How to Install Rust Plugins (Oxide and Carbon, 2026)

To install Rust plugins, your server needs a plugin framework, either Oxide (uMod) or Carbon. Once one is installed, you drop .cs plugin files into its plugins folder and they compile and load on their own, with no restart needed. Players never download anything, because Rust plugins run only on the server. This guide covers installing each framework, adding plugins, changing their settings and giving players permissions.

Oxide or Carbon?

	Oxide (uMod)	Carbon
Plugin library	The largest, at umod.org	Runs most Oxide plugins, plus its own
Plugins folder	`oxide/plugins`	`carbon/plugins`
Configs folder	`oxide/config`	`carbon/configs`
Console prefix	`oxide.` (short form `o.`)	`c.`
Focus	The long running standard	Performance and extra admin tools

Either is fine for a friend server. Oxide is the safe default because almost every guide and plugin page assumes it. Pick one and never install both on the same server.

Step 1: Install the framework

Oxide

Stop the server.
Download the Rust build of Oxide from umod.org: the Windows zip for a Windows server, the Linux zip for a Linux server.
Extract it into the server's root folder (the one with RustDedicated), and allow it to replace files.
Start the server. The console lists Oxide loading, and an oxide folder appears.

Carbon

Stop the server.
Download the Carbon release for your system from carbonmod.gg (or its GitHub releases).
Extract it into the server's root folder.
On Linux, Carbon's instructions include a line to add to your start script that loads its environment before RustDedicated starts. Follow them for your version.
Start the server. A carbon folder appears.

On a GamezServers Rust server the server is Oxide ready, so you skip straight to adding plugins with the browser file manager.

Step 2: Add plugins

Find a plugin on umod.org (or the Carbon plugin sites) and download its .cs file.
Upload it to oxide/plugins (or carbon/plugins). On a hosted server, use the Files tab, or SFTP to upload a big batch at once.
Watch the console. You should see a line saying the plugin was loaded.

Plugins that are good first picks for a group of friends:

Gather Manager: changes gather rates, for example 2x or 3x.
Stack Size Controller: bigger item stacks, fewer trips to the box.
NTeleportation: homes and teleport requests between friends.
Kits: starter kits after each respawn.
Remover Tool: remove your own building pieces.
Better Chat: chat titles and colors.

Check that a plugin was updated recently before installing it. Old plugins often break after Rust updates.

Step 3: Change plugin settings

After a plugin loads the first time, it writes a config file:

Oxide: oxide/config/PluginName.json
Carbon: carbon/configs/PluginName.json

Edit the JSON, save it, and reload the plugin:

oxide.reload GatherManager

On Carbon use c.reload GatherManager. To reload everything, use oxide.reload * or c.reload *, or press the Reload plugins button in the GamezServers panel.

JSON is strict. A missing comma or quote makes the plugin fail to load and can reset the file to defaults. Take a backup of the config before big edits, and paste it into a JSON validator if a reload errors.

Step 4: Give permissions

Most plugins do nothing for players until you grant a permission. The plugin page lists them, for example nteleportation.home. Both frameworks create two groups automatically: default (every player) and admin.

Give a permission to every player:

oxide.grant group default nteleportation.home

Give it to one player, by SteamID64 or name:

oxide.grant user 76561198000000000 kits.admin

Add a player to the admin group:

oxide.usergroup add 76561198000000000 admin

On Carbon, the same commands work with c. in place of oxide., for example c.grant group default nteleportation.home. Remove a permission with oxide.revoke. Plugin permissions are separate from Rust's own admin, which comes from ownerid, see how to make yourself admin on a Rust server.

Useful commands

Oxide	Carbon	What it does
`oxide.plugins`	`c.plugins`	Lists loaded plugins
`oxide.load Name`	`c.load Name`	Loads a plugin
`oxide.unload Name`	`c.unload Name`	Unloads a plugin
`oxide.reload Name`	`c.reload Name`	Reloads after a config change
`oxide.show user Name`	`c.show user Name`	Shows a player's groups and permissions

After every Rust update

Rust updates on the first Thursday of the month replace the game files, which removes the framework hooks. Plugins stop loading until you install the latest Oxide or Carbon build again, the same way as Step 1. Your plugins, config and data folders are kept. After that, check the console for plugins that fail to compile, and update them from their pages.

This monthly reinstall is one of the chores that makes people move to a hosted Rust server, where you manage everything from the browser instead of a remote desktop.

Common problems

"Error while compiling": the plugin is outdated, or it needs another plugin it depends on. The plugin page lists dependencies.
Plugin loads but does nothing: you have not granted its permissions.
Server moved to the Modded tab: expected. Rust lists every server with a framework under Modded.
Plugins stopped after an update: reinstall the framework.
Config changes do nothing: you edited the file but did not reload the plugin.

FAQ

Do players need to install Rust plugins?

No. Oxide and Carbon plugins run only on the server. Players join normally.

Can I use Oxide plugins on Carbon?

Most of them, yes. Carbon is built to load Oxide plugins. Check the plugin page if one misbehaves.

Do I need to restart after adding a plugin?

No. Plugins compile and load as soon as the file lands in the plugins folder. Use reload after changing a config.

Why is my server in the Modded tab now?

Any server running Oxide or Carbon is listed under Modded, so players know it is not vanilla. Players can still find it by name.