link, our support team can help.

Need help? Open a support ticket and we'll take a look.