The short answer
Press F1 in Rust to open the console, select the CONSOLE
tab, then type client.connect 123.456.78.9:28015 using your server's own
address and press Enter. This works whether or not the server shows up in any list.
Key points
- The console connect command is the most reliable method by a wide margin.
- Rust hides empty servers from the browser by default, so search is not proof of absence.
- The address is IP before the colon, port after it.
- Favouriting through Steam gives you a permanent shortcut in the Favorited tab.
Finding the server address
Everything starts with the address. If you own the server, it is on the control panel under Connection Info.
In this example the address is 123.456.78.9:28015. Read it as two parts:
- Server IP
- Everything before the colon.
123.456.78.9 - Server port
- Everything after it.
28015
Method 1: the in-game console
This is the direct route and the one that works when nothing else does, because it does not rely on the server being discoverable at all. You are telling the game exactly where to go.
-
Launch Rust and press F1
The console opens over the main menu. You do not need to be in a world.
-
Make sure the CONSOLE tab is selected
It is in the top left. If you are on a different tab your command goes nowhere and you get no error, which is the usual reason this "does not work".
-
Type the connect command
client.connect <IP:Port>With a real address that becomes:
client.connect 123.456.78.9:28015 -
Press Enter
Rust connects directly. No searching, no browser, no waiting for a query batch.
Method 2: the Steam server viewer
Favouriting a server through Steam gives you a permanent entry that also shows up inside Rust, which makes it the best option for a server you play on regularly.
-
Open View, then Servers in Steam
From the menu bar at the top of the Steam client window.
View, then Servers. -
Go to the Favorites tab and add a server
Click the + at the bottom of the window to add a new one.
The Favorites tab. -
Enter the IP and port
Type the address into the Add Server window and click Ok.
Add Server. -
Select it and connect
Click the server in your favourites, then Connect at the bottom right.
Method 3: the in-game server list
From the Rust main menu, click Play Game. The browser has four tabs and picking the wrong one is the most common reason people conclude a server has vanished.
| Tab | What it lists |
|---|---|
| Community | Vanilla Rust servers. Search by server name. |
| Modded | Servers running Oxide or uMod. A modded server will not appear under Community. |
| Favorited | Anything you have added through the Steam server viewer. |
| History | Servers you have joined before. |
Find your server, click it to open the connection window, then click Join Server.
Which method to use when
- You have the IP
- Console connect. Fastest, and immune to every browser problem.
- You play there often
- Steam favourites. One-time setup, then it is always in the Favorited tab.
- You are looking for somewhere new
- The in-game browser. Just remember Community and Modded are separate lists.
- The server is brand new or empty
- Console connect. It will not be in the browser yet, and that is expected rather than broken.
When you cannot connect
- Stuck on connecting
- The server is probably still generating its map, which takes up to 10 minutes after a first boot or a seed change. Wait it out rather than retrying.
- Wrong version
- After a Rust update the client and server have to match. If the server has not updated yet, you cannot join it regardless of method.
- Console command does nothing
- Check the CONSOLE tab is selected, and check for a typo in the address. A missing digit fails silently.
- Server not in search
- Not a fault. Rust hides empty servers, and query limits hide plenty of populated ones. Connect directly instead.
If you run the server and the problem is that nobody can find it rather than that you cannot join it, our guide on Rust servers not showing in the server list covers the query system and what actually improves your odds.