Sons of the Forest dedicatedserver.cfg Config Reference

Sons of the Forest Guide • Updated Aug 29, 2026

Sons of the Forest dedicatedserver.cfg Configuration

Sons of the Forest uses dedicatedserver.cfg as a JSON file. It does not use the commonly copied ServerSettings.ini format. Start with the dedicated-server setup guide, then edit the generated file in the server's user-data directory and restart the process.

File location

The default Windows location documented by Endnight is:

C:\Users\<user>\AppData\LocalLow\Endnight\SonsOfTheForestDS\dedicatedserver.cfg

If the server was started with -userdatapath, use the corresponding directory there. Back up the complete data directory, not only the JSON file, before changing a long-running world.

Minimal valid example

This example uses the documented top-level keys needed for an ordinary eight-player server:

{
  "IpAddress": "0.0.0.0",
  "GamePort": 8766,
  "QueryPort": 27016,
  "BlobSyncPort": 9700,
  "ServerName": "My Sons of the Forest Server",
  "MaxPlayers": 8,
  "Password": "",
  "LanOnly": false,
  "SaveSlot": 1,
  "SaveMode": "Continue",
  "GameMode": "Normal",
  "SaveInterval": 600,
  "IdleDayCycleSpeed": 0.0,
  "IdleTargetFramerate": 5,
  "ActiveTargetFramerate": 60,
  "LogFilesEnabled": false,
  "TimestampLogFilenames": true,
  "TimestampLogEntries": true,
  "SkipNetworkAccessibilityTest": false,
  "GameSettings": {},
  "CustomGameModeSettings": {}
}

Top-level settings

Key	Use	Documented values or default
`IpAddress`	Bind address.	`0.0.0.0` listens on available interfaces.
`GamePort`	Gameplay traffic.	`8766` UDP.
`QueryPort`	Server query/browser traffic.	`27016` UDP.
`BlobSyncPort`	Blob synchronisation traffic.	`9700` UDP.
`ServerName`	Name shown to players.	Any suitable string.
`MaxPlayers`	Concurrent player count.	Integer from `1` to `8`.
`Password`	Optional join password.	Empty string means no password.
`SaveSlot`	Selected save slot.	Numeric slot, normally `1`.
`SaveMode`	Whether to continue or create a save.	`Continue` or the mode exposed by the current build.
`GameMode`	Preset for the world.	`Normal`, `Hard`, `HardSurvival`, `Peaceful`, `Creative`, or `Custom`.
`SaveInterval`	Automatic save interval in seconds.	Default `600`.

Game settings and custom mode

Keep GameSettings and CustomGameModeSettings as JSON objects. The official guide documents examples such as Gameplay.TreeRegrowth and Structure.Damage; use the exact key and value spelling from the current guide or generated file.

"GameSettings": {
  "Gameplay.TreeRegrowth": true,
  "Structure.Damage": true
},
"CustomGameModeSettings": {
  "GameSetting.Multiplayer.Cheats": false,
  "GameSetting.Multiplayer.PvpDamage": true
}

Custom settings are not a free-form performance API. Do not paste guessed keys such as MaxAICount, DrawDistance, or TickRate; unknown keys may simply be ignored. Change one documented setting at a time and validate the JSON before restarting.

Performance-related controls that are actually documented

IdleDayCycleSpeed controls the idle cycle value in the generated config.
IdleTargetFramerate defaults to 5 while idle.
ActiveTargetFramerate defaults to 60 while active.
SaveInterval affects persistence cadence; it is not a substitute for external backups.

CPU, memory, storage, and network capacity still depend on the host and group. See Sons of the Forest server RAM guidance and performance troubleshooting for operational checks rather than imaginary config switches.

Access and administration

Use Password for a private group and ownerswhitelist.txt for the documented owner list. There is no official RCON section in this configuration format. See owners, passwords, and access control before publishing a server address.

Safe editing checklist

Stop the server or use the provider's documented configuration workflow.
Copy the whole SonsOfTheForestDS directory to an independent backup location.
Validate JSON punctuation and keep the current build's generated keys.
Restart and inspect the log or console for a successful load.
Join with a test account before changing a second setting.

Official source

For newly added options, follow the Endnight/Steam dedicated-server configuration guide. It is more reliable than generic server templates written for The Forest, Minecraft, or other survival games.

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