The short answer
Add server.tags "pve,monthly" to server.cfg, using your own tags,
comma separated inside one pair of quotes. Save, restart, and the tags
appear in the server list.
Key points
- One
server.tagsline, one pair of quotes, commas between tags. - Tags improve targeting, not raw visibility.
- An inaccurate tag brings you players who then leave. That is worse than no tag.
- Restart the server before checking whether it worked.
Why tags matter
Tags categorise your server so players can find the kind of experience they are looking for. With thousands of Rust servers competing for attention, the browser's filters are how most people get from "all servers" down to a list they will actually read.
Used well, tags:
- Tell players what kind of server this is at a glance.
- Put you inside the search filters people use to narrow the list.
- Attract the audience your server is actually built for.
Worth being precise about what tags do not do: they do not get an empty server into the browser. That is governed by the Steam query system and Rust's empty server filter, covered in our guide on Rust servers not showing in the server list. Tags decide who finds you, not whether you can be found.
Adding tags
-
Log in to your control panel
Go to the control panel and sign in.
-
Open Game Services
Click Game Services to reach your server settings.
Game Services -
Select your Rust service
Find your Rust server in the list and click Rust Service.
Rust Service -
Stop the server
Click Stop before making any changes.
Stop Server -
Open Configuration Files
Navigate to the Configuration Files section.
Configuration Files -
Edit server.cfg
Open server.cfg using the text editor.
Edit server.cfg -
Add your tags
Add this line, replacing the values with your own:
server.tags "your,desired,tags"For example, a PvE server with a monthly wipe schedule:
server.tags "pve,monthly" -
Save and restart
Save the file and start the server. Your tags now appear in the Rust server list.
The syntax trips people up. It is one pair of quotes around the whole list,
with commas between the tags and no spaces after them. Writing
server.tags "pve" "monthly" is not the syntax and will not work.
Tags you can use
Commonly used tags for describing a Rust server. Use the ones that describe yours accurately.
| Tag | Description |
|---|---|
monthly | Server wipes on a monthly schedule. |
pve | Player versus Environment gameplay. |
roleplay | Roleplay-focused server. |
creative | Creative building server. |
hardcore | Hardcore survival gameplay. |
Choosing honestly
There is a temptation to add every tag that might bring a player in. It is a mistake, and the reason is worth understanding rather than just accepting.
A tag is a promise about what the server is. Someone filtering for pve is
specifically avoiding PvP. If they find your PvP server through a pve tag, they
will not stay, and you will have spent your one impression on a player who was never going to
work out.
- Tag what you are
- Not what you hope to attract. The two are different and only one of them retains players.
- Fewer accurate tags beat more optimistic ones
- Two true tags put you in front of the right people. Six loose ones put you in front of the wrong ones repeatedly.
- Keep them current
- If you change your wipe schedule or your rule set, change the tags. A stale
monthlytag on a weekly server is a promise you are breaking every week. - Match your description
- Tags and description should say the same thing. A player who spots a contradiction assumes the server is neglected, and they are usually right.
Checking they took effect
Look at your server in the browser rather than in the control panel, so you are seeing what players see. If the tags are not showing:
- Check the line has exactly one pair of quotes.
- Check there are no spaces after the commas.
- Check the server actually restarted, rather than just having the config saved.
- Check there is not a second
server.tagsline further down the file overriding the first.
With tags set, the other two parts of a listing are your description and your header image. All three do a different job and all three are worth getting right before you start advertising the server.