The Tool Desk
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What you need before adding the server
A3Launcher cannot check an offline server. Start the Arma 3 instance and keep it running for the entire submission process. If your provider has a game-control panel, open it while the server is online; many panels display the server’s query information alongside the normal connection details.
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- The Arma 3 server is running and reachable.
- You know the server’s public IP address or hostname.
- You know the game port and can calculate or confirm the Steam Query Port.
- Your firewall allows the ports required by the server and its query service.
- You can see the server’s current launch parameters, especially the
-modvalue.
Use the public address that players would use, not a private address such as a home-network-only address. If a hosting panel supplies a complete query string, copy it exactly before opening the checker.
Find the Steam Query Port
The most common submission error is entering the game port instead of the Steam Query Port. A3Launcher defines the query port as the game port plus one.
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| Server detail | Value in the example | What to enter in A3Launcher |
|---|---|---|
| Game port | 2302 |
Do not enter this as the query port |
| Steam Query Port | 2303 |
Enter 2303 |
If your host presents a separate “query,” “Steam query,” or “A2S” field, use that field rather than calculating from a different port. The calculation is useful when the panel lists only the game port, but a provider’s explicit query value should take priority.
Write down the IP and query port together before submitting. For example, if the public IP is 203.0.113.40 and the game port is 2302, the checker input is the address paired with query port 2303. The example IP is illustrative; use your own public address.
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Add the server with A3Launcher’s Server Checker
- Start the server. Confirm that it has finished starting and remains online. Do not shut it down while the checker is testing it.
- Open the A3Launcher Server Checker. This is the web form used to submit a server for launcher discovery.
- Enter the server address. Paste the public IP address or the address supplied by your host.
- Enter the Steam Query Port. Use the query value, not the ordinary game port. If the game port is
2302, the query port is2303. - Press “Check.” Wait for the checker to query the live server. Keep the server online while the request is being processed.
- Allow the listing to propagate. A3Launcher says a server can take up to 30 minutes to appear after it is added.
- Restart A3Launcher. The launcher requires a restart before a newly added listing may become visible in its server browser.
When the submission succeeds, players can use A3Launcher as a join path instead of entering a raw IP address every time. A3Launcher is designed to detect the server’s required mods and download them through its distribution system, so the player’s installation can be brought into line with the server’s mod set.
Why the listing may not appear immediately
The “Check” result and the launcher’s visible listing are separate stages. The server may pass the web check and still be absent from a launcher session that was already open. Wait the full propagation window of up to 30 minutes, then close and reopen A3Launcher.
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If the server is still missing after the wait and restart, do not repeatedly submit random ports. Work through the checks below in order: verify the query value, verify firewall access, inspect the mod parameter, and confirm that the server remained online.
Configure the server’s mods so A3Launcher can detect them
A3Launcher reads the server’s mod configuration to determine what players need. A malformed launch parameter or a server-side package that the launcher deliberately ignores can make an otherwise reachable server difficult to detect correctly.
Use the expected -mod format
Format the parameter as a semicolon-separated list of complete paths, with the same structure shown by A3Launcher:
-mod=C:mods@mod1;C:mods@mod2;C:mods@mod3;Each entry should point to the mod directory, entries should be separated with semicolons, and the value should end with a semicolon as in the example. Adapt the drive and directory names to your installation; do not copy the example paths unless those folders actually exist on your machine.
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After changing the launch line, restart the Arma 3 server so the new parameter is active before running the checker again. Checking an old process does not test the new configuration.
Avoid names containing “server” for player mods
A3Launcher ignores server-side mods whose names contain the word server. This behavior can cause an item to be omitted even when the folder is present and the launch parameter is syntactically correct. If a package is intended to be downloaded and loaded by players, check its folder name and the way it is classified in your server setup. Do not rename a package blindly if its documentation requires a specific name; instead, determine whether it is genuinely a server-only component.
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Arma’s SteamAPI implementation has a limitation that can prevent detection when too many server-side mods are configured. There is no universal count supplied for the threshold, so treat an unusually large server-only mod set as a possible cause rather than assuming every package is supported.
For a diagnostic test, temporarily reduce the configuration to the essential set, restart the server, and run the checker again. Add the remaining packages back in controlled groups only after the smaller configuration is detected. Keep a copy of the original launch line so you can restore it after testing.
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Troubleshoot a server that is not listed
The checker reports no server or cannot reach it
- Confirm that the process is online and has completed startup.
- Check the address for typing errors and make sure it is the public address.
- Replace the entered port with the Steam Query Port. If you entered the game port, calculate the query value as game port plus one.
- Review firewall rules for the ports used by the game and query services. A rule that permits player connections but blocks query traffic can leave the server joinable by direct address while invisible to the checker.
- If the host supplies query information separately, copy that value from the panel rather than relying on a remembered port number.
After correcting one item, keep the server online and run the check again. Changing several unrelated settings at once makes it difficult to identify which correction solved the problem.
The server passed the check but is absent in the launcher
- Wait up to 30 minutes from the successful submission.
- Exit A3Launcher completely rather than merely closing a server-browser tab.
- Start A3Launcher again and search for the server by its name or address.
- If it remains absent, repeat the address and query-port verification and inspect the firewall before submitting another check.
A delay during this window does not by itself indicate a failed submission.
The listing appears, but required mods are missing
- Inspect the active
-modparameter on the running server, not an unused configuration file. - Check that every path follows the semicolon-separated format.
- Look for a mod directory whose name contains
server; A3Launcher ignores such server-side mods. - Reduce an unusually large server-side mod set and test the smaller configuration.
- Restart the server after edits, then allow A3Launcher time to update its view.
Players should also allow the launcher to finish its automatic mod downloads before attempting to join. A3Launcher presents itself as a downloader that detects and distributes required Arma 3 mods through torrents, so an incomplete download can look like a server-configuration problem even when the listing is correct.
The server disappears later
First check whether the server is still online and whether its public address or query port changed. A listing based on old connection details cannot be expected to remain usable after a host changes ports. Reconfirm the live values in the hosting panel, correct the configuration, and submit the current query information.
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For sponsored listings, there is an additional availability rule: a server that remains offline for 24 hours is removed from the listing until it comes back online. Ordinary listing behavior can also be affected by downtime, so keeping the instance running is part of maintaining a reliable A3Launcher path.
Self-hosting or a game-server host: what matters for A3Launcher
A3Launcher does not require one particular hosting model. The practical choice is the setup that can keep the server online, expose accurate query information, and give you enough control over ports, restarts, updates, and mods.
| Decision factor | Self-hosted server | Game-server host |
|---|---|---|
| Keeping the server online | Depends on your hardware, power, network, and maintenance schedule. | Depends on the provider’s uptime and the plan you select. |
| Query information | You calculate and verify the query port in your own configuration. | The control panel may display the query information directly. |
| Firewall and port control | You configure the network firewall and any router rules. | The provider controls infrastructure rules; you still need to follow its exposed-port settings. |
| Mods and launch parameters | Maximum control, but you are responsible for paths, updates, and troubleshooting. | Panel tools may simplify edits, subject to the host’s interface and restrictions. |
| Restarts and updates | You schedule and perform them. | The panel may provide restart and update controls. |
| Geographic latency | Determined by your connection and the players’ distance from it. | Determined by the provider’s available locations and the players’ distance from the selected location. |
| Total monthly cost | Not established by the A3Launcher instructions; account for electricity, connectivity, and hardware. | Not established by the A3Launcher instructions; compare the provider’s recurring fee and included resources. |
Whichever model you choose, confirm that you can obtain the live Steam Query Port and open the necessary firewall paths. Those two details determine whether the checker can see the server; the hosting label itself does not.
Optional: pay for a sponsored A3Launcher position
A3Launcher also offers paid sponsored placement for owners who want additional visibility. This is optional; a server can be submitted through the checker without buying a sponsorship.
- Sign in with Steam on A3Launcher’s sponsorship page.
- Find the server by its IP address and Steam Query Port.
- Choose a monthly sponsorship amount and complete the purchase.
The page states a minimum of £5 per server per month; that figure reflects the page accessed on October 14, 2026 and may change. The first six launcher positions are sponsored. Selection is randomized and weighted by the amount paid, and the page says estimated impressions are not guaranteed. A server that is offline for 24 hours is removed from the listing until it is online again.
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Quick Recap
Maintenance checklist after the server is added
- Keep the Arma 3 server online when players are expected to find it.
- Record the current game port and its corresponding Steam Query Port.
- Review firewall rules after moving the server, changing ports, or switching providers.
- Keep the active
-modparameter in the documented semicolon-separated format. - Do not rely on A3Launcher to show mods whose names contain
server. - When adding many server-side mods, test detection with a smaller set first.
- After a successful check, allow up to 30 minutes and restart A3Launcher before judging the listing missing.
- Recheck the listing after major port, address, or mod changes.
Fast reference
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Must the server be online? | Yes. Keep it running while the checker tests it. |
| Which port does A3Launcher need? | The Steam Query Port, which is the game port plus one. |
| Game port 2302 means what query port? | 2303. |
| How long can listing propagation take? | Up to 30 minutes, followed by an A3Launcher restart. |
| What can interfere with mod detection? | A -mod value in the wrong format, server-side mod names containing “server,” or too many server-side mods. |
| What should be checked if the server is invisible? | Online status, public address, query port, firewall access, and the active mod configuration. |
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