Squad: Server Setup, Admins and Licensing

Where the configuration lives

Everything sits in SquadGame/ServerConfig/. The files you will actually touch:

File	What it controls
Server.cfg	Name, player count, rotation mode, team changes
Admins.cfg	Groups and admins
Bans.cfg	Bans - normally written by the server itself
LayerRotation.cfg	Rotation at layer level
LevelRotation.cfg	Rotation at map level
Rcon.cfg	RCON access
License.cfg	Your server license from Offworld Industries
ServerMessages.cfg	Messages rotating in chat
Motd.cfg	Message of the day
ExcludedLayers.cfg	Layers you do not want to run

There is no MapRotation.cfg in Squad, even though some control panels call it that. The files are LayerRotation.cfg and LevelRotation.cfg.

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Server.cfg

ServerName="My server name"
ShouldAdvertise=true
IsLANMatch=false
MaxPlayers=100
NumReservedSlots=0
PublicQueueLimit=25
MapRotationMode=LayerList
RandomizeAtStart=true
AllowTeamChanges=true
PreventTeamChangeIfUnbalanced=true
NumPlayersDiffForTeamChanges=3
ServerMessageInterval=300
TKAutoKickEnabled=true
AutoTKBanNumberTKs=7
AutoTKBanTime=300
AllowCommunityAdminAccess=true

Key	Default	Meaning
ServerName	-	The name in the server browser
ShouldAdvertise	true	Whether the server is advertised. false hides it
IsLANMatch	false	LAN mode
MaxPlayers	100	Number of slots
NumReservedSlots	0	Slots reserved for the group holding the reserve permission
PublicQueueLimit	25	Queue length. 0 = no queue, -1 = unlimited
MapRotationMode	LayerList	LevelList, LayerList, LevelList_Randomized or LayerList_Randomized
RandomizeAtStart	true	Pick a random starting point in the rotation
PreventTeamChangeIfUnbalanced	true	Block team changes that unbalance the teams
ServerMessageInterval	300	Seconds between messages from ServerMessages.cfg
TKAutoKickEnabled	true	Automatic kick for teamkills

MapRotationMode decides which file the server reads. Set to LayerList, LevelRotation.cfg is ignored - and vice versa. It is the most common cause of "my rotation is not working".

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Admins.cfg

The syntax is two kinds of line: first you define a group with permissions, then you add people to it.

Group=Admin:changemap,pause,cheat,private,balance,chat,kick,ban,config,cameraman,immune,manageserver,teamchange,forceteamchange,reserve,canseeadminchat
Group=Moderator:kick,ban,chat,cameraman,canseeadminchat

Admin=76561198000000000:Admin
Admin=76561198000000001:Moderator

Admin=<SteamID64>:<GroupName> - the 17-digit Steam ID, a colon, and the name of a group you defined above.

The permissions:

Flag	What it grants
changemap	Change map and layer
pause	Pause the game
cheat	Server cheat commands
private	Password-protect the server
balance	Ignore team balance
chat	Admin chat and broadcasts
kick	Kick players
ban	Ban players
config	Change the server configuration
cameraman	Admin spectator
immune	Cannot be kicked or banned
manageserver	Shut down the server
reserve	Uses a reserved slot
demos	Record demos server-side
clientdemos	Record demos client-side
teamchange	No time limits on team changes
forceteamchange	Can force others to change team
canseeadminchat	Can see admin chat and teamkill notifications
debug	Access to admin stats and debugging

A typo in a single flag can make the whole group fail. Check the spelling if a group suddenly has no permissions at all.

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Licensing: why your server is in the wrong tab

Squad has a licensing system run by Offworld Industries. It is not about payment - it is curation.

• Licensed servers appear in the server browser's primary tab.
• Unlicensed servers land in the Custom tab, alongside modded servers.

That is the key difference, and it is often the explanation for "my server is missing" - it is there, just in the other tab.

How to get a license:

1. Apply through the Offworld Industries licensing portal at license.offworldindustries.com.
2. If granted, you receive an ID and a key.
3. Stop the server and paste the entire code exactly as you received it - both the ID and the key - into License.cfg.
4. Start the server.

The policy sets real requirements for your community: a minimum number of active admins per license, coverage during peak hours, a system for handling ban appeals, and hardware that keeps the server above the stated TPS thresholds. A license can be revoked for admin abuse, too few admins or persistently poor performance.

The requirements change from time to time. Read the current policy on joinsquad.com before applying.

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Ports

Purpose	Port	Protocol
Game	7787 (and 7788)	UDP
Query	27165 (and 27166)	UDP/TCP
Beacon	15000	UDP/TCP
RCON	21114	TCP

The beacon port is almost always forgotten. If you run several Squad servers on one machine, each instance needs its own beacon port (15000, 15001 and so on), otherwise only the first one starts properly.

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Layer and map rotation

LevelRotation.cfg is used with MapRotationMode=LevelList. One map name per line:

AlBasrah
Gorodok
Narva
Yehorivka

LayerRotation.cfg is used with MapRotationMode=LayerList. One layer ID per line in the form Map_GameMode_vVersion:

Belaya_AAS_v1
AlBasrah_AAS_v1
Narva_Invasion_v2 USA RGF

You can append factions after the layer name. Two rules: the same faction cannot be on both teams, and two factions from the same alliance cannot meet.

Comments must not sit on the same line as a layer. Put them on their own line. A comment at the end of a layer line breaks that line.

Always use layer and map IDs, never the display names from the game.

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RCON

Rcon.cfg contains:

IP=0.0.0.0
Port=21114
Password=Password1
MaxConnections=5
ConnectionTimeout=300

Change Password1 immediately. Squad uses Source RCON, so standard tools such as BattleMetrics and SquadJS work. Do not leave the RCON port open to the internet - restrict it to the IPs that need it.

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Mods

Squad supports Steam Workshop mods on servers.

• Mods go in SquadGame/Plugins/Mods/ - note that it is inside Plugins, not a standalone folder in the root.
• Download them with SteamCMD via +workshop_download_item 393380 <mod ID> and copy them in. The server must not be running while you do.
• Players do not download mods automatically. On joining they get the message The following mods are missing or out of sync and a DOWNLOAD ALL button. They can also subscribe on the workshop in advance.
• Modded servers get a wrench icon in the browser, where players can see which mods are running.

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Troubleshooting

Symptom	Likely cause	Fix
The server is not in the server browser	It is unlicensed and sits in the Custom tab	Switch tab, or apply for a license
Still not there	ShouldAdvertise=false or IsLANMatch=true	Fix both
Still not there (2)	Game or query port not open	Open 7787 and 27165
A second instance will not start	The beacon port is in use	Give each instance its own beacon port
The rotation does not follow my file	MapRotationMode points at the other file	Set it to LayerList or LevelList
One layer is skipped	Wrong layer ID, or a comment on the same line	Fix the ID, move the comment down
A layer is rejected	An illegal faction combination, or the layer is excluded	Check factions and ExcludedLayers.cfg
My admins do not work	Wrong SteamID, group name spelled differently in the two places, or an invalid flag	Check all three
The server crashes after a game update	Mods have not been updated yet	Remove the mods temporarily
Players are bounced from a modded server	They are missing the mods	Ask them to use DOWNLOAD ALL
The license does not take effect	Only the key was pasted, not the ID	Paste the whole code as received and restart

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Good advice

• Set up the license as early as you can. Without it, most players never see your server.
• Give immune to your own admins so they cannot kick each other.
• Keep ExcludedLayers.cfg up to date instead of deleting lines from the rotation - then you can put them back easily.
• Use ServerMessages.cfg for your rules and Discord link. It is the cheapest moderation there is.
• Test a new rotation with RandomizeAtStart=false so you can watch it run in order.

Unsure about a layer ID or a faction combination? Send us your LayerRotation.cfg in a ticket.