Enshrouded Server Settings and Roles: JSON Configuration Guide

Core enshrouded_server.json settings

The main settings include name for the browser display name, saveDirectory for persistent worlds, logDirectory for diagnostics, queryPort for server discovery and slotCount for the one-to-sixteen player limit. After editing, validate commas, quotation marks and braces because malformed JSON can prevent a server from starting. Save a copy of the working file before making changes.

Official documentation: Keen Games reference ↗

Difficulty presets and gameplay options

The official gameSettingsPreset supports Default, Relaxed, Hard, Survival and Custom. Default is the safest starting point for a new group, while Custom can expose detailed changes to combat, resource availability and progression. Change one category at a time and document the choices so players understand why their world behaves differently.

Official documentation: Keen Games reference ↗

Admin, Friend, Guest and Visitor roles

Enshrouded supports password-protected userGroups with different permissions. Admin can kick or ban players and manage builds; Friend supports cooperative building; Guest and Visitor can be restricted from editing bases or opening inventories. Some presets differ between peer-to-peer sessions and dedicated servers, so configure the dedicated-server groups specifically. Each group can also reserve slots for its members.

Official documentation: Keen Games reference ↗

Manage access without sharing admin credentials

Give moderators a dedicated Admin password and use a separate lower-permission group for ordinary players. A public guest password should not grant build editing or moderation by accident. When you rotate credentials, coordinate with players and restart the server if the host requires it. Never publish working passwords in tutorials, screenshots or shared configuration files.

Voice chat, text chat and safe changes

Available settings include voiceChatMode, enableVoiceChat and enableTextChat. Check the current generated file for accepted values. Before changing presets or permissions, stop the server, back up its JSON and world folder, then restart and test access with a non-admin account. This catches permission mistakes before a whole group joins.

Example: configure a private friends-only server

Create separate passwords for a Friend group and an Admin group rather than giving everyone moderation access. Keep the player limit close to the size of your group, optionally reserve an admin slot and use the Default difficulty preset until everyone agrees on changes. Then test with a non-admin account: can a friend join, use containers and build, while an unauthorised visitor cannot alter the base? This practical check catches mistakes that a technically valid JSON file will not.

Why an old password key may no longer work

Earlier Enshrouded server guides often show a single top-level `password` field. Keen Games introduced role-based `userGroups` so different passwords can grant different capabilities. The game may convert an older password into a default group for compatibility, but new configurations should use the currently documented role system. Otherwise, operators may accidentally hand guests permissions they did not intend.

When settings do not apply

Some managed host panels generate JSON values automatically and overwrite manual file edits when a server restarts. In that case, change settings in the panel or ask the provider which file is authoritative. For a self-hosted installation, stop the process before editing, validate the file syntax, then inspect the startup log to ensure the current configuration was loaded. Preserve a working copy to restore quickly if an update changes the schema.

Related Enshrouded server guides

These guides cover the next practical step, from sizing and installation to keeping your world safe after Enshrouded 1.0.