Don't Starve TogetherDon't Starve Together Server Configuration Generator
Set your Don't Starve Together server settings online and configure your server without writing cluster.ini by hand: choose the server name, game mode, PvP, player count, and more using a form or AI Easy Mode, then check the server config live and copy or download it. Free and no sign-up required, including Easy Mode.
Built by Florian Galz
Example result
Example: the generated cluster.ini
You set the options using a form or AI Easy Mode, and the generator creates the finished cluster.ini for Don't Starve Together live. Below are the first lines of the default configuration; your file contains your values and all other settings.
Example · Default configuration
Output
; Don't Starve Together — generated with the ZAP-Hosting Game Config Generator; zap-hosting.com/tools/dont-starve-together/config-generator [NETWORK]cluster_name=ZAP Don't Starve Together Servercluster_description=A Don't Starve Together server hosted with ZAP-Hostingcluster_password=cluster_intention=cooperativeenable_vote_kick=falseautosaver_enabled=truetick_rate=15 [GAMEPLAY]game_mode=survivalmax_players=16- +6 rowsYou can copy or download the complete file in the generator; the sample lines here only show the beginning.
Settings
These cluster.ini settings are set by the generator
Configure a Don't Starve Together server without typos: the generator writes these 13 values to the [NETWORK], [GAMEPLAY], and [MISC] sections of cluster.ini, with text values unquoted and switches as lowercase true or false.
| Key | Section | Default value | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| cluster_name | Section: [NETWORK] | Default value: ZAP Don't Starve Together Server | Your server's name in the server browser, up to 100 characters. |
| cluster_description | Section: [NETWORK] | Default value: A Don't Starve Together server hosted with ZAP-Hosting | Description shown in the server details in the server browser, up to 500 characters. |
| cluster_password | Section: [NETWORK] | Default value: – | Password to join, up to 64 characters. Leave it blank to make your server public. |
| game_mode | Section: [GAMEPLAY] | Default value: survival | Game mode: survival (the world resets when everyone dies), endless (revive at the portal) or wilderness (permadeath). |
| max_players | Section: [GAMEPLAY] | Default value: 16 | How many players can be connected at the same time, from 1 to 64. |
| pvp | Section: [GAMEPLAY] | Default value: false | Determines whether players can damage each other. |
| cluster_intention | Section: [NETWORK] | Default value: cooperative | Category in the server browser: cooperative, competitive, social, or madness. It helps players find a suitable server. |
| pause_when_empty | Section: [GAMEPLAY] | Default value: true | Pauses the world while no players are connected. Recommended: on. |
| vote_enabled | Section: [GAMEPLAY] | Default value: true | Enables in-game votes, such as kicking a player, rolling back to an earlier save or regenerating the world. |
| enable_vote_kick | Section: [NETWORK] | Default value: false | Allows players to vote to kick a disruptive player. |
| autosaver_enabled | Section: [NETWORK] | Default value: true | Automatically saves the world at regular intervals. |
| console_enabled | Section: [MISC] | Default value: true | Allows admins to use the in-game Lua console. |
| tick_rate | Section: [NETWORK] | Default value: 15 | Network updates per second, from 15 to 60. Higher values reduce input lag but use more bandwidth and CPU. |
What the Generator Intentionally Does Not Cover
- cluster_token.txt: The Klei server token is stored in a separate file; the generator does not create it.
- server.ini: The file for the Master and Caves shards is preconfigured and is not part of the generator.
- cluster_key under [SHARD]: The generator deliberately omits this value.
- World generation and Mods: the generator has no fields for these.
Guide
How to configure your Don't Starve Together server
From the default cluster.ini to restarting: how to get your Don't Starve Together server config onto the server.
- 1
Step 1
Open generator
The generator starts with a default cluster.ini, which you can see immediately in the live preview. If you already have a cluster.ini, import it as an .ini or .txt file up to 2 MB or paste its contents.
- 2
Step 2
Describe Server or Set Fields
In “Easy” mode, describe your server to the AI in your own words or choose an example, such as a small password-protected PvP server in Endless mode. Only the suggestions you confirm are applied. In “Advanced” mode, you set each field yourself.
- 3
Step 3
Enter server name, description and password
Give your server a name and description for the server browser. Set a password for a private server; without one, it remains public.
- 4
Step 4
Set gameplay options
Choose the game mode (Survival, Endless or Wilderness), maximum player count from 1 to 64, PvP, server browser category, whether to pause when the server is empty and whether voting is allowed.
- 5
Step 5
Configure voting and administration
Turn vote kicks, autosave and the in-game console on or off, and set the network tick rate between 15 and 60.
- 6
Step 6
Check preview and export
Check cluster.ini in the live preview. Then copy it, download it or share a link that does not contain your password.
- 7
Step 7
Upload the file and restart the server
Place the file on your server at <cluster-name>/cluster.ini and restart the server. Don't Starve Together reads cluster.ini only at startup.
Setup
File location & usage
Two ways to get the config onto a server: upload it yourself or apply it directly in our panel.
The manual method
On a self-hosted server
- 1
Download file
Download the generated cluster.ini using the button above.
- 2
Upload via file manager or FTP/SFTP
Place in
~/.klei/DoNotStarveTogether/<cluster-name>/cluster.ini(Linux) or%USERPROFILE%\Documents\Klei\DoNotStarveTogether\<cluster-name>\cluster.ini(Windows). - 3
Apply changes
Don't Starve Together only reads cluster.ini at startup — restart your server for the changes to take effect.
The ZAP-Hosting way
Startup parameters in the panel
Rent a Don't Starve Together server from us: there, the server image regenerates cluster.ini on every start. You set the values using the startup parameters in the panel. Settings without a startup parameter are lost on the next start.
- Startup parameters directly in the panel
- No FTP client required
- Online in 60 seconds
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FAQ
FAQs about Don't Starve Together cluster.ini
File location, game modes, player count, restarts and generator limitations, explained briefly.
In your cluster folder: <cluster-name>/cluster.ini on Linux, <cluster-name>\cluster.ini on Windows. On a ZAP-Hosting server, you can open and edit it through the File Manager in the Customer Panel.
game_mode has three values: survival is the default, where the world resets when all players are dead. In endless, players respawn at the portal. wilderness means permadeath.
In the generator, you can set max_players from 1 to 64; the default is 16. The new number takes effect once the server restarts with the updated cluster.ini.
It sets cluster_intention to cooperative (default), competitive, social or madness. The server browser shows this category so players can find a server that suits their playstyle.
No. Copying or downloading does not change your server: upload the file and restart the server, because Don't Starve Together only reads cluster.ini at startup. On ZAP-Hosting, cluster.ini is regenerated every time the server starts. The server name, description, password, maximum player count, game mode and PvP are preserved because they are saved as startup parameters. The other values in an uploaded file are lost at the next startup.
No, it only generates cluster.ini. The server.ini files for the Master and Caves shards are preconfigured, and the Klei token goes in a separate cluster_token.txt file. The generator has no fields for world generation or mods.
Describe the server you want in your own words, or choose an example such as a public cooperative Survival server or a hardcore Wilderness server. The AI suggests suitable values, explains each change, and applies only what you confirm. Your server password is not sent to the AI.
Yes. The form, Easy Mode, importing, copying, downloading, and shareable links are free and require no sign-up. Easy Mode is briefly rate-limited to prevent excessive requests. The password field is masked, and a shareable link contains only the non-secret values you've changed, never your password.
Any more questions?
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