Remote Administration with RCON

Overview

Conan Exiles uses a Source RCON-compatible protocol (the same protocol used by Minecraft and other Source Engine games). RCON allows you to run admin commands on the server from the command line without connecting as a player.

Enabling RCON

RCON is configured in Game.ini:

ConanSandbox/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/Game.ini

Add the following block:

[RconPlugin]
RconEnabled=1
RconPassword=YourRconPassword
RconPort=25575

Stop the server before editing, then restart after saving.

Port Requirements

RCON uses TCP port 25575 by default. This port must be:

• Open on the host firewall (TCP inbound).
• Allocated in your WISP/Pterodactyl panel for the server.

See the port forwarding article for firewall configuration commands.

RCON Client

Conan Exiles uses the Minecraft RCON protocol (Source RCON-compatible). Use mcrcon as your RCON client:

# Install mcrcon (Linux)
apt install mcrcon
# or build from source: https://github.com/Tiiffi/mcrcon

Connect and send a command:

mcrcon -H your.server.ip -P 25575 -p YourRconPassword "BroadcastMessage Hello world"

For an interactive session:

mcrcon -H your.server.ip -P 25575 -p YourRconPassword -t

In interactive mode, type commands directly and press Enter to send.

Common RCON Commands

These are the same commands available in the in-game admin console, sent via RCON:

BroadcastMessage <text>          # Send a server-wide message to all players
KickPlayer <SteamID>             # Kick a player
BanPlayer <SteamID>              # Ban a player
UnbanPlayer <SteamID>            # Remove a ban
ListPlayers                      # List connected players and their Steam IDs
SaveGame                         # Trigger a manual save

SaveGame is particularly useful before scheduled restarts — send it via RCON 60 seconds before stopping the server to ensure a clean save.

RCON Password Security

The RCON password is stored in plain text in Game.ini. Follow these practices:

• Use a unique password not shared with the admin in-game password or server join password.
• Restrict firewall access to RCON port 25575 to trusted IP ranges if possible. Use ufw rules like:

  ufw allow from 203.0.113.5 to any port 25575 proto tcp
  

• Rotate the RCON password periodically.
• Avoid committing Game.ini to version control with the password populated.

Automating with RCON

RCON is useful for scripted server management. Example: a shell script to broadcast a restart warning and save before stopping:

#!/bin/bash
RCON="mcrcon -H 127.0.0.1 -P 25575 -p YourRconPassword"
$RCON "BroadcastMessage Server restarting in 5 minutes"
sleep 240
$RCON "BroadcastMessage Server restarting in 1 minute"
sleep 50
$RCON "SaveGame"
sleep 10
# Panel stop command or systemctl stop here

Run this as a cron job or via your panel's task scheduler for automated daily restarts.

Troubleshooting RCON

If mcrcon cannot connect:

1. Verify the server is running.
2. Confirm RconEnabled=1 in Game.ini.
3. Check port 25575 is open: nc -zv your.server.ip 25575
4. Check the server log for RCON plugin errors: ConanSandbox/Saved/Logs/ConanSandbox.log
5. Confirm the password matches exactly — RCON authentication is case-sensitive.

Related

• Setting Up Server Admin and Console Commands
• Port Requirements and Firewall Configuration
• Server Password and Access Control
• Understanding Conan Exiles Server Configuration Files