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server-settings.json is the main configuration file for a Factorio dedicated (headless) server. It centralizes settings that were previously supplied as command-line options, including public or LAN visibility, autosave timing, pausing behavior, and command permissions. Start with the data/server-settings.example.json shipped inside your Factorio installation, then verify every key and default against the exact game version running on your server.
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What server-settings.json controls
A headless Factorio server reads its settings from a JSON file rather than from the graphical game’s menus. The file is normally called server-settings.json. It determines how the server appears to players, whether the factory continues running when empty, how often automatic saves occur, and who may use console commands.
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The file is not a universal, permanently fixed specification. Wube can add, remove, rename, or change settings between Factorio releases. Community guides often copy an older example, and third-party pages disagree about the number of keys and their defaults. The version-specific example shipped with your installation is therefore the authority for available options.
Find the correct template and file location
Use the shipped example first
The Factorio Wiki’s Multiplayer guidance points administrators to data/server-settings.example.json in the Factorio application directory. Copy that file, rename the copy to server-settings.json, and edit the copy rather than changing the example. The example is useful because it reflects the executable you actually installed.
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On a self-hosted installation, the data directory is inside the game directory. A dedicated-server package may have a separate installation root, but the same principle applies: locate the data folder belonging to the server binary, not an unrelated desktop installation.
Managed hosts may use another path
Some hosting panels place the active file in the server root or expose its values through a web form. Do not assume that a panel’s path matches the desktop layout. Open the host’s file manager or startup command and confirm which file is passed to the Factorio server. If the panel generates a file, make changes in the panel unless its documentation explicitly supports direct editing.
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- Stop the server cleanly so it is not writing the file while you edit it.
- Copy the current
server-settings.jsonto a dated backup. - Keep the original example from the same Factorio version beside your edited file.
- Record the server version whenever you change settings.
JSON rules that prevent startup failures
JSON is strict. Use double quotes around property names and text values, separate properties with commas, and do not leave a trailing comma after the final property. Boolean values are lowercase true or false; they are not quoted strings. An option that explicitly accepts a string, such as allow_commands, must use the spelling shown by the version-specific example.
Keep the file as UTF-8 plain text and preserve the outer braces. A missing brace, an extra comma, or a smart quote copied from a word processor can prevent the server from loading the file. After saving, run the server and inspect its startup log for a parse or unknown-key error before allowing players to connect.
A safe minimal example
The following is an illustrative configuration, not a claim about shipped defaults. It uses only settings whose meanings are established and chooses conservative values for a small cooperative server.
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{
"visibility": {
"public": false,
"lan": true
},
"autosave_interval": 10,
"auto_pause": true,
"allow_commands": "admins-only"
}Here, the server is discoverable on the local network, saves every 10 minutes, pauses when no one is connected, and permits commands only to administrators. Change each value to match your operating needs; the numbers and choices in this snippet are example values, not a guarantee of the defaults in your release.
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visibility: public listing versus LAN discovery
visibility is an object containing two booleans: public and lan. Setting public to true lists the server in Factorio’s matchmaking browser. Setting lan to true broadcasts it for local-network discovery. They are independent, so a server can be public, LAN-only, both, or neither.
Public listing requires Factorio.com login credentials. The official example allows a token to be used in place of a password. Treat credentials and tokens as secrets: restrict file permissions, do not paste them into public issue reports, and rotate them if the file is exposed. The exact credential-related property names should be taken from your shipped example rather than copied from an older guide.
For a private remote game, leaving both discovery flags disabled prevents browser and LAN announcements; players can still connect by address if your network and firewall permit it. For a home network, lan: true avoids publishing the server publicly while making it visible to players on the same network.
autosave_interval: minutes between automatic saves
autosave_interval is measured in minutes. Copies of the shipped example show a value of 10, but the exact default has low confidence and must be checked in the file installed with your version. Lowering the interval reduces the amount of progress lost after a crash, at the cost of more frequent save work. Raising it reduces save interruptions but increases the rollback window.
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Choose an interval based on factory size, storage speed, and how costly a rollback would be. Test the setting during a quiet period and watch the server log and save duration. Do not describe a chosen interval as the game’s default unless your current example explicitly says so.
auto_pause: stop simulation when the server is empty
When auto_pause is true, the game pauses while no players are connected. This conserves processing time and prevents the factory from consuming resources or advancing while everyone is away. Set it to false when you intentionally want production, trains, or other simulation systems to continue between sessions.
Auto-pause changes the meaning of an empty server: a paused factory will not progress simply because the process remains online. Explain this to players who expect a continuously running world, and choose the value before scheduling unattended operation.
allow_commands: command permission level
allow_commands accepts the strings "true", "false", or "admins-only". The shipped example is commonly copied with "admins-only", but verify that value in your release. Use "false" for a no-command survival server, "admins-only" for administrative maintenance, and "true" only when every connected player should be able to use commands.
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Other properties: verify before relying on them
Search results and copied configurations mention additional properties, but their current behavior or default was not confirmed against the authoritative example. They may be valid in your release, renamed, or absent. Treat them as a checklist for comparison, not as a guaranteed schema.
| Reported property | What to verify in your installed example |
|---|---|
name, description, tags |
Whether the fields exist, their accepted types, and how they are shown in server listings. |
max_players |
Whether zero means unlimited in this version and whether a host panel imposes a separate cap. |
username, password, token |
Which credential fields are required for public listing and how a token replaces a password. |
game_password |
Whether it protects game entry separately from matchmaking-account credentials. |
require_user_verification |
Its exact effect and whether it applies to all connection methods. |
max_upload_in_kilobytes_per_second |
The unit, minimum value, and effect on player synchronization. |
minimum_latency_in_ticks |
How the tick value affects latency handling and what range the server accepts. |
| Segment-size properties | The complete key names and whether they govern map transfer, networking, or another subsystem. |
ignore_player_limit_for_returning_players |
Which players qualify as returning and whether the limit is bypassed permanently. |
autosave_slots |
How many rotating save files are retained and whether zero or one has special behavior. |
If a key is not present in the current example, do not add it just because an old tutorial lists it. Unknown properties can be ignored, rejected, or produce confusing results depending on the release; the startup log is the only reliable confirmation for your binary.
Editing procedure for a dedicated server
- Identify the running version. Check the version reported by the server executable or hosting panel and locate the matching installation directory.
- Open the shipped template. Read
data/server-settings.example.jsonfrom that installation and copy it to the filename expected by your startup command. - Make one logical change at a time. Start with visibility, pausing, autosaves, and command permissions. Leave unverified properties unchanged until you have confirmed their spelling and type.
- Validate the JSON. Use a local JSON validator or an editor’s syntax checker. Validation catches punctuation errors but cannot prove that a Factorio key is supported.
- Protect secrets. If public-listing credentials are present, limit read access to the server account and remove credentials from shell history, screenshots, and support posts.
- Restart the server. Restart after edits and verify the startup log. A restart is the safest way to ensure the process has loaded the new file; live-reload behavior is not established for every setting.
- Test from the intended network. Confirm LAN discovery, public-browser appearance, or direct connection as applicable. Check that an empty server pauses or continues exactly as intended.
- Keep a rollback copy. If startup fails or behavior changes unexpectedly, restore the previous file, restart, and compare the failing change with the version-specific template.
Common failure modes and fixes
The server ignores my changes
First confirm that you edited the file the startup command actually loads. Managed hosts may generate a server-root file from panel settings, while a local installation may use a file beside the executable. Stop the process, verify the path, restart, and inspect the log for the loaded configuration.
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Run the file through a JSON validator and check for trailing commas, unmatched braces, quoted booleans, and smart quotation marks. Then compare every property name and value type with the current shipped example. Remove recently added, unverified keys and reintroduce them one at a time only after confirming support.
Players cannot find a public server
Check that visibility.public is true, that the required Factorio.com credential or token is present in the form expected by your version, and that the server can reach the matchmaking service. A server with only lan: true is intended for local discovery and will not appear as a public listing.
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Set auto_pause to true, restart, disconnect all clients, and observe whether the simulation pauses. If you require continuous production, leave it false and plan for the additional CPU, memory, and save activity of an unattended factory.
Commands are unexpectedly available
Inspect allow_commands for the exact string value. "false", "admins-only", and "true" are distinct modes; a JSON boolean such as false is not the same syntax as the documented string value.
Self-hosting and managed hosting differences
Self-hosting gives you direct control over the file, the timing of Factorio updates, backups, and operating-system permissions. You are also responsible for the network, firewall, uptime, and version compatibility. A managed host may simplify those operational tasks and provide a panel, but the panel can expose only a subset of the available keys or overwrite manual edits.
Before choosing either approach, determine whether you need direct access to server-settings.json, whether the host permits version pinning, and how backups are restored. Regardless of provider, keep a copy of the version-specific example and test settings after every game update.
Versioning checklist
- Compare the new release’s
server-settings.example.jsonwith your old file. - Check for renamed, removed, or newly introduced keys.
- Reconfirm defaults instead of assuming a copied community configuration is current.
- Restart and read the log after migrating.
- Test discovery, command permissions, autosaves, and empty-server behavior with a client.
- Document the final values and keep the previous working file for rollback.
Factorio server settings are therefore best managed as versioned configuration, not as a one-time paste from a guide. The shipped example tells you what your binary understands; controlled edits and a restart tell you whether the resulting server behaves as your players expect.
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