Change Enshrouded Server Settings: Name and Passwords

To change Enshrouded server settings for the name and passwords, stop the server and edit enshrouded_server.json. The name line sets what players see in the server list. Passwords are not a single line: each entry in userGroups (Admin, Friend, Guest and Visitor by default) has its own password, and the password a player types decides what they can do. Save the file and start the server again.

This guide covers only the name and passwords. Difficulty presets, gameplay values, slots and chat are in our full Enshrouded server settings guide.

Where the name and passwords are

Everything is in enshrouded_server.json, which the dedicated server creates next to its program the first time it runs. The top of the file holds the basics, and further down is the userGroups list. A short version with only the parts this guide touches:

{
  "name": "Embervale Crew",
  "slotCount": 16,
  "userGroups": [
    {
      "name": "Admin",
      "password": "change-me-admin",
      "canKickBan": true,
      "canAccessInventories": true,
      "canEditWorld": true,
      "canEditBase": true,
      "canExtendBase": true,
      "reservedSlots": 0
    },
    {
      "name": "Friend",
      "password": "change-me-friend",
      "canKickBan": false,
      "canAccessInventories": true,
      "canEditWorld": true,
      "canEditBase": true,
      "canExtendBase": false,
      "reservedSlots": 0
    }
  ]
}

The real file has more lines and also Guest and Visitor groups. Change only the values you need and keep everything else as it is.

How passwords work: one per user group

Older guides show a single password line at the top of the file. Current versions of the server use user groups instead. Each group has a name, a password and a set of rights:

In the default file, Admin has every right, Friend can do everything but kick, ban and extend bases, Guest can only edit the world, and Visitor can do none of these. A player who types the Friend password joins as a Friend. That is why each group needs a different password: if Admin and Friend share one, every friend is an admin.

How to change Enshrouded server settings: name and passwords

1. Make a backup in Backups, so you can go back if the file breaks.
2. Stop the server from Console and wait until it is fully off. The server can write its settings back to the file when it shuts down, so edits made while it runs can be lost.
3. Open Files and click enshrouded_server.json to edit it in the browser.
4. Change "name" at the top to your new server name, keeping the quotes.
5. In userGroups, replace each "password" with a new one. Use a different password for every group.
6. If you want only some groups, leave the others with a long random password nobody knows.
7. Save the file and start the server.
8. Check the console for errors, then join with each password to test the rights.

Keep the JSON valid

A JSON file is strict. One missing comma and the server will not read it. The usual mistakes:

Keen also notes that a file from an older server version can be migrated incorrectly. If the server will not start after an update, rename the old file, let the server create a fresh one, and copy your name and passwords into it.

How players join with a password

Players find the server by its name in the in-game server list, or connect with the address and port shown in your panel. When they join, the game asks for a password. The password they type decides their group and rights for that session. If someone gets "wrong password", check for spaces at the start or end of the value in the file and have them copy the password exactly, upper and lower case included.

Common problems

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