Arma 3’s server.cfg is the plain-text file that defines how your dedicated server appears, who can join, which security checks apply, how voting works, and which missions rotate. For a normal public server, start with BattlEye enabled, verifySignatures = 2, and allowedFilePatching = 0; then set the name, passwords, player cap, welcome message, and class Missions rotation. The guide below explains each important parameter, the trade-offs behind it, and the settings that are deliberately left environment-dependent.
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What server.cfg controls
server.cfg is read by the Arma 3 dedicated server at startup. It is not a mod file and it does not replace mission parameters. Instead, it supplies server-wide policy: the browser name, join and administrator passwords, maximum player count, anti-cheat and signature checks, file-patching permissions, voting rules, difficulty enforcement, build requirements, and mission rotation.
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The file is ordinary text. You can edit it directly on the machine running the dedicated server or through a hosting control panel that exposes the configuration. The exact folder and panel labels vary by host, so use the location supplied by your server provider. After changing a value, restart the server unless your panel explicitly offers a reliable reload operation; a running process generally continues using the configuration it loaded at launch.
A safe starting configuration
The following is a compact public-server baseline. Replace the example strings and mission name with your own values. The security choices reflect common community guidance rather than a universal official prescription.
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hostname = "Your Arma 3 Server";
password = "";
passwordAdmin = "Use-a-long-unique-admin-password";
maxPlayers = 40;
BattlEye = 1;
verifySignatures = 2;
allowedFilePatching = 0;
motd[] = {
"Welcome to the server",
"Read the rules before joining"
};
motdInterval = 5;
persistent = 1;
voteMissionPlayers = 1;
voteThreshold = 0.5;
kickDuplicate = 1;
forcedDifficulty = "";
class Missions {
class FirstMission {
template = "my_mission";
difficulty = "Regular";
};
};The empty password makes the server publicly joinable. A non-empty value turns it into a passworded server. Keep passwordAdmin different from the join password: it is used with the in-game #login command and grants administrator access.
The example’s player count, vote values, MOTD interval, persistence choice, and difficulty are policy examples, not universal defaults. Tune them for your missions and community.
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hostname
hostname is the public name displayed in the server browser. Make it recognizable and include information players actually need, such as a community name, region, game mode, or whether mods are required. The setting changes how the server is identified; it does not change mission content or network performance.
password
This is the password required to join. An empty value, password = "";, leaves the server public. Use a non-empty value for a private event, test instance, or staged deployment. Do not confuse it with passwordAdmin: the former gates entry, while the latter authenticates an administrator after connecting.
passwordAdmin
passwordAdmin supplies the credential accepted by the in-game #login command. Anyone who knows it can attempt administrator actions, so use a long, unique value and do not publish it in a server name, MOTD, support ticket, or screenshot. If administrators cannot log in, check for a spelling mistake, quotation marks in the wrong place, or a panel that saved a different configuration file than the one the server actually loads.
maxPlayers
maxPlayers sets the server’s configured player cap. The effective limit is the lower of this number and the number of player slots provided by the selected mission. Setting the value above a mission’s available slots does not create additional playable positions.
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Choose a cap your CPU and RAM can sustain with your normal AI count, scripts, mods, and view-distance settings. A high cap that the hardware cannot support produces a poor experience even if the browser advertises the larger number. Conversely, a low cap can prevent a mission with more slots from using them. Confirm the result in the browser and in the mission lobby after restarting.
motd[] and motdInterval
motd[] is an array of welcome lines. motdInterval controls the delay between those lines in seconds. Keep notices short enough to read while players load in: rules, voice-chat expectations, restart times, or a support channel are more useful than a long block of prose.
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motd[] = {
"Welcome",
"No griefing; report problems to an admin",
"Restart schedule: see the community notice"
};
motdInterval = 6;Each line needs quotation marks and a comma between array entries. If no message is desired, remove the array content rather than leaving malformed punctuation.
Security and anti-cheat settings
BattlEye
BattlEye enables the BattlEye anti-cheat client. The value 1 enables it; the Bohemia Interactive wiki lists 1 as the default and recommended value. Third-party configuration guidance commonly treats BattlEye as necessary for public listing, so a public server should normally use:
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BattlEye = 1;Turning it off may be appropriate for an isolated development environment, but it removes an important layer of public-server protection and can affect discoverability or compatibility with communities that require anti-cheat.
verifySignatures
This setting controls checking of mission and mod .pbo files against their .bisign signatures:
| Value | Meaning | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
0 |
Signature checking disabled. | Only isolated testing where you intentionally accept the security risk. |
1 |
Prefer version 2 signatures but accept version 1 signatures. | Compatibility with older signed content when you understand the trade-off. |
2 |
Only version 2 signatures are allowed. | Usual choice for a public server. |
Community guidance generally recommends 2 for public servers and discourages 0. Do not treat an undocumented claim that value 1 is silently converted to 2 as established behavior; the documented distinction is that 1 accepts both v1 and v2 while 2 requires v2.
verifySignatures = 2;If legitimate players are rejected after you enable strict verification, check that every required mod has the matching signed files and that clients are using the same mod release. Changing this value to bypass an error weakens the server; fixing the mismatched or unsigned content is the safer remedy.
allowedFilePatching
This controls file patching, a feature that can let clients load files outside the normal signed-package workflow. The documented meanings are:
| Value | Meaning | When it fits |
|---|---|---|
0 |
File patching disallowed. | Normal public operation. |
1 |
File patching allowed for headless clients only. | Headless-client or specialized automation setups that need it. |
2 |
File patching allowed for all clients; this behavior is documented since Arma 3 version 1.50. | Controlled development or testing, not a default public posture. |
Use 0 on a public server unless a specific development or headless-client requirement justifies another value:
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allowedFilePatching = 0;The default value is not consistently reported in available guides, so do not infer it from a generated template. Set the value explicitly and record why you chose it.
filePatchingExceptions
This setting lists clients that are exempt from the allowedFilePatching and verifySignatures rules. It is a narrow administrative escape hatch, not a general compatibility switch. Whitelist only known clients that require it, and remove entries when the development task ends. On a public server, broad exceptions can undermine the restrictions you enabled for everyone else.
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allowedLoad[] and allowedPreprocess[]
These extension arrays limit which file types the scripting commands loadFile and preprocessFile may read. They are part of the security controls described by Bohemia Interactive, but the complete extension list is not reproduced here. If a mission depends on one of these commands, consult the current Bohemia Interactive server-security documentation and whitelist only the extensions the mission demonstrably needs. Avoid copying an old list without checking the live rules for your game build.
Mission rotation with class Missions
Missions are declared in a class Missions block. Each entry names a mission template and a difficulty. The template is the mission filename without the .pbo extension.
class Missions {
class OperationOne {
template = "operation_one";
difficulty = "Regular";
};
class OperationTwo {
template = "operation_two";
difficulty = "Veteran";
};
};The inner class names, such as OperationOne, identify entries in the configuration; the template value must match the installed mission file. Do not include the .pbo suffix in that value. A typo, missing file, or mission that is unavailable for the selected map can prevent the intended rotation from appearing. After editing, restart and verify the lobby’s mission list rather than assuming that a saved file was parsed successfully.
forcedDifficulty is separate from the per-entry difficulty. Use it when the server must enforce one chosen difficulty rather than allowing mission or player-side variation. Leave it unset when your rotation intentionally uses different difficulty values.
Persistence, voting and duplicate connections
persistent
When enabled, persistent keeps the mission running after the last player leaves. This suits communities that want the operation state, score, or progression to remain available between play sessions. Disable it when an empty server should end the mission cleanly or when you want every session to start fresh. Test your mission’s own persistence behavior; this server flag does not rewrite mission scripts.
voteMissionPlayers
voteMissionPlayers sets the minimum number of players required before a mission vote can start. A low threshold gives small groups control, while a higher threshold prevents a single early arrival from changing the rotation before the regular population joins.
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voteThreshold
voteThreshold is the fraction of votes needed for a proposal to pass. For example, 0.5 represents half of the votes. Choose a threshold with your community’s governance model in mind: a very low fraction is easy to pass but easier to abuse, while a high fraction makes coordinated changes harder.
voteMissionPlayers = 4;
voteThreshold = 0.6;These controls affect voting, not administrator commands. A logged-in administrator can still use the permissions available to that account.
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kickDuplicate controls whether duplicate player IDs are kicked. Enabling it helps prevent the same identity from maintaining multiple simultaneous connections. If a legitimate player is removed after a crash or reconnect, allow the old session to clear and check the server logs before disabling the protection globally.
Build compatibility and difficulty
requiredBuild
requiredBuild prevents clients on a lower game build from connecting. This is useful when a server depends on a specific engine or mission behavior and you need everyone on a compatible update. Announce the required build to players; otherwise they may see a rejection without understanding that updating the game is the fix.
forcedDifficulty
forcedDifficulty enforces a chosen difficulty on the server. It is appropriate for organized play where every participant must use the same settings. If you want each mission entry to carry its own difficulty, avoid forcing a conflicting global value.
Choosing settings by server type
| Server type | Security baseline | File patching | Other priorities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public community server | BattlEye = 1; verifySignatures = 2 |
allowedFilePatching = 0; no unnecessary exceptions |
Clear hostname, strong admin password, capacity matched to hardware, stable mission rotation |
| Development server | Use the strict settings when testing production-like behavior | Temporarily use 1 or 2 only when the workflow requires it |
Document every exception and return to the public baseline before launch |
| Headless-client setup | Keep signature and BattlEye policy appropriate to the environment | 1 may fit when only headless clients need patching |
Use targeted filePatchingExceptions rather than allowing every client |
| Private event | Keep anti-cheat and signatures enabled unless testing demands otherwise | Usually 0 |
Set a join password, event-specific MOTD, and a mission list for the schedule |
Editing and validation checklist
- Stop the dedicated server or use the provider’s documented configuration editor.
- Make a backup of the working
server.cfgbefore changing values. - Keep every assignment terminated with a semicolon and every string in quotation marks.
- Set identity and access values first:
hostname,password,passwordAdmin, andmaxPlayers. - Apply the intended security policy explicitly: BattlEye, signature verification, file patching, and any exceptions.
- Check arrays such as
motd[]and extension whitelists for balanced braces, commas, and quotation marks. - Confirm that every mission template in
class Missionsexists on the server without the.pbosuffix. - Save the file in the format required by your host, restart the server, and inspect the browser and lobby.
- Test with an ordinary player account and, separately, verify that
#loginaccepts the administrator password.
Troubleshooting common failures
The server is not public or cannot be found
First check that password is empty if the server is meant to be public and that BattlEye = 1 is present for a normal public deployment. Then confirm that the host actually loaded the edited file and that the process was restarted. A browser name alone does not prove that the intended configuration was parsed.
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With verifySignatures = 2, every required package must have valid version 2 signatures and clients must use matching content. Compare the server’s mod set and signed files with the client’s installation. Do not solve a production mismatch by setting verification to 0 unless you are deliberately moving to an isolated test environment.
A developer or headless client cannot load required files
Check whether the workflow genuinely needs file patching. If it does, choose the narrowest policy: value 1 for headless clients only, or value 2 for controlled all-client development. Review filePatchingExceptions and the allowedLoad[]/allowedPreprocess[] extension lists before broadening access.
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The configured player count is not available
Compare maxPlayers with the mission’s player slots. The lower number wins. If the mission has fewer slots, select or edit a mission designed for the desired population; changing only maxPlayers cannot add slots.
The intended mission does not appear
Verify the spelling of template, remove the .pbo suffix if it was included, confirm that the file is installed on the server, and check the map and difficulty entry. A syntax error elsewhere in the block can also prevent the rotation from being read, so inspect braces, semicolons, and quotation marks.
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Do not assume that a generated file’s comments are authoritative. BattlEye is listed as 1 by the Bohemia Interactive wiki, while the available material does not establish a single reliable default for allowedFilePatching. The documented meanings of its values are more useful than guessing a default. Likewise, use the wiki’s explicit definition of verifySignatures = 1 rather than unsupported claims that the engine changes it to another value.
For parameters not covered here, consult the current Bohemia Interactive server-configuration and security documentation for the Arma 3 build you run. Version changes, hosting panels, and mission frameworks can add practical constraints that a generic configuration file cannot show.
Bottom line for a public Arma 3 server
Set a clear hostname, leave password empty only when you want open access, protect passwordAdmin, and make maxPlayers agree with both hardware and mission slots. Use BattlEye = 1, verifySignatures = 2, and allowedFilePatching = 0 unless a documented development or headless-client requirement says otherwise. Keep exceptions narrow, define missions in class Missions, restart after edits, and validate the result from both the browser and a real client.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does changing maxPlayers create more mission slots?
No. The effective capacity is the lower of maxPlayers and the slots defined by the selected mission.
Should verifySignatures be set to 1 or 2?
Use 2 for the usual public-server security posture. Value 1 accepts both version 1 and version 2 signatures and is mainly a compatibility choice.
Can I enable file patching for only a headless client?
Yes. The documented value 1 allows file patching for headless clients only; use broader value 2 only for controlled cases that require all clients.
Where do I put mission names?
Inside the class Missions block, using each mission’s filename without the .pbo extension in its template value.
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