Frequenty Asked Questions for Unturned server

This FAQ explains how to configure, administer, join, modify, migrate, and troubleshoot an Unturned server hosted with PingPlayers.

What version of Unturned is running on my server?

By default, the server runs the latest supported public version of Unturned available through Steam.

PingPlayers currently supports a single Unturned branch.

If Auto Update is enabled, the server will update during restarts.

If Update on Boot is enabled, the server will check for and apply available updates every time it starts.

Can I change versions or branches?

No.

PingPlayers currently provides one supported Unturned branch, so switching between older versions or alternate branches is not available.

How do I configure my Unturned server?

Unturned configuration is divided between:

• Basic Settings
• Config Manager
• Directly editable server configuration files

The Config Manager templates are:

• Commands.dat
• WorkshopDownloadConfig.json

Basic Settings provides common server options such as the map and other startup variables.

Additional server configuration can be edited directly through:

Server/Servers/PingServer/Config.txt

The settings inside Config.txt can be edited freely.

What happens if I edit configuration files manually?

The following files are managed through Config Manager:

• Commands.dat
• WorkshopDownloadConfig.json

These files should be changed through Config Manager so the settings remain persistent.

Other server files, including:

Server/Servers/PingServer/Config.txt

can be edited directly through File Manager or SFTP.

Stop the server before manually editing configuration files and restart it after saving the changes.

How do players join my Unturned server?

Players can join through the Unturned server browser or by connecting directly with the server address shown in the PingPlayers panel.

If a server password is configured, players must enter it before joining.

Server Browser:

1. Click Play
2. Click Multiplayer
3. Write the Server name in the Server Name Filter
4. Make sure all the other filters match your server (List Source: Internet, Map, VAC, etc). Only filters with a checkmark (√) are active.
5. Select the server shown and click Join

Direct Connect:

1. Click Play
2. Click Connect Directly
3. Copy IP and Port from Pingplayers My Server page control panel.
4. Paste IP and Port (add password if there's one set)
5. Click Connect.

How do server passwords work?

The server password can be configured through the available server settings.

After changing the password, restart the server so the new value is applied.

How do I become an admin?

There are two main ways to grant administrator access.

Using the Owner variable:

The Owner setting in Commands.dat can be used to assign the primary server owner. Only one owner can be set.

This should be configured through the Commands.dat Config Manager template.

Using the admin console command:

An administrator can also be granted using the panel console with:

admin STEAM64ID/PLAYERNAME

Replace STEAM64ID with the player's Steam64 ID or the player name.

The server does have an adminlist.dat file, but normal administration does not require editing it directly.

Can I use console commands?

Yes.

Unturned server commands can be entered directly through the PingPlayers panel console.

This can be used for administration, changing settings, managing players, and other supported server commands.

Does Unturned support RCON?

No.

RCON is not available for the PingPlayers Unturned setup.

Use the panel console for server commands and administration instead.

How do I change the map?

The map can be selected through the Map variable in Basic Settings. Remember to exactly type the map name, albeit base or custom.

Important:

If an active Commands.dat template contains a map setting, the value in Commands.dat overrides the map selected in Basic Settings.

If a Basic Settings map change does not take effect, check the Commands.dat Config Manager template for an existing map entry.

Restart the server after changing the startup map.

Why is my Basic Settings map being ignored?

The most common cause is an active map value inside Commands.dat.

Unturned will use the map configured in Commands.dat instead of the map selected through Basic Settings.

To resolve this:

1. Open Config Manager.
2. Open Commands.dat.
3. Check whether a map is explicitly configured.
4. Remove or update the map entry if necessary.
5. Restart the server.

Where is my Unturned server data stored?

The persistent server data is stored in:

Server/Servers/PingServer

This directory contains the server's persistent data, including:

• Level and world data
• Maps
• Players
• Server configuration files
• Plugin frameworks, if installed
• Additional persistent server data

This is the primary directory to preserve when backing up or migrating an Unturned server.

How do I edit advanced server settings?

Advanced server settings can be edited directly through:

Server/Servers/PingServer/Config.txt

This file is not managed by Config Manager.

You can edit it directly through File Manager or SFTP while the server is stopped.

Restart the server after saving your changes.

Does Unturned support Steam Workshop mods?

Yes.

Workshop content can be configured through the WorkshopDownloadConfig.json Config Manager template.

The server will download the configured Workshop items during startup.

How do I install Workshop mods?

Open the WorkshopDownloadConfig.json template in Config Manager and add the Steam Workshop IDs to the File_IDs list.

Each Workshop ID must be separated by a comma, except for the final entry.

Example with two Workshop items:

{
  "File_IDs": [
    WORKSHOPID1,
    WORKSHOPID2
  ],
  "Query_Cache_Max_Age_Seconds": 600
}

After adding the Workshop IDs:

1. Save the template.
2. Restart the server.
3. Allow the server to download the configured Workshop content.

When adding additional IDs, make sure the JSON syntax remains valid.

Why aren't my Workshop mods downloading?

Common causes include:

• An incorrect Workshop ID was entered.
• A comma is missing between IDs.
• An extra comma was added after the final ID.
• The JSON syntax inside WorkshopDownloadConfig.json is invalid.
• The server was not restarted after changing the Workshop configuration.

Check the file carefully and compare it with the expected JSON structure.

For example:

{
  "File_IDs": [
    3132363425,
    3707778928
  ],
  "Query_Cache_Max_Age_Seconds": 600
}

Can I install OpenMod?

Yes, but they are not installed automatically.

OpenMod can be manually uploaded to the server if required. Download it from its github and upload it to Server/Modules/. Then, unzip it and restart the server.

Plugin frameworks and their files are stored within the persistent server data under:

Server/Servers/PingServer

If you need assistance adding one of these frameworks, contact PingPlayers support.

Can I install plugins?

Plugins require a compatible plugin framework such as RocketMod or OpenMod to be installed first.

These frameworks are not enabled by default and must currently be uploaded manually by a restart after uploading them to the server.

Once a plugin framework is installed, plugins are installed through a command used in the console. Plugins have a command on their github repo here. Most will ask to input the command “openmod reload” command in console to activate them.

How do I back up my Unturned server?

To create a complete backup:

1. Stop the server.
2. Open File Manager or connect through SFTP.
3. Navigate to:

Server/Servers/PingServer

1. Download the entire PingServer folder.

This preserves the server's persistent data, including the world, players, configuration files, maps, and any manually installed plugin frameworks.

Can I upload or restore an existing Unturned server?

Yes.

To restore an existing server:

1. Stop the server.
2. Upload the existing persistent server files into:

Server/Servers/PingServer

1. Verify that your configuration matches the uploaded server.
2. Replicate Commands.dat and WorkshopDownloadConfig.json through Config Manager if required.
3. Restart the server.

Can I migrate an Unturned server from another host?

Yes.

The main persistent server directory to migrate is:

Server/Servers/PingServer

This may contain:

• World and level data
• Player data
• Maps
• Config.txt
• Plugin frameworks
• Plugin data
• Other persistent server files

After uploading the server data, replicate the following Config Manager templates separately:

• Commands.dat
• WorkshopDownloadConfig.json

Also verify any relevant Basic Settings before starting the migrated server.

How do I wipe or reset my Unturned server?

Because Unturned stores its persistent world and server data under:

Server/Servers/PingServer

a reset involves removing or replacing the relevant persistent server data while the server is stopped.

Always create a backup before deleting world or player data.

If only specific data needs to be reset, remove only the corresponding files rather than deleting the entire server directory.

Reinstall feature also works, of course.

Why can't players find or join my server?

Common causes include:

• The server is still starting.
• The client and server versions do not match.
• The server password is incorrect.
• The configured map is invalid.
• A map value inside Commands.dat is overriding Basic Settings.
• A required Workshop item failed to download.
• The Workshop configuration contains invalid JSON.
• A manually installed plugin framework or plugin is preventing startup.

Check the panel console first for startup errors.

Why does the server start on the wrong map?

Check both the Basic Settings Map variable and the Commands.dat Config Manager template.

If Commands.dat contains an active map value, it overrides the map configured through Basic Settings.

Update or remove the conflicting map entry and restart the server.

Why is my WorkshopDownloadConfig.json not working?

The most common cause is invalid JSON syntax.

Check for:

• Missing commas between Workshop IDs.
• An extra comma after the last Workshop ID.
• Missing brackets.
• Missing braces.
• An invalid Workshop ID.

Each ID should be a number inside the File_IDs array.

Example:

{
  "File_IDs": [
    3132363425,
    3707778928
  ],
  "Query_Cache_Max_Age_Seconds": 600
}

Are there any known issues?

• An active map setting inside Commands.dat overrides the Map variable in Basic Settings.
• Commands.dat and WorkshopDownloadConfig.json are Config Manager templates and should be edited there rather than directly.
• Config.txt can be edited directly through File Manager or SFTP.
• Workshop IDs in WorkshopDownloadConfig.json must use valid JSON syntax.
• RCON is not supported; use the PingPlayers panel console instead.
• RocketMod and OpenMod are not installed automatically and currently require manual upload. After adding RocketMod
• The main persistent server data is stored under Server/Servers/PingServer.

How are server updates handled?

By default, the server runs the latest version available through Steam.

If Auto Update is enabled, the server will update during restarts.

If Update on Boot is enabled, the server will check for and apply available updates every time it starts.