How to Set a Password on a Game Server (Every Game, 2026)
The join password setting for 16 popular games, the character rules that stop servers starting, how to remove one, and when a whitelist is the better lock.
Updated Oct 3, 2026 · 6 min read
On this page
- What a join password does and does not do
- Where is the password setting in each game?
- Step 1: Back up the config file
- Step 2: Stop the server
- Step 3: Set the password
- Step 4: Restart and test
- The gotcha: some passwords stop the server or never take
- Password or whitelist?
- Common problems
- Passwords on GamezServers
- FAQ
To set a password on a game server, put it in the game's join password setting (ServerPassword in Palworld and ARK, Password= in Project Zomboid's ini, password in DayZ's serverDZ.cfg, sv_password in Counter-Strike 2, -password in Valheim), restart, and share it with your group. Stick to letters and numbers, since symbols can break launch lines. Minecraft and Rust have no join password at all, so use a whitelist there. A whitelist is also the stronger lock anywhere, because a password works for whoever has it.
What a join password does and does not do
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Does it affect the world or saves? | No. It only checks players when they join |
| Does it apply straight away? | After a restart in almost every game |
| Does it kick players already online? | Usually not until they reconnect, a restart sorts it |
| Does it stop someone who has it? | No. Anyone with the password gets in |
| Is it the admin password? | No. Keep the admin or RCON password separate and never share it |
Where is the password setting in each game?
| Game | Join password | Rules worth knowing | Stronger option |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minecraft: Java Edition | None | white-list=true, then /whitelist add <name> |
|
| Minecraft: Bedrock Edition | None | allow-list=true, then allowlist add <name> |
|
| Valheim | -password |
At least 5 characters, not part of the server name | permittedlist.txt with platform IDs |
| Palworld | ServerPassword |
Plain letters and numbers are safest | None built in |
| Project Zomboid | Password= in <name>.ini |
Open=false, then create accounts |
|
| Rust | None | A whitelist plugin | |
| ARK: Survival Ascended | ServerPassword |
No ? or spaces, it sits in the ? option line |
-exclusivejoin plus the allowed list |
| 7 Days to Die | ServerPassword in serverconfig.xml |
Whitelist in serveradmin.xml |
|
| Terraria | password= in serverconfig.txt |
TShock groups | |
| Enshrouded | A password per user group in enshrouded_server.json |
Each group's password sets its rights | Separate admin and friend passwords |
| Satisfactory | Client password, set in the in game Server Manager | Stored on the server | None |
| DayZ | password in serverDZ.cfg |
Line ends with ; |
enableWhitelist = 1; |
| Counter-Strike 2 | sv_password |
Plugins | |
| Factorio | game_password in server-settings.json |
/whitelist add <name> |
|
| Conan Exiles | ServerPassword in ServerSettings.ini |
EnableWhitelist |
|
| Sons of the Forest | Password in dedicatedserver.cfg |
Up to 40 characters | None |
Game by game whitelist steps are in how to make a game server private.
Step 1: Back up the config file
Copy the file before you change it, or press Backup on GamezServers. Passwords live in JSON, XML and cfg files where one stray quote or missing semicolon stops the server.
Step 2: Stop the server
Stop it before editing. Several games read their config only at start, and some write settings back to disk on shutdown, which undoes edits made while running.
Step 3: Set the password
Change only the value:
# DayZ serverDZ.cfg
password = "longsharedpassword";
# Project Zomboid servertest.ini
Password=longsharedpassword
# Counter-Strike 2 server.cfg
sv_password "longsharedpassword"
# Valheim start line
-password "longsharedpassword"
To remove a password later, set the value to empty (password = "";, Password=, sv_password "") and restart.
Step 4: Restart and test
Start the server and join once yourself to confirm the prompt appears and the password works. Then send it to your group in a private message, not in a public channel next to the server address.
The gotcha: some passwords stop the server or never take
Symbols on a launch line. Many games take the password as a launch option, and some pack options into one string. ARK's start line is a chain like TheIsland_WP?listen?SessionName="Crew"?ServerPassword=..., where ? separates options, so a password with ?, spaces or quotes splits the line and the server misreads everything after it. That is why our panel only accepts letters, numbers, dashes and underscores for ARK and Palworld passwords. A long password of plain words is as strong and never breaks.
Valheim's two rules. The server refuses to start if the password is shorter than 5 characters or appears inside the server name. Rename the server to include your password and it stops at launch with no obvious reason in the panel.
Satisfactory remembers the in game password. The client password is stored on the server, not in a config file. If you set one in the Server Manager, clearing a host's password field does not remove it. Remove it in the Server Manager too.
The panel wins. When a host sets the password from its panel, editing the file only lasts until the next restart. On GamezServers the Join password setting writes or passes it on every start.
Password or whitelist?
| Password | Whitelist | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | One setting | Add each player |
| A friend shares it | Their friends get in | Nobody else gets in |
| Removing one person | Change it and tell everyone else | Remove one name |
| Games that have it | Most, not Minecraft or Rust | Minecraft, ARK, Project Zomboid, Factorio, DayZ, 7 Days to Die and more |
A password suits a small, stable group. A whitelist suits anything bigger, or any server where you have ever had to change the password because someone left on bad terms. You can use both.
Common problems
- Server will not start after setting a password: a symbol broke the launch line or config, or in Valheim it is under 5 characters or part of the name.
- No password prompt when joining: the server was not restarted, or the panel overwrote the file. Set it in the panel.
- Password still asked for after removing it: in Satisfactory, remove it in the Server Manager. Elsewhere, check that the value is truly empty and restart.
- Correct password rejected: check for a trailing space, and that you shared the join password, not the admin one.
- Strangers still joining: someone shared it. Change it, or switch to a whitelist.
Passwords on GamezServers
On a GamezServers server, the join password is a field in Settings (often offered at checkout too), and it is applied on every start, so there is no file to edit. Games with a whitelist have a Whitelist only switch and a button to add players, and the admin password is generated separately. Every server also gets a private invite link with the address and join steps, which is safer to share than posting the address and password together.
FAQ
How do I put a password on my game server?
Set the game's join password setting, such as ServerPassword or Password=, then restart. On a hosted server it is usually a field in the control panel.
How do I remove a server password?
Set the password value to empty and restart. In Satisfactory, also clear it in the in game Server Manager, since it is stored on the server.
Can I password protect a Minecraft server?
No. Minecraft has no join password. Turn on the whitelist (white-list=true on Java, allow-list=true on Bedrock) and add each player.
Why does my Valheim server not start with a password?
The password must be at least 5 characters and must not be part of the server name. Change one of them and restart.
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