Setting Up a Hidden, Whitelisted Rust Server

To set up a hidden, whitelisted Rust server you first install the dedicated server, create a server.cfg with a secure RCON password, launch it with the -batchmode -nographics flags, then enable the hidden and whitelist flags via the console.

Setting Up the Server

1. Install the Rust Server – Use the official Rust installation guide from Facepunch. The guide covers the download, prerequisites, and starting the server.
2. Create a server.cfg – This file lives in the Rust installation directory and contains global settings such as rcon.password, hostname, and maxplayers.
3. Launch the Server – Start rust_server.exe with the -batchmode -nographics flags so the server runs in the background.
4. Open the Console – Connect to the server using the RCON password or via rust_console.exe.

Configuring Server Settings

After the server starts, set a secure RCON password in server.cfg:

rcon.password "YourStrongPasswordHere"

Use the optional password parameter to require a numerical password before players can access the lobby.

Using the server.hidden Command

Once connected to the console, run:

server.hidden true

This removes the server from the public list. To revert, set the parameter to false.

Using the server.whitelist Command

To add a player by their Steam64 ID:

server.whitelist add <Steam64ID>

Remove a player with:

server.whitelist remove <Steam64ID>

The whitelist is stored in whitelist.txt. You can clear it with server.whitelist clear.

Final Touches

After configuring, reload the server so all changes take effect:

server.reloadcfg

Now your hidden, whitelisted server is ready for private gameplay. Keep the RCON and lobby passwords secure and notify participants of the intended Steam IDs.

Bonus – If you want to compare your server to others, you can browse Rust servers on Rust You.