Get your Rust server into the server listVisible in the Community & Modded browser

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

How a server gets listed

A running, publicly reachable Rust server registers itself automatically with the server backend and appears - depending on modding and tags - in the Community or Modded tab of the in-game browser. What matters is a reachable IP/port combination and set server convars. Right after the start, it can take a few minutes until the server shows up.

Important convars for the listing

server.hostname "My Rust Server | 5x | Wipe Thu+Sun"
server.description "Active community. Rules in chat. Kits & Clans."
server.headerimage "https://example.com/header.png"
server.url "https://mainhoster.de"
server.tags "eu,pve,weekly,vanilla"

• server.hostname - the name in the list; mention the wipe cycle and rates right in the title.
• server.description - multi-line description in the server info window.
• server.headerimage - banner image (URL, 512x256 format) shown in the browser.
• server.url - link to your website or Discord.
• server.tags - keywords (language, mode, rates) that players filter by.

You set these values in the server.cfg.

Additional visibility via BattleMetrics

BattleMetrics lists Rust servers with statistics on player count, history and wipe times. If you add your server there (and optionally connect it via RCON), you increase your reach: players often discover servers via BattleMetrics rankings and can add them to their favorites. For community servers, promoting the server via Discord and relevant server lists is also worth it.

The server name decides

The Rust server list has tens of thousands of entries. What someone sees of your server before they click is the name - and in practice, players look for exactly three things there: wipe rhythm, rates and group size. A name that carries these three details gets found; one that is merely creative does not.

[DE] MyServer | 2x | Monthly | Solo/Duo/Trio
[EU] MyServer | Vanilla | Weekly Wipe | Noob Friendly

The country code at the front is worth it because many players filter by it - latency is a real selection criterion in Rust. The wipe rhythm belongs in it because it decides whether someone joins at all: whoever is looking for a server on Tuesday wants to know whether the wipe is coming up on Thursday. Details under Force wipe.

How to set the name and description permanently is covered in Server name & description. It is important to write the values into the server.cfg - names set via the console do not survive the next restart.

When the server does not show up

The most common causes, in the order in which you should check them:

1. The server is still starting. Rust generates the map on the first start. Depending on the worldsize, that takes quite a few minutes, during which it is not in any list. This is by far the most common case.
2. The listing is disabled. A server that deliberately does not run publicly does not appear - but it stays reachable via the fixed address made of IP and port.
3. Filters in the game. The default filters hide many servers. Search specifically for your server name and reset the filters before you change the configuration.
4. Modded instead of Community. Servers with Oxide or Carbon end up in the Modded tab, not under Community. If you search in the wrong tab, you will not find anything.

For cross-checking, the direct connection is the best tool: if client.connect ip:port works, the server is running perfectly and it is purely a listing issue.

Keep players, do not just attract them

A new server is empty on the first day, and an empty server stays empty - that is the hardest phase. What helps in practice: launch the server in time for the monthly force wipe, when everyone is looking for a new server anyway. Keep the map small enough that the first ten players actually run into each other. And make sure someone is available to talk to - a linked Discord in the description turns random visitors into regulars.

A reliable wipe rhythm matters more than any single setting. Players plan their time around it; a server whose wipe dates keep changing loses its regulars no matter how well it is configured.

Frequently asked questions