Commands.dat and Config.json on an Unturned server

Unturned splits its configuration between two files that do different jobs. Mixing up their roles is why a setting sometimes refuses to apply even though it is written perfectly.

Commands.dat: what the server runs at boot

This file is a list of commands executed in order at startup. Everything in it could be typed by hand into the server console.

It holds what defines the server's identity and frame:

• The displayed name and any password.
• The loaded map.
• Game mode and difficulty.
• Slot count.
• Admins, bans and the whitelist.

Order matters. Commands run sequentially: a map set after the server has effectively started will not do what you expect.

Config.json: the world's rules

This one is a settings structure, not a command list. It governs how the game behaves on this server:

• Zombie behaviour, density and damage.
• Item and vehicle respawn rates.
• Building and decay rules.
• Hunger, thirst and temperature parameters.

This is where a server becomes harsh or welcoming, while Commands.dat decides who gets in and on which map.

Which to edit, for what

The rule is simple: if the setting concerns access to the server, it is Commands.dat. If it concerns what happens once inside, it is Config.json.

Two examples make the split obvious. The slot count is access — it decides how many people can be in at once, so it belongs in Commands.dat. The zombie damage multiplier is world behaviour — it changes nothing about who can join, so it belongs in Config.json. Every setting falls on one side or the other, and the ones people lose time on are almost always the ones written on the wrong side.

The traps

• Malformed JSON. One extra comma in Config.json and the server falls back to defaults, often with no readable error.
• Editing while the server runs. Both files are read at boot; hot changes are lost on the next shutdown.
• A setting written into the wrong file. It is simply ignored, without warning.

Our Unturned hosting gives direct edit access to both files, so you can check the structure before restarting.