Articles on: Garry's Mod

How to Customize Your GMod Server Settings

When you’re setting up a Garry’s Mod server, the server.cfg file is where a lot of the important settings live. Things like the server name, max players, gravity, and even whether you want to require a password to join – they’re all controlled here.

Here's everything you need to know to start customizing your server’s gameplay using server.cfg.

Key Settings to Know in server.cfg

Before we go any further, we want to provide a quick introduction to the different server settings and what they control:

hostname: This is what shows up as your server name in the server browser.
sv_password: Add a password to keep your server private. Leave it blank if you want anyone to join.
sv_loadingurl: This lets you set a custom web page that players will see while joining your server.
sv_downloadurl: This is used to set up FastDL, a web server that hosts your custom content (maps, addons, sounds, etc.) so players can download it faster than using the Steam workshop sync.

Steam Server List Settings

sv_location: Used to tag your server by location. Optional. For example, "eu" for Europe or "us" for the U.S.
sv_region: Controls where your server appears in the Steam browser. 255 = Worldwide (default).
sv_lan: Set to 0 for an online server. Set to 1 for LAN-only mode.
sv_max_queries_*: Helps protect against server browser spam and query flooding. These control how many connection queries are allowed per second globally and per IP. You don’t usually need to adjust this setting unless your server is dealing with DDoS or server listing spam.

Sandbox Limits and Permissions

These settings limit how many of each item players can spawn in sandbox mode. These limits help keep your server stable and prevent abuse. If you trust your players or run a small server, you can raise them. Here are a few examples:

sbox_max*: Controls the number of specific items each player can spawn. For example, props, NPCs, vehicles, and tools like thrusters or lamps.
sbox_godmode: Set to 1 to let all players use godmode (invincibility), or 0 to disable it.
sbox_noclip: Set to 1 to let players fly around with noclip. 0 disables it.

Step 1: Log in

Step 2: Select the Server

Once on the dashboard, find and select the intended Garry’s Mod server.

Step 3: Stop the Server

Click the red Stop button in the top-right corner. You’ll notice this is part of a new informational bar has been added along the top of every page. It’s there to make key server details easier to access and review at any time.

Step 4: Navigate to Files

Select the Files tab in the sidebar. Find and select garrysmod from the file list.

Now, click on the cfg folder. This is the master folder for all of the server’s different configuration files.

Step 5: Open server.cfg

You can now click on any of the configuration files (we’re interested in server.cfg) to open the file editor. All of the other configuration files will be listed on the left, making it easy to switch between them. The editor on the right lets you view and update the contents of the file directly.

Step 6: Make Changes to server.cfg

You can now start editing the server.cfg file to customize your server. If you’re not sure what a setting does, please refer back to the list at the beginning of this guide. Feel free to add your own custom settings as needed.

Use spaces, not =, colons, or commas when assigning values. Please do not alter the Network Settings or Execute Ban File Settings.

Once you’ve finished making changes, click the Save button.

Step 7: Restart the Server

Now you can restart the server by clicking the orange Restart button in the top-right corner.

Updated on: 29/07/2025

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