An Unturned server that won't list is almost always ports or being set to LAN instead of Internet. Here's the quick fix, the less common causes, and how to keep it listing reliably.
Quick answer
An Unturned server that does not show is almost always closed ports or set to LAN. Open the game port and the two above it — 27015–27017 UDP by default — because the query port (27016) is what lists the server. Then make sure the server runs in Internet mode, not LAN.
Open the ports
Unturned uses a small UDP range starting at the configured port (default 27015). Open the game port and the two above it, on the host firewall and forwarded if you're behind a router:
| Port | Protocol | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 27015 | UDP | Main game port (the value in Port) |
| 27016 | UDP | Steam query — how it appears in the list |
| 27017 | UDP | Used internally by the server |
The query port (game port + 1) is what the master server uses to see your server. Forward only 27015 and players can connect by direct IP, but the server never appears in the browser — a very common mistake.
Set it to Internet, not LAN
In your server's Commands.dat, the visibility must be Internet for it to list publicly. Check for the right mode and a server name:
# Commands.dat
Name My Unturned Server
Internet
MaxPlayers 24
Port 27015Connect directly
In Unturned → Play → Connect, enter server-ip and port 27015. Direct connect bypasses the browser.
Open 27015–27017/udp, set "Internet" in Commands.dat, and use Connect with your IP if the browser is slow.
Quick diagnostic order
- Does direct Connect by IP work? If yes, the server is fine and only the listing is broken — jump to the query port (27016).
- Confirm the full UDP range 27015–27017 is open on the host firewall, not only forwarded on the router.
- Check
Commands.datsaysInternet, not LAN, and has aNameset. - Give the server a minute — the master list can take a short while to pick up a freshly started server.
Other reasons it stays hidden
- Workshop mod IDs configured in Commands.dat that no longer exist (removed/unlisted items) can stop the server finishing its boot, so it never registers.
- The host's OS firewall blocks the query port even though the router allows it — check both layers.
- Steam's server list cache is briefly stale after a restart; a manual browser refresh usually clears it.
How to prevent it
- Keep a backup of a known-good Commands.dat before editing it, so you can revert a bad change quickly.
- Check Workshop mod IDs still resolve after any Steam Workshop item gets removed or updated.
- Verify listing with our server status checker after any config or firewall change.
Related errors
For general port-forwarding steps, see how to port forward a game server. If players see the server but can't join, see fixing "connection timed out" on game servers.
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