Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesRun TheNet:GenerateClusterToken() in Don’t Starve Together’s developer console. The game creates cluster_token.txt in your Klei data folder. Copy that file into your server’s cluster directory (normally DoNotStarveTogether/Cluster_1), make sure it contains only the token, and restart the server. A valid token is required for the server to appear online.
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What a Don’t Starve Together cluster token does
A cluster token is a secret string that identifies a dedicated Don’t Starve Together server to Klei’s services. The server reads the token when it starts; without a valid token, it generally remains offline instead of being listed for players.
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The token is not the same thing as a player’s Klei user ID. A token authorizes the server cluster, while a KU_-prefixed user ID identifies an individual account for administrative lists. Put user IDs in adminlist.txt, not in cluster_token.txt.
The most consistently documented way to create the token is an in-game console command. A web-account workflow is also described by several hosting guides, but the exact menu and token format are not confirmed by a current primary Klei help page. Use the console method first unless your hosting panel specifically requires the web workflow.
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Quick checklist
- Install and launch Don’t Starve Together, then sign in.
- Open the developer console with the tilde key (
~). - Run
TheNet:GenerateClusterToken()and press Enter. - Find the generated
cluster_token.txtin your Klei data directory. - Copy it into the cluster folder used by the dedicated server, normally
DoNotStarveTogether/Cluster_1. - Keep the file as one line containing only the token; remove extra spaces and blank lines.
- Restart the server and check its online status.
Method 1: Generate the token in the game console
This is the best-supported procedure in the available documentation because it uses the game client itself rather than relying on an account-site menu that may change.
1. Launch the game and sign in
Open Don’t Starve Together on the account that will operate the server. The account that runs the generation command is reported to receive administrator access in-game, so use the intended owner or administrator account rather than a temporary account.
2. Open the developer console
Enter a game session or the game screen where console input is available and press the tilde key (~). On some keyboard layouts, the key may be labeled with a grave accent (`) or may require a different physical key position. If the console does not appear, verify that you are using the key that produces ~ on your layout and that the game window has focus.
3. Run the current command
Type the command exactly as shown, including capitalization, punctuation and parentheses:
TheNet:GenerateClusterToken()Press Enter. The command should write a file named cluster_token.txt to the game’s Klei data directory. Older forum posts mention TheNet:GenerateServerToken(), but the more widely documented command for this task is TheNet:GenerateClusterToken(). Do not substitute unrelated functions such as TheNet:GetServerListingRowAt; that function is not supported by the other documentation for token generation.
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4. Locate the generated file
The file is written below the standard Don’t Starve Together profile directory:
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| Operating-system family | Base directory |
|---|---|
| Unix-like systems, including Linux and macOS | ~/.klei/DoNotStarveTogether |
| Windows | DocumentsKleiDoNotStarveTogether |
The tilde in the Unix path means your home directory. On Windows, open the Documents folder belonging to the same user account that ran the game. If you have multiple profiles or installations, search within the Don’t Starve Together Klei directory for the exact filename cluster_token.txt.
Put cluster_token.txt in the server’s cluster folder
Generating the file in the client profile does not automatically place it in a separately installed dedicated server. Copy the file into the cluster directory that the server actually loads. The default cluster is normally:
DoNotStarveTogether/Cluster_1/cluster_token.txtThe parent path varies with the operating system, server script and hosting setup. The important part is that cluster_token.txt sits directly inside the active cluster folder, beside the cluster configuration files, rather than only in the general Klei profile directory.
Check the filename
- Use exactly
cluster_token.txt, all lowercase. - On Windows, disable “Hide extensions for known file types” while checking the name. A file accidentally saved as
cluster_token.txt.txtwill not be read. - Do not rename it to
cluster_token,token.txtor another custom name unless your hosting panel explicitly maps that field to the token.
Check the contents
Open the file with a plain-text editor. It should contain the token as a single line and nothing else. Remove leading or trailing spaces, quotation marks, explanatory text and blank lines. Do not paste the token into a configuration value with extra labels such as token=; the file itself should be the token only.
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Restart after copying
Stop the dedicated server completely, copy or replace the file, and start the server again. A running process normally will not reread the token until restart. Watch the startup log or hosting-panel status for the server to come online.
Using a hosting control panel
Some managed-server panels do not expose the cluster directory directly. Instead, they provide a Startup, Configuration or Environment field for the cluster token. If your provider documents such a field, paste the token there exactly as generated, without quotes or additional text. The panel may create the file for you when the server starts.
If the panel offers both a token field and a file manager, use one method consistently. A value in an unused cluster folder will not help if the panel launches a different cluster path. Ask the provider which cluster name and directory its startup command uses, then place the file or value in that active location.
Method 2: Create a token through the Klei account website
Several hosting guides describe a second workflow: sign in to your Klei account, open the Don’t Starve Together game-server page, choose Add New Server, name the server and copy the displayed token. One guide gives this address: accounts.klei.com/account/game/servers?game=DontStarveTogether.
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This web procedure is not confirmed by a current primary Klei help page in the available documentation, and menu labels can change. Treat it as an account-site option rather than a guaranteed replacement for the console command. If the page does not show a server-management area or the labels differ, return to the in-game method or follow the instructions supplied by your hosting provider.
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Reports also disagree about the token’s prefix: one describes pds-, another pds-g, and one describes a length of more than 90 characters. Those details are not reliable identifiers. Do not edit a token to force a particular prefix or length; copy the value exactly as displayed or generated.
Console and web methods compared
| Criterion | In-game console | Klei account website |
|---|---|---|
| Procedure | Run TheNet:GenerateClusterToken() in Don’t Starve Together. |
Sign in, open the game-server area and use the server-creation controls if they are available. |
| Documentation confidence | Medium: repeatedly described by community references, but not confirmed by a Klei help page in the available material. | Low: described by hosting guides, with changing menu paths and conflicting format descriptions. |
| Account login | Requires being signed in to the game. | Requires signing in to the Klei account website. |
| Output | Creates cluster_token.txt in the local Klei data directory. |
Shows a token to copy; you may still need to add it to a file or hosting-panel field. |
| Best fit | Self-hosted servers and any setup where you can copy files. | Panels or workflows that specifically instruct you to register a server through the account site. |
Troubleshooting: cluster_token.txt is missing
The command produced no visible file
- Confirm the command is exactly
TheNet:GenerateClusterToken(); check the colon, capitalization and parentheses. - Look in both the Unix and Windows locations listed above, using the profile of the account that launched the game.
- Search for the exact filename across your Don’t Starve Together data directory. Do not assume the file will appear in the dedicated server’s folder automatically.
- If the console reports an error, close and relaunch the game, sign in again and retry the command from the developer console.
The server still says no token
Verify that the server is loading the same cluster folder where you copied the file. A common mistake is placing the token in the general DoNotStarveTogether directory while the startup configuration points to Cluster_1, or placing it in a different numbered cluster. Check the launch script or panel’s cluster-name setting, then put the file directly in that folder and restart.
The server stays offline
A missing or invalid token is a documented reason for a server not to go online. Check all of the following before changing other settings:
- The filename is exactly
cluster_token.txt. - The file is inside the active cluster directory.
- The contents are one uninterrupted line with no spaces before or after the token.
- The file is saved as plain text, not a rich-text document.
- The server was fully restarted after the file was changed.
If those checks pass, compare the file with the newly generated value. Do not combine fragments from two tokens or manually alter characters. Generate a fresh token and replace the old file if you suspect corruption.
A token appears to have expired
Some older Steam discussions and a dated Klei forum thread report expired-token problems. Those reports may not describe current server behavior, so an expiration complaint alone is not proof that all tokens have a fixed lifetime. First verify the path, filename, formatting and restart sequence. If the server still rejects the value, generate a new token and test it in the same cluster.
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You used a KU_ ID by mistake
A KU_-prefixed identifier is an account ID used in adminlist.txt, with one ID per line. It is not a cluster token and will not authenticate the server. Keep the account ID and token in their separate files.
Protecting and replacing a token
Anyone who obtains the cluster token may be able to impersonate the server. Do not publish it in screenshots, paste it into public chat, commit it to a public repository or include it in support logs. Restrict file permissions to the server account and the administrators who need to maintain it.
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Hosting guides advise deleting a compromised token through the Klei account website and generating a replacement. Because that security workflow is not documented in a current primary Klei policy page here, use the account site’s current controls if they are present; otherwise generate a new token with the in-game command, replace the old file and restart every affected server. Treat the old value as exposed and remove copies from backups or shared panel notes where practical.
Operational notes for multiple clusters
Each cluster directory that a server process starts must have access to a valid token. If you operate more than one cluster, check every numbered directory rather than assuming that a token copied into Cluster_1 is read by another cluster. Keep a private record of which token belongs to which environment, but do not store the actual values in an unsecured shared document.
Before replacing a working token, stop the server and preserve a private backup of the current file. After the replacement, start the server and confirm that players can see it online. If the replacement fails, restore the previous file only if it has not been compromised; otherwise create another fresh token and repeat the path and formatting checks.
Quick Recap
Recommended procedure
- Use the account that should own the server and launch Don’t Starve Together.
- Open the developer console with
~. - Enter
TheNet:GenerateClusterToken(). - Find
cluster_token.txtunder~/.klei/DoNotStarveTogetheron Unix-like systems orDocumentsKleiDoNotStarveTogetheron Windows. - Copy the file into the active server cluster, normally
DoNotStarveTogether/Cluster_1. - Confirm that the file contains only one line: the token itself.
- Restart the dedicated server and verify its online status.
- If the server remains offline, check the active cluster path, filename, text formatting and token validity before trying account-site alternatives.
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