RCON on Counter-Strike: Source

RCON (remote console) lets you send server commands from outside the dashboard: from an RCON app, a bot, or the Counter-Strike: Source console while you’re playing. You don’t need it for the basics, because the Console tab and Quick actions already send commands for you. Use RCON when you want your own tools, or admin commands without leaving the game.

Before you start

• You need the Control servers permission on the team. Without it the details stay hidden. See Roles and permissions.
• Commands only run while the server is Live.

Find your RCON details

Open the server page, then Game-specific → RCON. You’ll see:

Field	What it is
RCON host	The machine your server runs on.
RCON port	Your server’s port. It’s the same port as in the game address.
RCON password	Hidden until you reveal it. Use the copy button.
RCON address	Host and port together, host:port, for tools that want one field.

The General tab also has an RCON section with the address and password.

The RCON password is not the join password. The join password only lets someone play; the RCON password lets them run any command on the server, so keep it to yourself.

The host and port can change when you stop and restore the server. The password stays the same. Copy the details fresh each session.

Use an RCON tool

Any Source RCON client works, for example the web tool rcon.srcds.pro.

Steps

1. Open your RCON tool.

2. Enter the RCON host and RCON port (or paste the RCON address).

3. Enter the RCON password.

   

4. Connect and type commands, for example status or changelevel de_inferno.

Use RCON from the game console

Unlike CS2, Counter-Strike: Source still sends rcon commands while you’re connected to a server. Once you’ve joined your server, open the console with ~ and type:

rcon_password yourrconpassword

Then put rcon in front of any server command:

rcon changelevel de_dust2
rcon mp_friendlyfire 1
rcon sm plugins list

Use your own password. It’s remembered until you quit the game, so you only enter it once per session. If the console isn’t enabled yet, turn it on in Options → Keyboard → Advanced → Enable developer console.

What you can run

Everything the server console accepts, including SourceMod’s sm commands.

Don’t run quit, exit, shutdown or _restart. The dashboard console blocks them because they take the server down without saving, but a direct RCON connection won’t stop you. Use Stop & Save or Restart server instead. See The console.

Security tips

• Don’t paste the RCON password in a public chat. There’s no button to change it today, so a leak lasts until the server is deleted. A newly deployed server gets a fresh password.
• Never set rcon_password in server.cfg, autoexec.cfg or the console. The dashboard console, Quick actions and Modes all use the password SLASHPLAY set, and they stop working when it changes. Restart server restores it, unless a config file sets it again at every start.
• For friends who help run the server, a SourceMod admin entry is safer than sharing RCON: see Plugins and mods.

Troubleshooting

The RCON panel shows an error or stays on “Loading RCON details…”. Reload the page. If the error mentions permission, you need Control servers on the team.

My tool says the password is wrong. Copy it again from the panel. If it still fails, something set a different rcon_password: remove every rcon_password line from cstrike/cfg/server.cfg and autoexec.cfg, save, and click Restart server.

My tool can’t connect at all. Check the server is Live and that you’re using this run’s host and port. They can change after a restore.

rcon in the game says “Bad RCON password”. Run rcon_password again with the password from the panel. Watch for spaces at the start or end when pasting.

Related

• The console
• Quick actions
• Plugins and mods
• Roles and permissions