RustServer AdminRust RCON Commands: Server Admin & Console Reference
A practical reference for Rust server admins: how WebRCON works, listing players, kicking and banning by Steam64 ID, granting admin with ownerid/moderatorid, server.cfg cvars, time and weather control, and the console-vs-RCON gotchas.
Rust uses a custom WebRCON protocol (WebSocket, not the old Source RCON) for remote administration. This reference covers the vanilla console commands that matter day to day - what works over RCON, the exact syntax, and the traps.
How Rust RCON works
WebRCON is a WebSocket connection to the RCON port (default 28016), separate from the game port (28015). The password is part of the connection. Enable it with launch arguments:
+rcon.port 28016 +rcon.password "YourStrongPassword" +rcon.web 1
rcon.web 1 (WebSocket mode) is required by all modern tools. Leave rcon.password empty and RCON is disabled.
The sv prefix. From the server console or RCON, write commands bare: say "hi", server.save. Only from the in-game F1 console do server-side commands need the sv prefix (sv say "hi"). Player commands like kick/ban route to the server automatically.
Use Steam64 IDs (17 digits, starting 7656...), not names - names can contain spaces, Unicode, or duplicates. Run find <keyword> in any console to discover the exact name of any command or cvar after a game update.
Listing players
| Command | What it returns |
|---|---|
status | Steam64, name, ping, connected time, IP for every player. |
players | Shorter list: Steam64, name, ping. |
playerlist | Connected players as JSON (handy for scripts). |
sleepingusers | Offline players still present in the world. |
Moderation
| Command | Syntax | Notes |
|---|---|---|
kick | kick <steamid|name> [reason] | Kicks; player can reconnect. |
ban | ban <steamid|name> [reason] | Bans an online player and broadcasts it to chat. |
banid | banid <steamid> <name> <reason> | Bans by Steam64 ID, works offline, silent (no broadcast). |
unban | unban <steamid> | Removes a ban. |
bans | bans |
ban 76561198012345678 "Cheating"
banid 76561198012345678 "PlayerName" "Hacking" # offline, silent
unban 76561198012345678
After any ban or admin change, run server.writecfg to persist it to disk. Otherwise the change is in-memory only and lost on restart.
Timed bans (a duration argument like 7d) are inconsistently implemented in vanilla - treat permanent bans as the reliable path and use a plugin if you need reliable timed bans.
Granting admin
Auth levels: 0 player, 1 moderator, 2 owner.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
ownerid <steamid> [name] [reason] | Grant full admin (level 2). |
moderatorid <steamid> [name] [reason] | Grant moderator (level 1). |
removeowner <steamid> | Revoke owner. |
removemoderator <steamid> | Revoke moderator. |
Follow with server.writecfg to save to users.cfg.
Server configuration cvars
Set these in server.cfg or as +cvar value launch arguments.
| Cvar | Description |
|---|---|
server.hostname | Server name in the browser. |
server.description | Description shown in the info panel (\n for line breaks). |
server.headerimage | URL to a 512x256 header image. |
server.url | Clickable link in the server info panel. |
server.maxplayers | Maximum players. |
server.seed | Map seed (same seed + worldsize = same map). |
server.worldsize | Map size in metres (1000-6000). |
server.pve |
Time, weather, and world
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
env.time <0-24> | Set server-wide time of day (12 = noon). |
env.progresstime <true|false> | false freezes time. |
weather.load <preset> | Load weather: clear, fog, overcast, rainmild, rainheavy, storm. |
admintime <0-24> | Change time for you only; admintime -1 resets to server time. |
Note: there is no vanilla gather.rate cvar - "2x gather" servers run the GatherManager plugin. Plugin commands (Oxide/Carbon) are not part of vanilla and won't exist on an unmodded server.
Save, restart, broadcast
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
server.save | Force an immediate world save. |
server.writecfg | Write cvars, bans, and admins to disk. |
server.readcfg | Re-read server.cfg live. |
say <message> | Broadcast a message to all players. |
quit | Save and shut down. |
Quick reference
status # who is online
ban 76561198012345678 "Cheating" # ban + broadcast
banid 76561198012345678 "Name" "reason" # offline silent ban
server.writecfg # persist bans/admins
ownerid 76561198012345678 # grant admin
say "Restarting in 5 minutes"
server.save && quit # clean shutdown
Running these in MantaScope
MantaScope's web RCON speaks WebRCON natively, so you can run every command above from the browser - with live player lists, one-click bans that persist, scheduled restarts, and chat keyword alerts built in.
