Setting a Custom Server Banner on Your Rust Server

Why bother with a custom banner

The default header on a Rust server blends into every other listing on the browser. A custom banner is the cheapest way to make your community recognizable at a glance, and the process is short once you know what Rust expects. The steps below cover preparing the image, hosting it somewhere reachable, and applying it through either the control panel or a direct edit of `server.cfg`.

Image requirements

Before touching anything else, make sure your file matches Rust's expectations. The server will reject or render a broken banner if any of these are off.

• Dimensions of either 512x256 or 1024x512 pixels.
• File format .png or .jpg.
• Hosted on a service that returns a direct download link (Dropbox, Imgur direct link, or any static host you control).

Preparing the image

Most source images will not arrive in the right ratio, so a quick resize is usually unavoidable.

1. Pick the artwork you want to use.
2. Open an online image resizer and upload the file.
3. Choose Custom dimensions and type in one of the two sizes listed above.

1. Apply the resize and download the result somewhere you will remember.

1. Upload the final file to Dropbox (or your preferred host) and copy the public share link.

Applying the banner from the control panel

This is the friendlier path and the one most server owners will use.

1. Open your HolyHosting control panel and stop the Rust server.
2. Click the Customizations tab in the side menu.
3. Find the field labeled Server Header Banner.

1. Paste your share link into that field.
2. If the link is from Dropbox, swap the trailing `dl=0` for `dl=1` so Rust receives the raw file instead of the preview page.

1. Start the server again. The new banner will appear once Rust finishes loading.

Applying the banner through FTP

If you prefer working in config files, or the customizations field is not behaving, edit `server.cfg` directly.

1. Stop the server from the control panel.
2. Open the FTP file manager and log in with your credentials.
3. Drill into your server folder, then your world folder, then `cfg`.

1. Find `server.cfg` and open it with the editor.
2. Add the following line, swapping `[URL Goes Here]` for your image link:

``` server.headerimage "[URL Goes Here]" ```

1. If the URL is a Dropbox share, remember to change `dl=0` to `dl=1`.

1. Save the file and start the server.

Troubleshooting

The banner shows a question mark. The host is failing to fetch the image. Double-check the dimensions and file type first, then confirm the share link is direct and not pointing at an HTML preview page.

The banner appears blank. This usually means Rust cached the old version. Restart both the server and your game client, and the updated image should show up on the next refresh.

The image looks washed out. Rust compresses banners aggressively. If the quality drop is severe, jump to `1024x512` so the engine has more pixels to work with before it crunches them down.