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Assetto Corsa Server Configuration: server_cfg.ini Explained

A practical, detailed guide to Assetto Corsa server_cfg.ini: configure tracks and layouts, car whitelists, player limits, sessions, race rules, dynamic grip, weather and common startup failures.
Length9 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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server_cfg.ini is the control panel for an Assetto Corsa dedicated server. It defines the server name and password, track and layout, permitted cars, maximum drivers, session schedule, weather, dynamic grip and race rules. The starting grid is not defined here: entry_list.ini supplies grid entries, and every car model used there must also be present in the CARS whitelist.

This guide explains the file’s sections, the settings that most often prevent a server from working, and a safe way to build and validate a configuration. Names and defaults can vary between dedicated-server builds, so compare your file with the current official sample when a key behaves differently.

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What server_cfg.ini controls

The file is divided into a [SERVER] block, session blocks, a [DYNAMIC_TRACK] block and one or more weather blocks such as [WEATHER_0]. The server reads these values when it starts. Stop the dedicated server before editing by hand; changing a live file can leave the running process using old values or overwrite your changes when it shuts down.

Keep the two configuration files separate in your mental model:

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  • server_cfg.ini chooses the circuit, rules, sessions and environment.
  • entry_list.ini defines individual grid slots and their car models, skins and GUID restrictions.

If an entry-list slot names a model that is absent from CARS, that driver cannot use the slot even though the car may be installed on the server.

Before you edit: a safe configuration workflow

  1. Stop the dedicated server. Do not edit while it is accepting connections.
  2. Back up the working files. Save copies of both server_cfg.ini and entry_list.ini so you can return to a known-good state.
  3. Confirm installed content. The value of TRACK must match the track folder name under content/tracks, character for character. Check that every car named in the entry list is installed and listed in CARS.
  4. Change one group of settings at a time. Start with track and capacity, then sessions, then rules and weather. This makes a failed start easier to diagnose.
  5. Restart and read the server log. A successful start should load the selected track and create the configured sessions. If it fails immediately, revert the last change and check spelling, separators and section names.

The [SERVER] block: identity, access and content

Identity and access settings

Key What it does Practical use
NAME Text shown as the server’s browser name. Use a distinct name that tells drivers the track, event or required content.
PASSWORD Driver join password. Leave it blank for an open server; enter a value for a private event.
ADMIN_PASSWORD Password for real-time administrative control. Set a separate, non-public value. Do not reuse the driver password.
REGISTER_TO_LOBBY Controls whether the server is listed publicly. Enable it when you want drivers to find the server through the lobby; disable it for a private or directly shared server.
LOCKED_ENTRY_LIST Restricts joining to GUIDs present in entry_list.ini when set to 1. Use it for reserved grids or leagues. A locked list requires correctly entered driver GUIDs and enough matching slots.

Access controls do not replace a correct entry list. A password can protect a public listing, while LOCKED_ENTRY_LIST=1 determines who is allowed to occupy the configured slots.

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Track, layout, cars and player capacity

Key Required value or behavior Common mistake
TRACK Exact folder name below content/tracks. Using a display name, a spelling variant or a Steam Workshop title instead of the folder name.
CONFIG_TRACK Exact layout subfolder name. Leave empty when the track has no layouts. Using TRACK_LAYOUT. The official sample and most guides use CONFIG_TRACK; the alternative key appears to be an erroneous guide variant.
CARS Semicolon-separated whitelist of car model identifiers. Using commas, display names or omitting a model used by an entry-list slot.
MAX_CLIENTS Maximum number of connected drivers. Confusing it with MaxPlayers, a name used by one third-party guide.

The official sample uses TRACK=vallelunga, CONFIG_TRACK=extended_circuit and an example cap of 15. That sample is authoritative for its shipped example, not a universal modern default. Community guides often quote about 24 pit boxes on many Kunos tracks, but the actual limit is track-dependent.

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MAX_CLIENTS must not exceed the track’s available pit positions. The entry list also needs at least that many slots. For example, setting 20 clients with only 18 valid pit boxes or 12 entry-list entries creates a capacity mismatch: some clients cannot receive a grid position even if the server process starts.

Race rules and environment in [SERVER]

Key Meaning Important qualification
SUN_ANGLE Sun position used for the session environment. The documented range is -80 to 80. A value of 16 is roughly a 2 p.m. sun position.
RACE_OVER_TIME Controls the race-over-time behavior. Keep the value consistent with the race format you intend to run; verify the current build’s accepted value.
ALLOWED_TYRES_OUT How many wheels may leave the legal track surface before penalties apply. The official sample uses -1 for no limit.
ABS_ALLOWED Allows or disallows ABS. Use the value convention already present in your official sample.
TC_ALLOWED Allows or disallows traction control. Restricting this can make a car difficult to drive; test with the intended car set.
STABILITY_ALLOWED Allows or disallows the stability aid. League rules commonly disable assists, but the server setting must match the event policy.
AUTOCLUTCH_ALLOWED Allows or disallows automatic clutch assistance. Decide separately from ABS and traction control.
DAMAGE_MULTIPLIER Scales collision and mechanical damage. Communicate non-default damage clearly to drivers before the session.
FUEL_RATE Scales fuel consumption. Higher values shorten the distance a tank can cover.
TYRE_WEAR_RATE Scales tyre wear. Higher values make compound and pit strategy more significant.
VOTING_QUORUM Sets the participation threshold for a vote. Check the accepted range in the sample shipped with your server build.
VOTE_DURATION Sets how long a vote remains open. Use a duration long enough for connected drivers to respond.
MAX_BALLAST_KG Caps the ballast amount that can be assigned. Useful for handicaps or league balancing; it does not create ballast assignments by itself.

The key names above are reported consistently by community configuration guides, while the official reference is an older Kunos dedicated-server manual. If a current build rejects a value, copy the spelling and value format from that build’s sample rather than from a generic web template.

Session blocks: practice, qualifying and race

Each session is represented by its own block, normally [PRACTICE], [QUALIFY] and [RACE]. The shared fields are:

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Field Function
NAME Label displayed to drivers for that session.
TIME Session length in minutes.
IS_OPEN Join policy: 0 means no joining, 1 permits free joining, and 2 permits joining until 20 seconds before the green signal.

Practice and qualifying

Use [PRACTICE] for unrestricted setup and track familiarisation, then [QUALIFY] to establish the starting order. Set a meaningful NAME, a positive TIME in minutes and an IS_OPEN value that matches whether late arrivals should be admitted. An IS_OPEN=0 qualifying session prevents new drivers from joining that phase; it does not remove drivers already connected.

Race

In [RACE], LAPS sets a lap-counted race. A TIME value above zero makes the race timed. Select the format deliberately and verify the result in a short private test, especially when both values appear in a template. WAIT_TIME sets the grid wait before the green signal, giving drivers time to form up.

A common schedule is an open practice, qualifying that closes shortly before the start, and a race with a short grid wait. The exact minutes are event decisions; the important point is that each block has a complete name, duration and join policy.

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Dynamic track grip

The [DYNAMIC_TRACK] block controls how rubber and grip evolve through sessions:

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  • SESSION_START sets the starting grip level.
  • LAP_GAIN controls how quickly completed laps add rubber.
  • SESSION_TRANSFER controls how much accumulated grip carries into the next session.

These settings interact. A low starting grip with a high lap gain produces a visibly changing surface during practice; a high session transfer means qualifying begins with much of that rubber already present. If drivers report that every session feels equally green, check the dynamic-track block and confirm that the server is loading it rather than a differently named section.

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Weather blocks and changing conditions

Weather is declared with numbered sections such as [WEATHER_0] and [WEATHER_1]. When multiple blocks are defined, the server randomises between those available weather definitions. Define only the conditions you are prepared to run: adding several blocks makes the outcome less predictable for drivers and strategy planning.

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Numbering matters. Keep the weather section names in the expected WEATHER_n form and inspect the server log after restarting. Because weather keys and accepted values can change between builds, use the current shipped sample for the contents inside each block rather than copying an old template blindly.

Ports, lobby visibility and connection checks

The documented sample uses UDP and TCP game traffic on port 9600 and HTTP on port 8081. If you retain those defaults, permit the required protocols through the host firewall and forward them on the router when the server is behind NAT. If you change a port, apply the same change to firewall and router rules and tell drivers the new endpoint.

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A server that runs locally but does not appear in the lobby usually has a registration, firewall, NAT or port-forwarding problem rather than a track-setting problem. First confirm REGISTER_TO_LOBBY, then test the configured ports from outside the host network. Keep NAME and PASSWORD simple while troubleshooting so an access-control mistake is not confused with a networking failure.

Why a server_cfg.ini setup fails

The server will not start after a track change

  • Check that TRACK exactly matches the folder under content/tracks.
  • If the track has layouts, use the layout subfolder in CONFIG_TRACK.
  • If it has no layouts, clear CONFIG_TRACK instead of inventing a layout name.
  • Remove stray punctuation. The old official sample shows a semicolon after the CONFIG_TRACK value; do not copy that punctuation into a value.

Drivers cannot select a car

  • Confirm the car model identifier is installed on the server.
  • Add the exact identifier to the semicolon-separated CARS value.
  • Check that the same model appears in the relevant entry_list.ini slot.
  • Use semicolons, not commas, between whitelist entries.

The configured grid is smaller than expected

  • Compare MAX_CLIENTS with the track’s pit count.
  • Count entry-list slots; there must be at least as many as the intended client cap.
  • Remember that a locked entry list admits only matching GUIDs, so unused or mistyped GUID slots do not function as ordinary open places.

The layout or player cap appears ignored

Look for wrong key names copied from conflicting guides. Use CONFIG_TRACK, not TRACK_LAYOUT, and MAX_CLIENTS, not MaxPlayers. Stop the server before correcting the file, then restart it and verify the loaded values in the log.

Players join the wrong phase or too late

Inspect IS_OPEN in each session. A value of 0 blocks joining, 1 allows free joining and 2 closes joining 20 seconds before green. Also check whether the race is lap-counted through LAPS or timed through a positive TIME.

A practical validation checklist

  • Server stopped before editing and backup created.
  • TRACK matches the installed folder exactly.
  • CONFIG_TRACK matches an installed layout or is empty when no layout exists.
  • Every entry-list car appears in the semicolon-separated CARS whitelist.
  • MAX_CLIENTS is no greater than both the available pit count and the number of entry-list slots.
  • Session blocks have valid names, durations and join policies.
  • Race format is intentionally lap-counted or timed, with an appropriate WAIT_TIME.
  • Dynamic-track and weather sections use the names expected by the current server sample.
  • Firewall and router rules match the chosen TCP/UDP game port and HTTP port.
  • After restart, the log confirms the intended track, layout, capacity and session sequence.

The safest configuration is not the one with the most options; it is the one whose track identifiers, car whitelist, entry list, capacity, session policy and network settings agree. Treat the official sample shipped with your server as the final syntax reference, particularly when using a newer build or a third-party server tool.

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