Unturned Server Commands and Config Files Explained
An Unturned dedicated server is configured in three places: Commands.dat for the basics (name, map, slots, PvE, cheats, owner), Config.txt for gameplay and advanced options, and Adminlist.dat for admins. This guide covers the settings admins actually change, using the syntax from the official Unturned documentation and the Unturned wiki.
Checked against the Unturned 3.x documentation on 2026-11-01. One trap: older guides tell you to edit Config.json. Since Unturned 3.25.8.0, that file has been replaced by Config.txt, so if you are following an old tutorial, translate it rather than copying it.
Commands.dattakes one command per line (lines starting with//are comments) and is read when the server starts.- Difficulty is set with
Mode(Easy, Normal or Hard; Normal is the default). Adding aPvEline turns player-versus-player combat off. - The default port is 27015 and the server also uses the next port, 27016, over UDP. Since 3.23.14.0 you only need port forwarding if players join by direct IP or domain.
- To show up in the Internet server list you need a Game Server Login Token (GSLT) for Steam app ID 304930.
- There is no autosave. Run
Saveregularly, orShutdownto save and close.
On this page
Where the Unturned server config files are
Everything for one server lives in a folder named after its Server ID, under Servers/ in the dedicated server install (the U3DS folder). The first launch generates the files. Wait until the console shows Loading level: 100%, then type Shutdown so everything is written out before you edit.
| File | Location in the server folder | What it controls |
|---|---|---|
Commands.dat | Server/Commands.dat | Basic settings: name, map, max players, password, owner, PvE, cheats, perspective |
Config.txt | Config.txt (server root) | Difficulty and advanced options such as item spawn chance and the login token |
Adminlist.dat | Server/Adminlist.dat | Steam IDs of admins, maintained by the Admin and Unadmin commands |
WorkshopDownloadConfig.json | server root | Steam Workshop items to download (covered in the Workshop guide) |
Commands.dat settings explained
The format is one command per line. This is the shape of the example in the official documentation:
// Name of your server in the server list. Name My Unturned Server
// Specify which map to load, by name. Map PEI
// Maximum number of players that can be on the server. MaxPlayers 24
// Enable cheat commands for administrators. Cheats
// Limit players to a camera perspective (First, Third, Both, Vehicle). Perspective Both
// Optional lines:
// Owner YourSteamID64
// Password ExamplePassword1234
// PvE
// Port 27015| Command | What it does | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Name | Server name in the list | 5 to 50 characters |
Map | Level loaded at startup | Defaults to PEI. Official maps are PEI, Washington, Yukon, Russia and Germany. Workshop maps are downloaded through WorkshopDownloadConfig.json |
MaxPlayers | Player limit | Defaults to 8; the wiki lists 1 to 200 |
Mode | Easy, Normal or Hard difficulty | Defaults to Normal |
PvE | Disables player-versus-player combat | Leave the line out and the server is PvP |
Cheats | Enables cheat commands such as Give for admins | Off unless the line is present |
Password | Password required to join | Omit for an open server |
Perspective | Allowed camera: First, Third, Both or Vehicle | Players can use both first and third person by default |
Owner | SteamID64 of the owner | Grants administrator privileges, including cheat commands |
Port | Base port, 27015 by default | The server also uses the next port |
Timeout | Ping threshold in milliseconds before a client is dropped | Wiki lists 750 as the default, range 50 to 10000 |
Welcome | Message shown on connect | Optional colour as Welcome text/R/G/B |
How to change Unturned server difficulty and PvP or PvE
Unturned keeps separate gameplay values for Easy, Normal and Hard. The server uses Normal unless you say otherwise, and Mode easy or Mode hard in Commands.dat makes it use the other set. PvP versus PvE is a separate switch: add PvE to disable player damage, remove it for PvP.
Everything finer than that lives in Config.txt. It is plain text with one setting per line, the key and value separated by a single space. Empty values use the default, invalid values print a warning in the console and fall back to the default, and every option has a generated comment above it that explains what it does and what the default is. Those comments, not a tutorial, are the authority for your exact build.
The gameplay options are grouped into blocks such as Items, Vehicles, Zombies, Animals, Barricades, Structures, Players, Objects, Events and Gameplay. A few useful keys outside those groups:
| Key | Section | Documented default | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
Login_Token | Browser | empty | Your GSLT; puts the server in the Internet list and keeps the server code stable |
Desc_Server_List | Browser | empty | Short description in the list, up to 64 characters |
Use_FakeIP | Server | false | Lets players join by IP through Steam without port forwarding |
Max_Ping_Milliseconds | Server | 750 | Kicks players above this ping |
Enable_Scheduled_Shutdown | Server | false | Shuts down at Scheduled_Shutdown_Time so a script can restart it |
Enable_Update_Shutdown | Server | false | Shuts down (after chat warnings) when an Unturned update is found |
How to make yourself admin on an Unturned server
- Owner: put
Owner YourSteamID64inCommands.dat. This grants administrator privileges, including cheat commands in game. - Admin command: from the server console run
Admin SteamID64, or from in-game chat as an existing admin or owner run/admin SteamID64(the@prefix also works).Unadminreverses it. - Adminlist.dat: the file those commands maintain, stored in the server's
Serverfolder. Hand-editing it is possible (one SteamID64 per line is the commonly documented format) but the commands are safer. To clear every admin, stop the server and delete the file.
Cheat commands such as Give and Vehicle only work if Cheats is present in Commands.dat and the player is an admin. Type Help to list every command or Help CommandName for one. Vanilla admin rights are broad; if you need per-command permissions or ranks, that is the job of a plugin framework such as Rocket or OpenMod.
Unturned server ports and getting listed
The default is port 27015, and each server uses two consecutive ports: 27015 for server list queries and 27016 for in-game traffic, both over UDP. Setting Port 27017 moves the pair to 27017 and 27018. If you run several servers on one machine, space them out (27015, 27017, 27019) so the pairs do not overlap.
- Direct connect: since 3.23.14.0, port forwarding is only needed if players join by IP address or domain name. Server Codes and Fake IP are alternatives.
- Server Code: a 17-digit code that changes each launch unless you set a GSLT. By default a new server is LAN-only and not in the Internet list.
- Internet list: create a GSLT at
steamcommunity.com/dev/managegameserversusing Unturned's app ID 304930, then setLogin_TokeninConfig.txtor run theGSLTcommand at startup. Servers without a token are treated as anonymous and hidden. - Fake IP: set
Use_FakeIPto true and runCopyFakeIPin the console after startup. The address and port change on every restart.
If you rent a server, use the address and port shown in your control panel rather than changing Port yourself.
Applying changes and saving safely
Edit the files while the server is stopped (over SFTP or your host's editor), then start it again. Hosting with ChicagoServers? The Unturned server hosting page lists what is included, such as a one-click mod installer, free server backups and SFTP file access.
- Runtime commands are typed in the server console without a prefix, or in game chat with
@or/if you are an admin. - Unturned has no autosave.
Savewrites world and player data;Shutdownsaves, disconnects everyone and closes. UseShutdown 60/Restarting for updatestyle delays when players are online. - Keep a copy of
Commands.dat,Config.txtand the server's save data before big changes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the default Unturned server port?
27015, plus the next port (27016) for in-game traffic. Both use UDP. Changing the Port command shifts the pair accordingly.
Where did Config.json go in Unturned?
Unturned 3.25.8.0 replaced Config.json with Config.txt. Older servers are converted automatically on startup, or you can keep the old format with the -UseLegacyJsonGameplayConfig launch option.
Why does my Unturned server not appear in the server list?
New servers are LAN-only by default. Internet servers need a Game Server Login Token (GSLT) for app ID 304930, and either port forwarding or Fake IP so players can reach them.
How do I turn PvP off on an Unturned server?
Add a line containing just PvE to Commands.dat and restart. Remove the line to return to PvP.