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How to Set the Name and Description of an ETS2 or ATS Server

Change an ETS2 or ATS server's displayed name and description by editing lobby_name and description in server_config.sii, keeping each value within 63 characters and restarting the server.
Length9 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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The displayed name and session description for an Euro Truck Simulator 2 (ETS2) or American Truck Simulator (ATS) dedicated server are controlled by two entries in server_config.sii: lobby_name and description. Edit those quoted values, keep each at 63 characters or fewer, save the file, and restart the dedicated server. On a managed host, stop the server first and use the provider’s configuration editor before starting it again.

Which file controls the server name and description?

SCS Software’s dedicated-server documentation identifies server_config.sii as the configuration file created in the server home directory on the first launch. It stores the session configuration, connection ports, logon token and moderators, in addition to the public session text. The exact keys for the two values players see are:

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Key What players see Documented limit
lobby_name The session or convoy server name 63 characters maximum
description The session description shown with the session 63 characters maximum

The file uses SII syntax. Keep the key names, colon separators and quotation marks intact; change only the text between the quotes unless you are deliberately changing another server setting. SCS’s documentation states: “First launch will create server home folder and default server_config.sii.” If the server has already been started, the file should normally already exist in that home directory.

What you need before editing

  • Access to the server files or control panel. A self-hosted installation requires filesystem access and permission to stop and start the dedicated-server process. A managed installation requires an account with configuration access.
  • The correct server instance. A machine running several ETS2 or ATS instances can have a separate configuration file for each instance. Editing one file does not rename a different process.
  • A stopped server. Stop the process before saving changes. This prevents the running process or a panel from writing the old values back over your edit.
  • A plain-text editor. Use an editor that does not add rich-text formatting, smart quotes or a hidden file extension.
  • A backup. Copy the original server_config.sii before changing it. The file also contains operational settings such as ports and the logon token, so a backup gives you a quick recovery path.

ETS2 and ATS use the same configuration structure for these fields. Their dedicated-server tools have different Steam App IDs: ETS2 uses 1948160 and ATS uses 2239530, as listed in SCS Software’s documentation. The IDs matter when installing or updating the dedicated-server tools; they do not change the names of the configuration keys.

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Change the values on a self-hosted server

Use this procedure when you administer the machine directly, whether the server runs on a home computer, rented root server or another system where you can access the installation files.

  1. Stop the dedicated-server process. Shut it down through the service manager, launch script or terminal command you normally use. Wait until the process has exited before editing.
  2. Identify the server home directory. SCS says the home directory is normally the game-user path unless you changed it with the -homedir launch option. Look in that directory for server_config.sii. Do not assume the folder containing the executable is the same as the home directory.
  3. Make a backup. Copy the file to a clearly named backup such as server_config.sii.backup. Keep the copy outside any automated process that might overwrite it.
  4. Open the file as plain text. A normal text editor is sufficient. Preserve the outer SiiNunit structure and the server_config : Server { ... } block.
  5. Edit lobby_name. Replace only the text inside its quotation marks. This is the public session name.
  6. Edit description. Replace only the text inside its quotation marks. This is the short description displayed with the session.
  7. Check the length. Count spaces and punctuation as part of the visible text and keep each value at 63 characters or fewer. If a value is longer, shorten it before saving rather than relying on the game to truncate it.
  8. Save without changing the format. Keep the quotation marks, colons and braces. Do not save as a word-processing document or add a second extension such as .txt.
  9. Start the server again. The new text is applied when the dedicated server is restarted. Reconnect to the session browser after startup and check the displayed values.

Example of a valid configuration block

SiiNunit
{
  server_config : Server {
    lobby_name: "Pacific Northwest Convoy"
    description: "Casual trucking, voice chat welcome"
    welcome_message: "Drive safe!"
  }
}

The example changes only the two relevant fields; the welcome_message line illustrates that other settings can remain in the same block. Do not delete unrelated lines simply to change the name.

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Using a non-default configuration file

If the instance does not use the default filename, pass the desired file when launching the server with -server_cfg. For example:

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-server_cfg "weekend_convoy.sii"

The filename is resolved according to the server’s normal working and home-directory setup. Make sure you edit the file named in the launch command, not a similarly named file left over from another instance. If you change the launch script later, verify that it still points to the configuration containing your new values.

Change the values through a managed hosting panel

Hosting providers present the same SII settings through a browser interface. Labels vary, but the safe order is consistent: stop, edit, save, start. A Host Havoc support guide updated June 10, 2026, describes the following path for an ATS server and notes that the same structure applies to ETS2.

  1. Sign in to the game control panel. Open the service for the specific ATS or ETS2 instance you want to rename.
  2. Stop the server. Wait for the panel to report that the process is offline. Editing while it is running can be lost when the service writes its current configuration.
  3. Open Configuration Files. Some panels show a file list; others open an editor directly.
  4. Select Config Editor or the equivalent SII editor. Locate the fields corresponding to lobby_name and description. If the panel offers a raw-file view, confirm that the underlying entries use those exact key names.
  5. Enter the new text. Keep both values within 63 characters. Avoid removing quotation marks when the editor displays raw SII syntax.
  6. Save the configuration. Wait for a success message or timestamp change before leaving the page.
  7. Start the server. Allow the service to finish its startup cycle, then look for the session in the in-game browser and verify the name and description.

If a provider regenerates configuration files from a template, make the change in that provider’s editor rather than uploading an unrelated local copy. The panel’s save operation is the authoritative edit for that service.

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How to write names and descriptions that fit

The 63-character limit applies independently to lobby_name and description. A name can therefore be short while the description uses most of its allowance. Spaces, punctuation and capitalization all consume visible characters, so draft the text first and count it before saving.

Use the name for identity

Put the information a player needs to recognize the session in lobby_name: a group name, region, route or event label. Keep the most important words at the beginning because long names are harder to scan in a server list.

Use the description for operating rules

Use description for concise expectations such as a casual convoy, a route theme or a voice-chat note. It is not a substitute for a long rules page; the field is deliberately short. If you need more detail, place it in your community’s normal information channel and keep the in-game description readable.

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Check characters before you paste

Text copied from a web page can contain curly quotation marks, non-breaking spaces or invisible line breaks. Type or paste plain text, then inspect the saved file. The quotation marks that delimit an SII value must remain the regular characters shown in the example. If you are unsure whether a symbol is safe, replace it with a simple letter, number, space or standard punctuation mark.

Verify that the change reached the live session

  1. Confirm that the server completed its restart rather than remaining stopped or in a failed-start state.
  2. Open the ETS2 or ATS session browser and search for the exact new name.
  3. Open the session details and check the description separately; a correct name does not prove that the description was saved.
  4. If another administrator manages the server, ask them to verify the live listing from a separate client. This distinguishes a stale local display from a server-side configuration issue.

Do not judge the result from an editor tab that still contains unsaved text. The authoritative check is the listing produced by the newly started dedicated-server process.

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Running more than one ETS2 or ATS instance

A single default configuration is simplest. Multiple instances require deliberate separation so that each process reads the intended name and description. The SCS forum’s multi-instance example starts the executable with -nosingle -server_cfg "server_config.sii"; the important principle is that every process is launched with its own configuration details.

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Give each instance its own file

Create a clearly named file for every session, such as convoy_east.sii and convoy_west.sii, then point each launch command to the matching file with -server_cfg. Edit the corresponding lobby_name and description entries in each file.

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Avoid conflicting operational settings

Separate instances also need non-conflicting connection ports and the appropriate logon-token arrangement. Those settings live in the same configuration area as the public text. Changing a name does not require changing ports or tokens, but copying one complete file to create another instance can accidentally duplicate them. Review the instance-specific settings before starting both processes.

Identify the process before editing

When several services are online, record the launch command, home directory and configuration filename for each one. If a renamed session does not appear, compare the running process’s -server_cfg argument with the file you edited. This is the most common way to discover that the wrong instance was changed.

Troubleshooting a name or description that did not change

Symptom Likely cause What to do
The old name is still listed. The server was not restarted, or the edit was made in a file the process does not use. Stop and start the server, then verify its home directory and any -server_cfg argument.
The name changed but the description did not. Only lobby_name was edited, or the description was saved in another file. Check the description line in the active configuration and save both values before restarting.
The server fails to start after editing. A quote, brace or other SII syntax element was removed or altered. Restore the backup, start the server to confirm recovery, then reapply only the text inside the two quoted values.
The panel shows the old values after saving. The service was still running, the save did not complete, or the panel regenerated the file. Stop the service, reopen the provider’s Configuration Files or Config Editor, save again, wait for confirmation, and start it.
The new text is cut off or rejected. One value exceeds the documented 63-character limit. Shorten the value, counting spaces and punctuation, save it and restart.
One of several sessions has the wrong name. Two launch commands point to the same configuration file, or the wrong file was edited. Map each process to its -server_cfg filename and assign a distinct file and instance-specific settings.
Players cannot find the session immediately after a restart. The process may still be starting, or the search is using the previous name. Wait for the startup cycle to finish, search for the exact new lobby_name, and verify the session details.

Safe editing practices

  • Change one thing at a time. If you are troubleshooting, edit the two display fields separately from ports, moderators or token settings so the cause of a failure is clear.
  • Keep a known-good copy. Retain the backup until players have connected successfully with the new listing.
  • Use consistent filenames. Names that identify the route or event reduce the risk of editing a similarly named file on a multi-instance host.
  • Protect the configuration file. Because it contains a logon token and other server controls, share it only with administrators who need access. Distribute the public name and description, not the entire file.
  • Document the launch command. Record whether the server uses the default configuration, -homedir, -server_cfg or the multi-instance -nosingle option. This makes future edits reproducible.

Quick checklist

  1. Stop the correct ETS2 or ATS dedicated-server instance.
  2. Open the active server_config.sii in its server home directory.
  3. Set lobby_name and description to quoted values of 63 characters or fewer.
  4. Save plain-text SII syntax without removing braces or quotation marks.
  5. Restart the server, then verify both fields in the live session listing.
  6. For multiple instances, confirm each process uses the intended file through -server_cfg.

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