Rust Server Not Showing in the Server List: 7 Fixes

A Rust server that does not show in the server list usually has a closed or blocked query port. The query port is UDP, it has to be open and different from the game port, and the server browser uses it to find you. Check that first, then your tags, firewall and server version. Join by IP to prove the server itself works.

First, check that the server works

Before you change settings, confirm that players can join by IP. Start Rust, press F1 and type:

connect SERVER-IP:28015

Use your own address and game port. If this works, the server is fine and the problem is only the listing. If it does not, the problem is your ports or the server itself. How to make a Rust server shows how to start one and what the console should say. Look for Server startup complete.

How the Rust server list finds your server

Joining and listing use different ports. When a player connects, the game uses the game port. When the server browser builds its list, it asks each server for its details on the query port. If the query port does not answer, the browser has nothing to show, and the server stays out of the list even though players can still join by IP.

Facepunch says the query port behaviour changed in the update of February 2, 2023, when it moved to multi-threaded networking. An older guide that describes different query port rules may be out of date, so check the wiki page for the current ones.

Fix 1: open the query port

Facepunch's Creating a server guide says the query port "is needed for your server to appear in the game's server browser list". Its rules:

• The query port is UDP.
• It must be open and reachable, along with the game port.
• It cannot be the same as the game port.
• If you do not set server.queryport, it defaults to one more than the game port or the RCON port, whichever is greater.

With the usual 28015 game port and 28016 RCON port, the query port ends up as 28017. Open it in your router and firewall as UDP, not "both". On a hosted server, ports come from the panel. If your panel has a Network page, it lists the ports assigned to your server.

Fix 2: do not block the query port on purpose

Facepunch's hidden server guide says that blocking the Steam query port is how you keep a server out of the lists. If you followed a guide to hide your server, or a firewall rule blocks UDP on that port, the listing disappears while direct connections keep working. Remove the rule, or open the port, and restart.

Fix 3: pick tags properly

Tags are set with server.tags. Facepunch's server browser tags page warns that putting several tags from the same group on one server "will not work properly with search and cause your server to not show up for specific tag queries."

So do not mix weekly and monthly, or vanilla and hardcore. Use one tag per group, and remember the browser shows only four. Rust server.cfg settings lists every tag value.

server.tags weekly,vanilla,NA

Fix 4: update the server to the current build

Facepunch ships an update on the first Thursday of every month. A server that missed it runs an old build, and players on the new build cannot join it. Update with SteamCMD, and update your plugin framework as well. See how to install Oxide or Carbon on a Rust server for what to do after an update.

Fix 5: check the hostname and the start options

A typo can break more than you expect. Check the start command or server.cfg for:

• Quotes around names with spaces, such as +server.hostname "My Rust Server".
• Ports that clash. Two servers on one machine cannot share a port, and the query port cannot equal the game port.
• A hostname that makes no sense in a search. Players search by name. A short, clear name is easier to find than a long string of symbols.

Fix 6: check the region and filters

The server list has filters. A player who filters by region, tag or wipe schedule will not see a server that does not match. Facepunch's wiki says MaxMind data sets your server's country, and it gives steps to correct a wrong one. If your region tag and the listed country disagree, check that page.

Ask a friend to search for your exact server name with all filters turned off. If they find it that way, the server is listed and the filter is the cause.

Fix 7: restart and test again

After you change ports, tags or the firewall, restart the server. Then:

1. Wait for Server startup complete in the console.
2. Search by exact name with no filters.
3. Test from a different network, such as a phone on mobile data.

Testing from the same network as the server can hide port problems. A server that appears for you at home may still be closed to the world.

When it is still missing

If you have worked through the seven fixes, gather these and ask us in live chat or a ticket:

1. The exact server name you search for.
2. The tags you set.
3. Whether direct connect with connect IP:port works.
4. The time you last restarted the server.

Our support team answers 24/7 and can check the console with you. See Rust server hosting for what comes with each server.

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