Server config reference

Use Config to edit common DayZ server settings through grouped fields. Raw config gives experienced admins access to the full configuration when their service allows it. The panel uses JSON, which differs from the native serverDZ.cfg syntax. For file-based self-hosting, follow Configure a DayZ server.

Bohemia Interactive’s official DayZ server configuration reference documents the game’s limits and behavior.

Configuration errors can prevent startup

Download the current config or make a backup before changing several fields. Save a small group of edits, restart and inspect RPT output. Keep server, admin and RCON passwords out of screenshots and support channels.

Use the grouped controls for routine edits. Secret values are replaced with <hidden> in this screenshot. Never share your own Raw config secrets.

Save a configuration change

1. Choose the intended server, open Configuration and select Config.
2. Press Refresh, then wait until the form says Synced.
3. Edit the fields needed for your change.
4. Check for Unsaved and inspect any raw-config validation error.
5. Press Save and wait for confirmation of success.
6. If the setting requires a restart, use Console.
7. Check the result in Logs and the server browser.

Revert drops your draft and restores the last loaded values. Refresh reads the server file again, so check for another operator’s saved work before using it.

Identity

Field	Config key	Meaning
Hostname	hostname	The name players see in the DayZ browser. Choose one they can recognize.
Description	description	Browser description visible to players, limited by DayZ to 255 characters.

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Access

Field	Config key	Meaning
Server password	password	The password required to join. Leave it blank for a public server only.
Admin password	passwordAdmin	Authenticates an in-game server administrator. Use a different value from account and RCON passwords.
Whitelist	enableWhitelist	Restricts joins to players in the server whitelist when enabled. Prepare that file before turning this on.

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Password changes generally need a server restart. Test the new join password with a fresh connection; it won’t be checked again for players who are already connected.

Capacity

Field	Config key	Meaning
Max players	maxPlayers	The player-slot cap. Increasing it adds potential CPU, memory, network and mod workload, and plan limits may apply.
Queue concurrent	loginQueueConcurrentPlayers	How many queued players can log in at once. A lower value limits connection bursts but can slow entry if set too low.
Queue max	loginQueueMaxPlayers	The largest number of players permitted in the login queue.

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Mission

Field	Config key	Meaning
Template	template	The mission and terrain to load at startup, often written as mission.terrain, such as dayzOffline.chernarusplus. Its mission folder must exist.
Instance ID	instanceId	A numeric DayZ instance identifier separating storage and persistence on the host. On a live server, change it only when you intend to select another storage set.
Shard ID	shardId	The shard/hive identifier in server configuration. Retain the assigned value unless the migration procedure requires changing it.
Storage auto-fix	storageAutoFix	Allows DayZ to detect corrupt persistence files and replace them with empty files. Retain verified backups: a replacement loses data even if startup then succeeds.

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Instance and storage changes

Changing Template or Instance ID can select other mission or storage data, making the world look new or empty. Stop the server and back up all storage before changing them. Retain the assigned Shard ID; its behavior in a managed service requires confirmation from the provider.

Time

Field	Config key	Meaning
Server time	serverTime	The initial game time. Set SystemTime for host time or provide a supported date/time such as 2015/4/8/17/23.
Day acceleration	serverTimeAcceleration	Multiplies game time. With Night acceleration set to 1, 1 follows real time and 24 completes a 24-hour game cycle in about a real hour. A different night multiplier changes the full-cycle duration. The documented DayZ range is 0.1–64.
Night acceleration	serverNightTimeAcceleration	Multiplies Day acceleration during night. Day 2 with night 4 gives 8× at night. The documented range is 0.1–64.
Persistent time	serverTimePersistent	Stores the game time and continues from it after a restart, instead of reapplying the initial time.

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Gameplay

Field	Config key	Meaning
Disable 3rd person	disable3rdPerson	Enabling this prevents third-person camera use.
Disable crosshair	disableCrosshair	Enabling this hides the default on-screen crosshair.
Disable personal light	disablePersonalLight	Enabling this removes the built-in light surrounding players at night.
Lighting config	lightingConfig	Selects a night-light preset: 0 for brighter, 1 for darker and 2 for Sakhal-specific lighting. An enabled gameplay JSON file can override this value.

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Network and security

Field	Config key	Meaning
Steam query port	steamQueryPort	Steam browser queries use this port. Match the assigned network plan and avoid conflicts with other services.
Verify signatures	verifySignatures	Checks mod PBO files against approved signature keys. DayZ supports 2; reduced or disabled verification weakens those checks.
Force same build	forceSameBuild	When enabled, accepts clients sharing the server’s executable revision and rejects version mismatches.
Guaranteed updates	guaranteedUpdates	Controls DayZ game-server communication protocol. Keep the assigned value; Bohemia documents 1.
Disable VoN	disableVoN	Turns off in-game Voice over Network when enabled.
VoN codec quality	vonCodecQuality	Accepts 0 through 20. Higher voice quality can require more bandwidth.
Log file	logFile	Names the saved console-output file in the profile/log directory, for example server_console.log.

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Editing a port leaves player bookmarks, RCON tools, launch parameters and external filtering unchanged. Read Server address and ports and contact support before altering an assigned port.

Raw config

Raw config presents the full configuration as a JSON object. It counts the fields and identifies keys omitted from the grouped form.

Where your policy allows editing, choose either method:

1. Grouped fields (recommended): constrained inputs help prevent typing and structure errors.
2. Raw config: edit or retain uncommon keys, with access to the whole document in one operation.

Format parses the draft and indents its JSON without saving it. Fix parsing errors before saving, then check the mission path and whether DayZ supports the values you entered. Restart when required, inspect the logs and test the changed behavior, including player joins. JSON parsing checks the structure, not those game conditions.

This three-field fragment illustrates values only. Keep the rest of your loaded configuration when editing; do not replace the full document with this fragment or paste it into a native serverDZ.cfg:

{
  "hostname": "My DayZ server",
  "maxPlayers": 60,
  "enableWhitelist": 0
}

Raw editor writes the complete config

Deleting a key in raw JSON deletes it from the saved configuration. Download the previous config and make one change at a time. Do not submit a file containing passwords to an online JSON formatter.

Common problems

Problem	Check
Save stays disabled	Change a value and fix any raw JSON errors. Your service may also restrict the field to read-only access.
Server will not start	Undo the latest edit and check the final RPT lines, mission template, ports and JSON value types.
Server disappeared from browser	Verify state, Steam query port, query filtering and matching builds.
Players cannot join after access change	Verify the password, whitelist, signatures, build and mod versions.
Time moves unexpectedly	Multiply the day and night acceleration values to calculate the effective night speed.

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