Add a custom map to your Rust serverVia URL (levelurl) or a .map file over FTP

Published on August 4, 2026 · last updated on November 8, 2026

Where do I get a custom map?

Custom maps come as ready-made .map files - for example from map makers or generated via RustMaps.com. On RustMaps, you can filter maps, look at a preview and get a download link or a direct URL. Make sure the map matches the current Rust version - after a force wipe, you may need an updated version.

Option 1: add it via URL (levelurl)

The easiest way is a direct download URL to the .map file. Set the following in the startup configuration or server.cfg:

levelurl "https://example.com/your-map.map"

At the next start, the server loads the map from this URL. Important: the URL has to point to the file directly (a direct link), not to a preview page. If the map changes, the URL or file has to be updated at the next wipe.

Option 2: .map file via FTP/SFTP

Alternatively, you upload the map straight to the server:

1. Connect via WebFTP in your browser or with an SFTP client (such as FileZilla).
2. Put the .map file into the server identity folder (where the map data lives as well).
3. Point to the local file with levelurl in the server.cfg, or store it as the panel specifies.
4. Restart the server so the custom map gets loaded.

To go back to a procedural map, remove levelurl and set server.seed and server.worldsize again.

What custom maps mean in day-to-day operation

A map of your own is the strongest way to make a server unmistakable - and the most demanding one. You should know four points beforehand:

• Players download the map. On the first join, the server transfers the map file. With large maps, that takes a noticeable amount of time, and some players drop out during it. A compact map is therefore also a question of accessibility.
• The address has to stay reachable permanently. With the URL option, the server downloads the file again at every start. If the source disappears, the server will no longer start. Storage of your own that stays stable is preferable to someone else's share.
• Map updates force a wipe. If the author changes something on the map, the existing save no longer matches it. So always plan map changes for a wipe.
• Not every plugin fits. Anything that works with fixed coordinates - zones, teleport points, event positions - has to be set up again for the new map.

Back up the identity folder via WebFTP or SFTP before switching. With us, backups are self-service across the board, see Create backups.

Procedural or custom?

For most servers, a procedural map is the better choice, for one simple reason: it takes no maintenance at all. A new seed at the wipe delivers a fresh world without you having to download, upload or check anything.

A custom map is worth it if your server has a concept of its own that procedural terrain cannot represent - roleplay servers with towns, race tracks, arena areas or a recognizable layout that regulars return to. In that case, the map itself is what defines your server.

A middle ground many people overlook: keep a particularly successful procedural seed over several wipes. That gives you recognizability without the effort of a custom map - and players who know the monument positions are more likely to come back.

When the map does not load

If the server hangs at startup or falls back to a procedural map, check in this order: is the URL reachable directly, meaning an immediate download without a page in between? Many file services deliver an HTML page instead of the file, and Rust cannot do anything with that. Does the map version match the current Rust build? After big updates, custom maps sometimes need to be republished. And are server.seed and server.worldsize still set? They have to go with a custom map, otherwise the settings contradict each other.

Startup generally takes longer than usual with custom maps. Wait a few minutes before stepping in - aborting halfway leaves an incomplete state behind. Via WebRCON, you can see in the log whether the server is still working.

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