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Rust | How to wipe your rust server

In this comprehensive guide designed specifically for Rust game server hosting, we will explore three powerful methods to wipe your server effectively, offering options for every hosting style and preference.

Understanding Rust Wipes (Important)

Rust performs an official force wipe on the first Thursday of every month.
On this day:

  • The Rust server files are updated
  • The map is typically wiped
  • Many servers also wipe blueprints

Because of this, our control panel provides two different wipe scheduling options, which behave differently.

Understanding this difference is important before setting up automated wipes.

Normal Way (Manual File Deletion)​

This method gives you full manual control over what gets deleted.

  1. Log in to your game control panel.
  2. View your game service and stop the server.
  3. Open the file manager.

  1. Navigate to the folder server/my_server_identity.

  1. You can delete the following:
    • Map and Save files: delete the .map and .sav file extensions.
    • Blueprints: delete player.blueprints.db.
    • Death records: delete deaths.db.
  2. Start your server.

This method is best for:

  • Full manual control
  • One-off wipes
  • Troubleshooting specific save issues

Easy Way (Manual Button)​

This method automates the deletion process for you.

  1. Log in to your game control panel.
  2. Stop your server.
  3. Click on the Wipe Server button.

  1. Tick the checkboxes for the items you want to delete.
  2. Click Execute.

  1. Your server will now be wiped.

This performs an immediate wipe and does not relate to Rust’s monthly force wipe unless you manually run it on that day.

Scheduled Wipes

There are two different scheduled wipe types available. They are not the same.

Option 1: Wipe Server (Standard Scheduled Wipe)​

This is a normal scheduled wipe that runs exactly according to the schedule you configure.

How it works:​

  • Runs on the exact date/time you configure
  • Can be weekly, monthly, or custom
  • Does NOT automatically detect Rust's monthly force wipe
  • Will run even if it falls on the first Thursday

Setup Instructions:​

  1. Log in to your game control panel.
  2. Click on Scheduled Tasks.
  3. Click New to create a new task.
  4. Select Wipe Server.
  5. Choose the schedule type and set the start times.
  6. Click on the Script Parameters tab and select what you want to wipe.
  7. Click the Advanced tab and specify the server's behavior if players are connected.
  8. Click Save.

Important Limitation:​

The scheduler does not support advanced patterns like:

  • "First Thursday of the month"
  • "Every Thursday except the first Thursday"

If you schedule this to run weekly on Thursdays, it will also run on Rust’s force wipe day.

Option 2: Wipe on Rust Wipe Day (Force Wipe Aware)​

This option is specifically designed to align with Rust’s official monthly wipe.

How it works:​

  • The task should be set to run daily at a chosen time
  • The system internally detects Rust’s force wipe day
  • It will only execute on the first Thursday of the month
  • It will not run on other days

Setup Instructions:​

  1. Log in to your game control panel.
  2. Click on Scheduled Tasks.
  3. Click New.
  4. Select Wipe on Rust wipe day.
  5. Set the schedule type to Daily.
  6. Choose your desired execution time (e.g., 20:00).
  7. Configure wipe options in Script Parameters.
  8. Configure behavior in the Advanced tab.
  9. Click Save.

Recommended Configuration

For most servers:

  • Use Wipe on Rust wipe day for the monthly force wipe.
  • Use Wipe Server for weekly or custom wipes.

If you want:

  • Weekly wipes
  • But to skip Rust’s monthly force wipe day

This cannot currently be configured directly in the scheduler interface and may require custom logic.

Summary of Differences

FeatureWipe ServerWipe on Rust wipe day
Manual or ScheduledBothScheduled Only
Weekly schedulingYesNo
Monthly numeric date schedulingYesNo
Detects first Thursday automaticallyNoYes
Designed for Rust force wipeNoYes

If you are unsure which option to use, we recommend using Wipe on Rust wipe day for monthly wipes and Wipe Server for any additional weekly wipes.

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