The Tool Desk
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The important distinction is that levelurl replaces procedural generation. You do not combine it with the seed and world-size settings used for a normal procedural map, and the download URL must remain available whenever a new player joins.
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What a custom Rust map is
A procedural Rust server creates its world from settings such as level type, seed, and world size. A custom map is different: the world has already been generated and edited, then saved as a complete .map file. RustDedicated retrieves that file from a URL instead of generating terrain from a seed.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchThis arrangement also separates map distribution from your game-server connection. The server and connecting clients fetch the file from the address you provide, so repeated map downloads do not have to consume the Rust server’s own outbound bandwidth. Facepunch described compressed maps as around 20 MB in its 2018 Puzzle Update announcement; that is a historical example, not a promise about the size of current maps.
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What you need before starting
- A Windows or Linux machine capable of running RustDedicated continuously.
- SteamCMD and the Rust dedicated-server application, App ID
258550. - A valid, pre-generated Rust
.mapfile. - A file host that serves the map directly over a URL and remains reachable 24/7.
- A startup script or command that you can edit and restart when the map changes.
A local file path is suitable for private testing, but it cannot make the map available to people connecting from other computers. Public players need an HTTP or HTTPS endpoint that can deliver the file without administrator intervention.
Install or update RustDedicated
Install with SteamCMD
Use SteamCMD to install the dedicated server and to apply updates before publishing the map. The Rust server application is 258550. A typical SteamCMD session is:
steamcmd +login anonymous +force_install_dir ./rust-server +app_update 258550 validate +quitOn an existing installation, run the same update operation whenever Rust has patched. A custom map does not remove the need to keep RustDedicated on a version compatible with the clients joining it.
Start the server normally first
Use the normal RustDedicated launch script for your operating system and confirm that the server starts before adding the custom level. This separates an installation problem from a map-delivery problem. Once the basic server launches, stop it, edit the command, and add +server.levelurl.
The exact executable name and working-directory syntax differ between Windows and Linux. The important parts are -batchmode, the server variables, and a restart after changing them.
Obtain and validate the map file
Use a pre-generated Rust map
The file must be a Rust-compatible, pre-generated .map produced by a map-authoring workflow or obtained from a map creator. A terrain image, save folder, procedural seed, or arbitrary archive is not a replacement for the actual map file.
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Check the host response
Upload the file to a host that can serve it directly. Paste the final URL into a private browser window or another machine. A successful test should begin downloading the file immediately. If the browser opens a page with a download button, login screen, viewer, or redirect that requires a click, it is a landing page rather than a reliable levelurl target.
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Local-file testing
For a private test on the same machine, a file:/// URL can point to a local map. That is useful for checking whether the server recognizes the file, but another player’s computer cannot read a file stored only on your filesystem. Switch to a public direct-download URL before inviting outside players.
Configure +server.levelurl
Minimal Windows example
RustDedicated.exe -batchmode +server.levelurl "https://files.example.com/MyMap_v1.map" +server.maxplayers 50 +server.hostname "My Custom Map"Minimal Linux example
./RustDedicated -batchmode +server.levelurl "https://files.example.com/MyMap_v1.map" +server.maxplayers 50 +server.hostname "My Custom Map"Replace the example domain, filename, player limit, and hostname with your values. Keep quotation marks around a URL or hostname that contains characters your shell could interpret.
Remove procedural world settings
When +server.levelurl is present, remove procedural settings such as +server.seed and +server.worldsize. Those values describe how to generate a procedural world; they do not select or resize a pre-generated custom file. Leaving them in the command makes the configuration harder to diagnose and does not turn the custom map into a seed-based world.
Other ordinary server variables, such as the hostname and player limit, can remain in the command. After editing the script, fully stop and restart RustDedicated so it reads the new level URL.
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What happens when a player joins
- RustDedicated starts with the URL assigned to
+server.levelurl. - The server retrieves the pre-generated map from that address.
- A connecting Rust client that does not already have the map downloads it from the supplied location.
- After the download completes, the client connects to the server and loads the custom world.
The game-server process and the map host therefore have separate availability requirements. Your Rust server can be online while players still fail to join if the file host is down, private, rate-limited, or returning an HTML page.
Choose the right hosting arrangement
| Arrangement | How it works | Suitable use | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public direct-download host | The .map file is available at a stable HTTP or HTTPS URL. |
Public servers and any server accepting new players. | The host must stay online and deliver the file without an interactive page. |
Local file:/// path |
RustDedicated reads a file on the administrator’s machine. | Private, same-machine testing. | Remote players cannot download a file from your local filesystem. |
| Procedural generation | The server creates a world from level, seed, and size settings. | Servers that do not need a designed map file. | It cannot reproduce a hand-authored custom world. |
For a public server, host the file independently of the Rust machine when practical. If the game server is rebooting or being moved, players can still obtain the map from the separate endpoint, and a burst of first-time downloads is less likely to compete with gameplay traffic.
Update a map without stale client files
Do not overwrite a custom map while keeping exactly the same filename and URL when you need every client to receive a revision. Rust clients may reuse an already downloaded map if its name has not changed.
- Export the revised map under a new unique name, such as
MyMap_v2.map. - Upload that file to its new URL.
- Change the startup command from the old address to the new
+server.levelurlvalue. - Stop and restart RustDedicated.
- Test with a client that did not have the new file before opening the server to the public.
Facepunch’s troubleshooting guidance uses a pattern such as MapVersion2.map: changing the map name or URL is the reliable way to trigger a fresh download. Keep older versions available until you are satisfied that the new endpoint works, then remove them if storage or bandwidth policy requires it.
Test the complete player path
Before announcing the server
- Open the final URL in a browser that is not logged into the file host and verify that a download starts immediately.
- Check that the URL remains valid after a restart of the file host or server.
- Launch RustDedicated with the exact command players will use and confirm that the custom level loads without falling back to procedural generation.
- Join from a client that does not already have the map, rather than testing only with an administrator’s cached copy.
- Repeat the test after changing to a versioned map filename.
What a successful test proves
A successful first-time connection confirms three separate pieces: the server command points to the intended file, the host serves the bytes directly, and a fresh client can retrieve and load them. Testing only the first two does not prove that an outside player can join.
Troubleshoot the common failures
Players are sent to a web page instead of downloading a map
The URL is probably a landing page, share page, or protected download route. Replace it with the host’s direct file URL. Test it from a private browser session and from a second network so an administrator login or cached redirect cannot hide the problem.
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New players cannot join, but you can
Your local machine may have the map cached, or the URL may work only for your account. Test with a clean client and verify that the file is publicly readable at all times. A map that exists only on the administrator’s disk cannot serve remote players.
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The server starts, but the map does not change
Confirm that the edited script is the one actually used to launch RustDedicated, then stop and restart the process. Check for a typo in +server.levelurl and remove conflicting procedural settings. If the file itself was replaced under the same name, publish a versioned filename and update the command.
Some players still see the previous layout
That is consistent with client reuse of an unchanged map name. Publish a new unique filename or URL, restart the server, and have affected players connect again so the client has an unambiguous new asset to fetch.
The map downloads but does not behave as expected
Verify that the file is a valid Rust pre-generated map and that the server build is compatible with it. A successful HTTP download does not validate the map’s content. Re-export the map from the authoring tool if the file is incomplete or was built for a different environment.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Map-authoring constraints that affect server operation
Rust.World supports editing terrain, splat data, prefabs, and paths, but not every in-game object behaves like a static decoration. Plan the map around these constraints before exporting it.
- Networked entities such as doors, IO entities, and deployables cannot be rescaled.
- Some construction elements will not spawn while building stability is enabled.
- Deployed decorative objects can decay unless decay is disabled.
These are map-design and server-rule concerns rather than hosting failures. If a door, electrical object, building piece, or decoration is missing or changes after deployment, inspect the map’s authoring settings and server rules before replacing the download host.
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Operational planning for a 24/7 server
Keep the file endpoint independent
The map URL is part of the server’s join path. Treat it like a production dependency: retain the file, monitor that an unauthenticated request receives the map, and avoid hosts that expire links or require a human click. If you move providers, upload the map and verify the new URL before changing the server command.
Account for first-download traffic
Every player without the map must retrieve it. The historical around-20-MB compressed example illustrates why a busy launch or a map reset can create a burst of downloads, even though the map is not sent through the gameplay connection. Choose a host with enough transfer allowance for your expected player turnover and keep the endpoint responsive under simultaneous requests.
Use a server host that matches the workload
A VPS or dedicated game-server machine can provide the continuous uptime needed by a public Rust server. Before committing, verify support for your chosen operating system, RustDedicated, persistent storage, outbound bandwidth, and the restart controls you need. The map host still needs to satisfy the separate direct-download requirements.
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Policy and monetization
Facepunch’s current community-server guidelines permit private, unofficial, and community servers when they comply with the guidelines and applicable law. Read the current policy before adding paid access, kits, storefront features, or other monetized benefits. A custom map does not exempt a server from those rules.
Procedural or custom: which should you use?
| Question | Procedural map | Custom .map |
|---|---|---|
| How is the world selected? | Level, seed, and world-size values generate it. | A pre-generated file is selected with +server.levelurl. |
| What must be distributed? | Clients generate or obtain the world through the normal game process. | The server and clients fetch the map from an external URL. |
| How do you publish a revision? | Change the procedural settings and restart. | Use a new unique map name or URL, update the command, and restart. |
| What is the main operational risk? | Different settings can produce an unintended world. | An unavailable or non-direct download URL prevents new players from joining. |
Choose a custom map when the designed layout is the reason for the server. Choose procedural generation when repeatable seed, size, and level settings are more valuable than a hand-authored world.
Quick Recap
Final launch checklist
- Install or update RustDedicated through SteamCMD App ID
258550. - Confirm that the map is a valid pre-generated Rust
.mapfile. - Upload it to a stable public host that returns the file directly.
- Test the URL from a clean browser session.
- Add
+server.levelurl "https://.../MapName.map"to the startup command. - Remove
+server.seedand+server.worldsizewhen using the custom file. - Restart RustDedicated and connect with a client that does not already have the map.
- For revisions, publish a new filename or URL before restarting.
- Monitor the file endpoint and keep it available whenever the server accepts players.
