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Arma 3 Server Parameters and Startup Options Explained

A practical guide to Arma 3 dedicated-server startup options, including -port, -config, -profiles, -bePath, -ip, -pid and -par, with command examples, launcher guidance and troubleshooting.
Length10 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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An Arma 3 dedicated server is controlled by arguments placed after the server executable. For most installations, -port, -config, and -profiles form the essential foundation; -bePath, -ip, -pid, and -par add control for BattlEye, multihoming, process management, and long command lines.

The key distinction is simple: startup parameters control how the process launches, while the file selected by -config controls server identity, access, player limits, and message behavior.

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What Arma 3 startup parameters do

Bohemia Interactive defines startup parameters as “Startup parameters are command line interface(CLI) arguments that go after the executable’s name in order to set options.” They are command-line switches interpreted when the executable starts. Parameter names are case-insensitive, so -PORT and -port refer to the same option, but spelling values and paths correctly still matters.

You can supply arguments through Steam launch options, a Windows shortcut, the Arma 3 Launcher, or a separate parameter file loaded with -par. A parameter changes process-level behavior: which network port is used, where profiles and logs are written, which configuration file is read, or which local IP address is bound. It does not replace the settings inside server.cfg.

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A dedicated executable does not need -server. That switch is used when the regular client executable is being instructed to start a dedicated server. When you launch the dedicated-server executable itself, adding -server is unnecessary.

A maintainable baseline command

This example shows the main options together. It uses absolute Windows paths so that the locations remain unambiguous when the server is started by a shortcut, service wrapper, or scheduled task:

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arma3server_x64.exe -port=2302 "-config=C:Arma 3 Serverserver.cfg" "-profiles=C:Arma 3 Serverprofiles" -bePath="C:Arma 3 ServerBattlEye" -ip=192.0.2.10

Parameter Purpose When to use it
-port Selects the dedicated server’s listening port. Always specify it when documenting a server or running more than one instance.
-config Selects the server configuration file. Use it whenever you want explicit identity, passwords, player limits, MOTD, or other policy settings.
-profiles Changes the profile and log directory. Use a dedicated directory to keep logs and profiles separate from the game files.
-bePath Selects a custom BattlEye directory. Useful when BattlEye files should be isolated or when multiple instances need separate locations.
-ip Selects an available local IP address. Use it on a host with multiple network addresses (multihoming).
-pid Writes a process-ID file. Useful to monitoring tools, service scripts, and orderly stop or restart operations.

How to assemble the command step by step

  1. Choose the executable. For a true dedicated installation, start arma3server_x64.exe (or the dedicated executable supplied by your installation). Do not add -server unless you intentionally use the client executable’s dedicated-server mode.
  2. Set a unique port. Add -port=2302, or another available port appropriate to your network plan. If you run several instances on one host, give each instance its own port and keep a written mapping of instance, port, profile directory, BattlEye directory, and configuration file.
  3. Select the policy file. Add -config= followed by the complete path to the intended configuration file. If the path contains spaces, quote the entire assignment, as in "-config=C:Arma 3 Serverserver.cfg".
  4. Separate profiles and logs. Add -profiles= with a directory dedicated to this instance. This prevents logs, profile data, and administration files from different instances from being mixed together.
  5. Make BattlEye’s location explicit. Add -bePath= when BattlEye is stored outside its expected location or when each instance needs a separate BattlEye directory.
  6. Bind a local address only when needed. Add -ip= with an address actually assigned to the machine. Leave it out on a single-address host unless you have a reason to force the binding.
  7. Add process management options. Use -pid if a supervisor or script needs a reliable process-ID file. Move the completed argument list into a parameter file with -par when the command becomes difficult to review.

-config and the contents of server.cfg

The file selected by -config contains server policy and gameplay settings. The official reference does not assign a default filename: if you do not specify a filename, no server configuration file is loaded. That means creating a file named server.cfg somewhere on disk is not enough; the launch command must point to it.

Typical entries include:

  • passwordAdmin for administrator authentication.
  • password for a player join password when the server is private.
  • hostname for the name shown in the server browser.
  • maxPlayers for the player limit.
  • motd[] for one or more message-of-the-day lines.
  • motdInterval for the interval at which MOTD messages are shown.

Use the command line to fix process-level problems such as the wrong port, profile location, BattlEye directory, or IP binding. Use the configuration file to fix identity, access control, capacity, and MOTD behavior. Keeping those responsibilities separate makes a failed launch easier to diagnose.

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Quoting paths and understanding relative locations

Any value containing spaces must be quoted. For example, -profiles="C:Arma 3Profiles" is safe, while an unquoted path such as -profiles=C:Arma 3Profiles can be split at the spaces and interpreted incorrectly by the shell or launcher.

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Relative paths are resolved from the directory in which the executable was started, not necessarily from the directory where the shortcut or parameter file is stored. This distinction matters when a service, scheduled task, or control panel uses a different working directory than an interactive desktop shortcut. Absolute paths remove that ambiguity. The official documentation also notes that profile behavior differs between Windows and Linux, so do not assume that a path convention tested on Windows will behave identically on Linux.

For every path, document whether it is absolute or relative and identify the expected launch directory. If a server works from a terminal but fails from a service, compare the service’s working directory first.

Using a -par parameter file

-par loads startup arguments from a file. It is especially useful when a server has a large mod list, several long paths, or multiple operational switches that make a shortcut hard to read. The executable still receives -par on its command line; the remaining arguments are maintained in the referenced file.

Keep the same quoting rules inside the parameter file. A path with spaces must remain quoted, and each option should be written exactly as it would be written after the executable name. Store the file with the instance’s deployment files, use a descriptive name, and record which executable and working directory consume it.

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A parameter file also makes change review safer. An administrator can compare a small text file, see when a port or profile directory changed, and reuse a known-good launch definition after an update. Do not silently mix instance-specific values in one shared file: a copied file with the wrong -port or -profiles value can make two servers collide or write into each other’s logs.

Choosing a launch method

Approach Strengths Trade-offs
Arma 3 Launcher Graphical controls for common host settings and files; easier for administrators who do not want to edit a command. Less convenient for repeatable automation and large mod or path lists.
Inline command or Windows shortcut Visible, direct, and easy to test interactively. Long commands become difficult to audit; quoting errors are easy to introduce.
-par file Keeps a long argument set in a versionable text file and separates launch data from the shortcut. Requires careful path and working-directory documentation.
Client executable with -server Can start dedicated-server mode from the regular client executable. It is not the same as launching the dedicated-server executable and adds ambiguity to deployment documentation.

Steam launch options can also carry the arguments. Whichever method you choose, keep one authoritative launch definition so that a troubleshooting change made in one shortcut is not lost when another shortcut or launcher profile is used.

Port selection, networking, and multihoming

-port determines the port on which the dedicated server listens. Choose an unused port, allow that port through the host firewall, and configure any required router or cloud security-group forwarding to the same destination. A port conflict usually prevents the second process from binding successfully; changing only the server name in server.cfg does not solve it.

On a machine with several local addresses, -ip enables multihoming by selecting an available local address. The value must belong to the host. Binding to an address that is not assigned, has been removed, or is not reachable on the intended interface can make the process appear to start while preventing clients from connecting through the expected network.

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For multiple instances, treat the port and IP as a pair. Give each instance a distinct listening port, and use -ip only when selecting a specific interface is part of the design. Test locally first, then test from the same network path your players will use.

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Profiles, logs, BattlEye, and PID files

Profiles and logs

-profiles changes where the server stores profile data and logs. A separate directory per instance makes it possible to identify which process generated a log and prevents one instance from overwriting or obscuring another’s files. Ensure the account running the server has permission to create and write to that directory.

BattlEye

-bePath points to a custom BattlEye directory. Use an explicit path when the default location is unsuitable, when deployment files are outside the game directory, or when multiple instances need deliberate separation. A wrong BattlEye path can produce missing-file or failed-initialization symptoms even when the game executable itself is correct.

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Process identification

-pid writes a process-ID file for a dedicated server. Supervisors can use it to determine which process belongs to which instance before issuing a stop, restart, or health check. Keep PID files in a writable, instance-specific location and remove stale files during recovery only after verifying that the recorded process is no longer running.

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What the Arma 3 Launcher exposes

The Arma 3 Launcher provides a graphical route to many of the same host controls. Its dedicated-server area exposes settings for the server port, PID file, ranking file, network logging, basic and server configuration files, BattlEye path, and dedicated-server IP. These controls are useful for initial setup and for administrators who prefer not to maintain a long shortcut.

Graphical controls do not change the underlying separation between startup and configuration. A launcher field for a server configuration file still selects the file that contains entries such as hostname and maxPlayers; it does not turn those entries into command-line parameters. After saving launcher settings, confirm the generated command or launch profile so that the port, profile directory, and BattlEye path match your operating notes.

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Dedicated executable versus client executable

There are two concepts that are often conflated:

  • Dedicated-server executable: launch it directly and provide the startup arguments described in this article. The -server switch is not required.
  • Client executable in dedicated mode: start the regular client executable with -server when that workflow is intentionally selected.

For production documentation, identify which executable is being used before listing parameters. A command copied from a client-based setup may contain -server, while a dedicated-server installation can omit it. Mixing the two models makes support instructions harder to follow and can lead administrators to troubleshoot the wrong binary.

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SteamCMD and persistent operation

The dedicated-server documentation covers SteamCMD installation as part of obtaining and maintaining the server files. Keep the installation or update process separate from the runtime command: updating files should not silently replace the instance’s configuration, profiles, BattlEye directory, or parameter file.

Dedicated-server documentation also addresses persistent mission operation. In practice, plan the launch definition and mission configuration together: the startup command must reliably locate the executable, profiles, BattlEye files, and selected config, while the server configuration and mission settings determine what happens after players connect. A supervisor or scheduled task can restart the process, but it should use the same documented paths and, where applicable, the PID file to target the correct instance.

Troubleshooting by symptom

The server starts with default behavior

Check whether -config is present and points to the file you edited. There is no automatic default configuration filename, so a correctly written file is ignored if it was never selected. Confirm that the launch method you actually used is the one you changed; a launcher profile and a desktop shortcut can carry different arguments.

The process cannot bind its port

Verify that no other instance is already using the value supplied to -port. On a multihomed host, confirm that -ip names an address currently assigned to the machine. Then check the local firewall and any upstream forwarding rules.

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Logs or profiles appear in an unexpected directory

Inspect -profiles and the process working directory. If the value is relative, resolve it from the directory that launched the executable. An absolute path is the quickest way to remove uncertainty, provided the server account can write there.

BattlEye files are not found

Check the spelling, quoting, and permissions of -bePath. Make sure the path belongs to the instance you launched rather than another server’s directory, and review the startup log for the exact location the process attempted to use.

A service launch works differently from a shortcut

Compare the executable path, working directory, user account, environment, and complete argument list. Relative paths are particularly likely to change meaning under a service. Replace them with absolute paths and keep the service’s parameter file in a location it can read.

Pre-launch checklist

  • Use the intended dedicated-server executable and omit -server unless the client executable is deliberately being used.
  • Assign a unique, reachable -port to every instance.
  • Point -config at the exact policy file you intend to load.
  • Quote every path containing spaces.
  • Choose an instance-specific -profiles directory and verify write permissions.
  • Set -bePath explicitly when BattlEye is outside its expected location or instances are separated.
  • Use -ip only with an address assigned to the host.
  • Add -pid when scripts or a supervisor need process identification.
  • Move long commands into a documented -par file.
  • Record whether each path is absolute or relative and what launch directory resolves it.
  • After changing a launcher, shortcut, or parameter file, test the exact method used in production.

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