Running servers
Everything that works the same for every game on SLASHPLAY: deploying, joining, saving, stopping, restoring, schedules, files and the console.
This section covers everything that works the same way for every game on SLASHPLAY: how you deploy a server, how your friends join it, how it saves and stops, and the tools on the server page for when you want to go further. Game-specific extras, like CS2’s quick actions or the Minecraft whitelist, live under Games.
The life of a server
Every SLASHPLAY server goes through the same loop, whatever the game:
- Deploy. You pick a game, a region and a size, and click Deploy. The server shows STARTING while it boots, usually within a minute. See Deploy a server.
- Live. The server is up and has an address. You and your friends join, and your team’s tokens pay for it by the minute. See Connect and invite friends.
- Save & stop. When you’re done, Save & Stop saves the world, shuts the server down and stops the hourly cost. Only the saved files remain, at a tiny storage cost. See Start, stop and restore.
- Restore. Next time, Restore brings the same server back from its latest save, with the same name and settings. Then the loop starts again.
A server that is stopped is not gone. It keeps its saves, name, schedule and settings until you delete it.
Where to start
- Never run a server before? Read Deploy a server, then Connect and invite friends. If you’d rather follow one complete walkthrough, Start your first CS2 server covers the whole loop step by step.
- Worried about cost? Server sizes explains the hourly price, and Schedules and auto-stop shows how to make sure a server never runs longer than you want.
- Something went wrong? Go straight to Troubleshooting.
- Want to tinker? The file manager, console, terminal and Full Box and launch options pages are for you.
- Adding mods or wondering what survives a stop? Start with Mods, plugins and custom gamemodes, What’s kept between runs and Game updates.
The pages below run from the basics to the advanced tools, in the order most people need them.
IN THIS SECTION
Beginner ▶ Video Deploy a server Launch any game server on SLASHPLAY: pick a team, version, region and size in the deploy window, see what it costs, and what happens after you click Deploy. Beginner ▶ Video Choose a server size SLASHPLAY servers come in four sizes, from SMALL to XLARGE. See what each gives you, how the hourly price scales, and how to pick or change a size. Beginner ▶ Video Regions Where SLASHPLAY servers run today, which regions are coming next, how to vote for yours, and what ping means for your players. Beginner ▶ Video Connect and invite friends Find your server's address, join with one click through Steam or a copied connect command, and share an invite page your friends can use without an account. Beginner ▶ Video Join passwords Keep strangers off your server with a join password: turn it on, change it, apply it with a restart, and share it so friends still join with one click. Beginner ▶ Video Start, stop and restore What each server status means and when you pay, how Save & Stop and Restore work, how to start from an older save, and what a server keeps between runs. Beginner ▶ Video The server page A tour of a SLASHPLAY server's own page: the header with its address and password, and what every tab (General, Saves, Schedule, Console and more) is for. Intermediate ▶ Video Saves and backups How SLASHPLAY saves your world: a save on every stop, backups on demand or on a timer, health badges, starting from an older save, downloads and storage cost. Intermediate ▶ Video What's kept between runs When a server stops, SLASHPLAY saves only each game's kept folders and the files you own. See what's kept for every game, what resets, and what it costs. Intermediate ▶ Video Schedules and auto-stop Start and stop a SLASHPLAY server on a weekly schedule, cap how long any run can last, see what it will cost, and learn every reason a server stops by itself. Intermediate ▶ Video Game updates and versions How SLASHPLAY keeps games up to date: automatic updates, when a server picks up a new version, what Updating… means, and why players need a matching game. Intermediate ▶ Video The console Watch your server's live output and send it commands from the browser, with autocomplete, recent-command shortcuts, and what's blocked and who can type. Intermediate ▶ Video File manager Browse, upload, edit and download your server's files in the browser, extract archives, and understand locked SlashPlay files, ownership and what storage costs. Intermediate ▶ Video Mods, plugins and custom gamemodes What you can add to each game on SLASHPLAY today: SourceMod plugins, Paper plugins, admin mods by hand, Workshop maps, and where mods aren't supported. Intermediate ▶ Video Public files and share links Share files from your server with anyone: put them in the public folder, copy each file's link, and learn the statuses, limits, review and Discord webhook. Beginner ▶ Video Monitor and history Read your server's live CPU and memory charts to pick the right size, and see every past run with how long it lasted and what it cost. Advanced ▶ Video Terminal and Full Box Open a real Linux shell inside your SLASHPLAY server, install tools with apt, edit the boot script, and learn what persists, what resets and what it costs. Advanced ▶ Video Launch options Add your own launch arguments to a CS2 or Minecraft server's start command, learn the rules and when they apply, and when to use the boot script instead. Beginner ▶ Video Delete a server Permanently delete a SLASHPLAY server and its saves, protect important servers from accidental deletion, and know what stays in your team's records. Beginner ▶ Video Troubleshooting servers Fix common SLASHPLAY server problems: slow boots, crashes, servers that won't start, friends who can't connect, passwords that don't apply and locked buttons.