> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.wasabihosting.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How to Join Your Unturned Server

> Connect to your Unturned server hosting instance via direct IP or the in-game server browser, add it to your favorites, and fix common connection problems.

There are two ways to connect to your Unturned server: the direct **Connect** screen (fastest and most reliable) and the in-game server browser. This guide covers both, plus how to favorite your server and what to do when a connection fails.

## Find Your Server Address

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Game Panel">
    Log in to the [Wasabi Hosting Game Panel](https://panel.wasabihosting.com) and select your Unturned server.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Copy the address">
    Your server's address is shown at the top of the **Console** page in the format `IP:PORT` (for example `203.0.113.10:27015`). The default Unturned port is `27015`, but your assigned port may differ — always use the port shown in the panel.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Connect via Direct IP (Recommended)

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Connect screen">
    Launch Unturned and go to **Play → Connect** from the main menu.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter the address">
    Fill in the fields:

    | Field        | Value                                             |
    | ------------ | ------------------------------------------------- |
    | **IP**       | Your server's IP (e.g. `203.0.113.10`)            |
    | **Port**     | Your server's port (default `27015`)              |
    | **Password** | Only if your server has one set in `Commands.dat` |
  </Step>

  <Step title="Connect">
    Click **Connect**. If the server runs Workshop content, your client downloads it automatically before loading in — the first join can take a few minutes with a long mod list.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  Direct connect works even if your server hasn't appeared in the server browser yet. Freshly started servers can take several minutes to show up in listings.
</Tip>

## Connect via the Server Browser

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the browser">
    From the main menu, go to **Play → Servers**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Filter the list">
    Use the filters to narrow the list — search by your server **name** (the `Name` value in `Commands.dat`) or filter by **map**, password protection, workshop usage, and more.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Join">
    Select your server in the list and connect. Enter the password if prompted.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  If the server runs Workshop maps or mods, they download automatically when you join — there's nothing to subscribe to manually. See [Workshop mods](/games/unturned/workshop-mods) for how server-side content works.
</Note>

## Add Your Server to Favorites

So you don't have to retype the address every time:

* **From the browser:** open your server's entry in **Play → Servers** and mark it as a favorite — it then appears under the **Favorites** filter/tab for one-click joining.
* **After a direct connect:** recently joined servers show up in your history, from where you can favorite them as well.

<Tip>
  Give your server a distinctive `Name` in `Commands.dat` so players can find it in the browser without typing the IP — and share the `IP:PORT` in your community's Discord for direct connects.
</Tip>

## Troubleshooting Connection Issues

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Connection refused or times out">
    The most common cause is a **wrong port**. Double-check you're using the exact port from the Game Panel — entering a neighboring port (or leaving the default when your server uses a custom one) fails silently. Also confirm in the panel Console that the server has finished loading the map.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Workshop download is stuck">
    If joining hangs while downloading Workshop items, an item may have been updated or removed on Steam. Restart your game client and try again; if it persists, restart the server so it re-validates its Workshop content, and check that every ID in `WorkshopDownloadConfig.json` still exists — see [Workshop mods](/games/unturned/workshop-mods).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="'Not whitelisted' / can't join a private server">
    If `Whitelisted` mode is enabled in `Commands.dat`, only permitted players can join. Add each player from the server console with their Steam64 ID using the `Permit` command, or disable whitelist mode. See [admin commands](/games/unturned/admin-commands).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Wrong password">
    The password field must match the `Password` value in `Commands.dat` exactly (case-sensitive). If you recently changed it, restart the server so the change takes effect.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Server missing from the browser">
    New and recently restarted servers take a few minutes to be listed. Check that your server isn't set to LAN-only or hidden in its configuration ([server configuration](/games/unturned/server-configuration)), and use direct connect in the meantime. If you've configured rules in the [Firewall Manager](/firewall-manager), verify the game port isn't blocked.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Version mismatch after an update">
    Unturned updates frequently. If your client updated but the server didn't (or vice versa), joins will fail — restart the server from the Game Panel so it updates, and let Steam update your client.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

Still stuck? Open a [support ticket](https://billing.wasabihosting.com/submitticket.php) or ask in our [Discord](https://discord.wasabihosting.com) — we're around 24/7.

<Card title="Need an Unturned server?" icon="rocket" href="https://wasabihosting.com/game-servers/unturned">
  Get your own Unturned server from €7.49/month — deployed in about 2 minutes with DDoS protection included.
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