How do you install plugins on a Rust server?
The server has to run Oxide (uMod) or Carbon, and a plugin is a .cs file that goes into oxide/plugins or carbon/plugins – on Spot.gg you install it in one click on the Addons tab. The plugin loads by itself without a server restart, and players don't need to install anything.
In short:
- Set the server engine to Oxide or Carbon (plain Rust – Vanilla – doesn't load plugins).
- Install the plugin: from the catalog in the panel, or by hand by uploading the
.csfile to the plugins folder. - Adjust its settings in its config file and grant permissions if the plugin needs them.
Oxide or Carbon – which one should you pick?
Oxide (uMod) is the classic framework with the largest library of free plugins, and Carbon is a newer, performance-focused framework that runs most plugins written for Oxide. Both load the same .cs files.
| Oxide (uMod) | Carbon | |
|---|---|---|
| Plugins | .cs files from uMod and other sites |
Most Oxide plugins plus plugins written for Carbon |
| Plugins folder | oxide/plugins |
carbon/plugins |
| Plugin settings | oxide/config |
carbon/configs |
| Plugin data | oxide/data |
carbon/data |
| Commands | oxide.* |
c.* |
If you're not sure, start with Oxide – it's the standard most authors write for and the one plugin docs refer to. Carbon is worth trying when the server runs a lot of plugins and performance matters.
On Spot.gg you switch engines in Information → Modify → Change engine. The map, player progress and settings stay, and the server is left stopped after the switch – start it when you're ready. On its first start Carbon copies the plugins from oxide/plugins to carbon/plugins, so moving from Oxide doesn't lose them.
How do you install a plugin from the catalog on Spot.gg?
Go to Addons → Available to install, find the plugin and click Install – the panel picks the right folder for your engine and also installs the plugins the one you chose requires. Step by step:
- Open the panel of a Rust server running Oxide or Carbon (on Vanilla the Addons tab isn't in the menu).
- Go to Addons → Available to install.
- Search for the plugin by name and open its page.
- Click Install. If the plugin needs other plugins (a UI library, for example), the panel installs them with it.
- If the server is running, the plugin loads straight away. On its first load it creates its config file.
Installed plugins are under Addons → Installed. There you can disable them (the file gets a .cs-disabled extension and Oxide and Carbon skip it), enable them again or delete them. A newer version is installed from the plugin's page in the catalog. You can also browse every available plugin without logging in, in the Rust plugin catalog.
How do you install a Rust plugin manually?
Download the plugin's .cs file and upload it to oxide/plugins (Oxide) or carbon/plugins (Carbon) – on Spot.gg via the Files tab or SFTP. That's how you install plugins that aren't in the catalog, such as paid ones from Codefling or Lone.Design, or your own.
- Download the plugin – it's a single C# source file (
PluginName.cs). - On the Files tab, open
oxide/pluginsorcarbon/pluginsand upload the file. For many files SFTP is more convenient – the login details are on the SFTP tab. - Check the Console – Oxide and Carbon compile the plugin and print whether it loaded. A compile error usually means a missing required plugin or a version that doesn't match the current Rust build.
Don't install "leaked" paid plugins from random sites. A plugin is code that runs on your server, so a tampered file can do anything the game server is allowed to do.
Where do you change a plugin's settings?
Most plugins keep their settings in a JSON file in oxide/config (Oxide) or carbon/configs (Carbon), created on the plugin's first load. After editing the file, reload the plugin – no server restart needed.
- On the Files tab, open
PluginName.jsonin the config folder and change the values. - Save the file and reload the plugin in the Console:
oxide.reload PluginName(Oxide) orc.reload PluginName(Carbon). - Check the console to make sure it reloaded without errors – a typo in the JSON (a missing comma, say) stops it from loading.
Useful commands:
| Oxide | Carbon | What it does |
|---|---|---|
oxide.plugins |
c.plugins |
Lists loaded plugins |
oxide.reload Name |
c.reload Name |
Reloads a plugin after a settings change |
oxide.unload Name |
c.unload Name |
Unloads a plugin until it's loaded again |
oxide.load Name |
c.load Name |
Loads a plugin |
Many plugins also have permissions you grant to players or groups (oxide.grant / c.grant). We cover that in Rust admin commands.
A Rust server on Spot.gg (8 GB RAM, 20 GB disk) costs from $12.23 / month, and the first 24 hours are free, no card needed.
How do you make a modded Rust server (2x, 5x, kits)?
A modded server is an Oxide or Carbon server with plugins that change core gameplay – most often gather multipliers, kits, teleports and bigger stack sizes. More in our modded Rust server guide and the best Rust plugins list. Popular building blocks:
| Goal | Example plugin |
|---|---|
| Gather multiplier (2x, 5x, 10x) | Gather Manager |
| Bigger item stacks | Stack Size Controller |
| Starter and VIP kits | Kits |
| Home and player teleports | NTeleportation |
| Faster furnaces | Quick Smelt |
| Instant crafting | Instant Craft |
| NPC bases to raid | Raidable Bases |
Tips:
- Start with a few plugins and add more once you've checked they work. When something breaks, the culprit is easier to find.
- Set the multiplier in the plugin's config (Gather Manager, for example) and put it in the server name – players search for "2x", "5x" and so on.
- The Modded tab – Facepunch's rules require servers that change core gameplay to be listed in the Modded tab of the server browser, not Community.
- Wipe more often – on servers with multipliers players progress faster, so many of them wipe weekly. More in our Rust wipe guide.
If you want a server without player-vs-player combat, see how to make a Rust PvE server.
Plugins and the monthly Rust update
After every monthly Rust update, Oxide and Carbon need a matching build, and some plugins need fixes. On Spot.gg with Automatic updates on, the panel waits until the framework releases a build for the new Rust version and installs it together with the game.
When something breaks after an update:
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| A plugin compile error in the console | The plugin uses something that changed in Rust | Install a newer version of the plugin or disable it until it's fixed |
| A plugin won't load after a settings change | A syntax error in the JSON file | Fix the config file and reload the plugin |
| "Missing dependency" | The plugin needs another plugin | Install the missing plugin (from the catalog the panel does it for you) |
| No plugins work at all | The server runs Vanilla | Switch the engine to Oxide or Carbon |
FAQ
Do players have to install plugins?
No. Oxide and Carbon plugins run on the server only, and players join with the normal Rust client.
Do plugins work on a Vanilla server?
No. Plugins need Oxide or Carbon. On Spot.gg you switch engines in Information → Modify → Change engine without losing the map.
Do Oxide plugins work on Carbon?
Most do – Carbon is compatible with Oxide plugins and copies them from oxide/plugins to carbon/plugins on its first start. A few plugins may need a Carbon-specific version – check the plugin's description.
Do I need to restart the server after installing a plugin?
No. Oxide and Carbon load a new plugin by themselves, and after a settings change oxide.reload or c.reload with the plugin name is enough.
How do I install a paid plugin?
Buy it from the author (on Codefling, for example), download the .cs file and upload it to oxide/plugins or carbon/plugins on the Files tab or over SFTP. Paid plugins aren't in the panel's catalog.