server.seed (Rust server ConVar)
What server.seed does in Rust, why a new seed means a new map, why Panelra never writes 0, and how to set a seed in server.cfg.
Last updated Verified on Rust build 25582902, 2026-09-28
- Kind
- Variable
- Value on build 25582902
- Not read
- Server help text
- (Generated) Seed value used for procedural world generation; changing this produces a completely different map layout
- Applies
- On a new map (wipe)
- Persists in
- server.cfg
- Vanilla Rust
- Yes, native
- Example
server.seed 1420068679
Gotchas
- Only used when a procedural map is generated. The map and save files are named after size and seed together, so a new seed means a new map, which is a wipe.
- The same seed with a different server.worldsize is a different map.
- Panelra never writes 0 or a negative seed; it picks a random positive seed instead.
- Not written to serverauto.cfg by server.writecfg, so keep it in server.cfg.
server.seed picks which procedural map Rust generates. The server's help text, which Facepunch marks as generated: "Seed value used for procedural world generation; changing this produces a completely different map layout". Facepunch's server guide says it can be any value from 0 to 2147483647.
When the seed is used
Only when a procedural map is generated. On start the log names both numbers:
Generating procedural map of size 4000 with seed 1420068679
The map, save and navmesh files are named after them too, for example proceduralmap.4000.1420068679.289.sav. On our test server, the folder still held leftover files for two earlier seeds, 424242 and 1723532374, from maps it had generated before. A new seed means the server looks for a save that does not exist and starts a new map. So changing the seed is a wipe.
The seed alone does not describe a map. The same seed with a different server.worldsize gives a different file name and a different map. When you set server.levelurl to load a custom map, the seed is not used at all. A server.levelurl value on a running server is not proof of a custom map: with server.autouploadmap on, Rust uploads its procedural map to Facepunch after startup, and our test server then showed a files.facepunch.com address there that we never set.
Where to set it
In server.cfg, next to the size:
server.seed 1420068679
server.worldsize 4000
It works as a startup argument too (+server.seed 1420068679), but Facepunch's guide says server.cfg takes priority over the command line, so pick one place. server.writecfg does not save it; our test server's serverauto.cfg had no seed line.
Why Panelra never writes 0
Panelra refuses a seed of 0 or below and, if one ever reaches the config generator, writes a random positive seed instead. A fixed, known seed is what lets the panel tell whether the running map is the one you asked for. If you want a random map, let the panel pick a random seed; you still get a real number you can reuse later.
In Panelra
The seed is under Settings, World, marked as a wipe setting that is used from the next wipe. A wipe, manual or scheduled, can keep the current seed, roll a new random one, use a seed you type, or switch to a custom map URL.
Set it in Panelra
Change server.seed from the dashboard instead of editing files over SSH.
Frequently asked questions
Does changing server.seed wipe the server?
Is the same seed always the same map?
Related ConVars
- server.worldsize(Generated) Width and height of the procedurally generated world in metres; larger values create a bigger map with more resources
- server.level(Generated) Map level to load on startup, e.g. 'Procedural Map', 'Barren', or a custom map name
- server.levelurl(Generated) URL to download a custom map file from; if set the server will fetch and load this map instead of generating one
Skip the manual work: install the Panelra agent
Wipes, updates, restarts, plugins and crash alerts for your Rust servers, from one dashboard. One install command on your Linux host, no inbound ports for the agent.
Free during the open beta. Pricing will be announced before the beta ends.