Garry's Mod server.cfg explainedThe central configuration file of your server

Published on September 2, 2026 · last updated on November 4, 2026

What belongs in the file - and what does not

A distinction up front that saves a lot of searching:

• The server.cfg holds everything that concerns ongoing operation: name, player count, password, downloads, game rules.
• The startup parameters hold what the server starts with: gamemode, start map and the Workshop collection - see change gamemode and map.

Anyone who writes the gamemode into the server.cfg rightly wonders why nothing changes. You can conveniently edit both in the web interface.

Identity and access

The entries almost every configuration starts with:

• hostname - the name in the server list. Short and unambiguous, so people can find it again.
• sv_password - if you set it, the server is private. Leave it empty for an open server.
• rcon_password - for remote control. Definitely a strong password of its own.
• maxplayers - the player count. With us, there is no price barrier; the plan figures are recommendations.

An honest assessment of the player count: technically, Garry's Mod handles up to 128 players, but gamemode and addon load limit the sensible size much earlier. TTT and Prop Hunt rounds work best with 16 to 32 people.

Downloads and FastDL

Three entries decide how quickly new players get onto your server:

• sv_downloadurl - the address of your web hosting from which maps and content are loaded.
• sv_allowdownload - allows downloads at all.
• sv_allowupload - usually deactivated; allows players to upload their own files.

Without the download address, all content crawls over the game connection. How to set it up is explained in detail in set up FastDL.

The Steam token

For a publicly listed server, a Game Server Login Token is customary. It is also entered in the server.cfg and generated once free of charge in your own Steam account - described in create a GSLT token.

For a private round that your friends join via the server address, it is not strictly necessary.

Game rules and Sandbox limits

Especially on Sandbox servers, it is worth setting a few limits - not out of strictness, but because otherwise a single player can bring the server to its knees:

• Limits for props and vehicles per player - the most effective single measure against stutters.
• Restrictions on certain tools that experience shows get abused.
• Rules for damage between players, depending on whether people are supposed to build or fight.

If you want to moderate, there is no way around an admin system - the usual way is described in admin rights with ULX.

What the gamemode brings itself

Besides the server.cfg, almost every gamemode has its own settings in its own files. That is intentional: it keeps the server configuration lean and the gamemode interchangeable.

• TTT controls round length, preparation time and role distribution in a configuration of its own.
• DarkRP even has a complete customization addon for jobs, economy and rules.
• Admin addons such as ULX keep ranks and permissions in their own files.

Rule of thumb: whatever concerns the server is in the server.cfg. Whatever concerns the game is with the gamemode. Anyone looking for a setting who cannot find it in the server configuration is usually looking in the wrong place.

Editing and applying

You edit the file in the config editor of our web interface or via WebFTP and SFTP. It is read at server startup - so changes take effect after a restart.

Two habits that pay off: make a copy before larger changes, and write comments into the file. What you enter today, you will only understand in three months with an explanation - and all the more so if several people on the team work on it.

Frequently asked questions