---
title: "How to Make Your Forest Server Private: A Step-by-Step Guide"
description: Use this guide to learn how to make your dedicated server for The Forest private.
source: "https://nodecraft.com/support/games/the-forest/how-to-set-your-the-forest-server-to-private"
image: "https://dynamic-assets.nodecraft.com/signedurl/w7vokBAexMnVlnMZ1Q/image.jpg?modifications=W3sibmFtZSI6ImdhbWVfYmciLCJpbWFnZV91cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2Ntcy1hLm5vZGVjcmFmdC5jb20vZi8xMzM5MzIvMjAwMXg1NTEvNzNlZmM4ODlkYi90aGUtZm9yZXN0LWxhbmRpbmcucG5nL20vIn0seyJuYW1lIjoiZ2FtZV9sb2dvIiwiaW1hZ2VfdXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9jbXMtYS5ub2RlY3JhZnQuY29tL2YvMTMzOTMyLzgzNngyNjAvNDljOGViZTA2Yy90aGUtZm9yZXN0LWxvZ28ucG5nL20vIn0seyJuYW1lIjoiY3RhX3RleHQiLCJ0ZXh0IjoiQ3JlYXRlIHlvdXIgb3duIHNlcnZlciEifSx7Im5hbWUiOiJ0ZXh0IiwidGV4dCI6IkhvdyB0byBNYWtlIFlvdXIgRm9yZXN0IFNlcnZlciBQcml2YXRlOiBBIFN0ZXAtYnktU3RlcCBHdWlkZSJ9XQ&s=6fdadaae55e6a989f6411c58ad8c7f14a64e9a8000c9c5f6b4221139709fd0bb"
updated: "2024-09-18T20:52:00.000Z"
---

# How to Make Your Forest Server Private: A Step-by-Step Guide

Use this guide to learn how to make your dedicated server for The Forest private.

Want to make sure only invited players can join your The Forest game server? Setting your server to private will prevent any uninvited players from accessing your game. This is done by creating a server password, which players must enter every time they try to connect to your The Forest server.

## Setting up a Server Password

There are two methods to set a password for your The Forest game server: through the Nodecraft Pro Panel or by editing the server config file.

**Note:** Make sure the server is offline when editing server files to ensure the changes are saved.* *

### Edit the Game Settings in the Control Panel

1. Open the Nodecraft Pro Panel for your The Forest game server.
2. Navigate to the **Game Settings** tab and locate the **Basic** tab.
3. Locate the **Server Password** field and enter your desired password.

### Click Submit to save your changes.  
![location for adding server password](https://cms-a.nodecraft.com/f/133932/1536x763/9243dab056/game_settings_the_forest.png/m/)  
![added server password and submit](https://cms-a.nodecraft.com/f/133932/747x860/6bfecdd040/server_password_game_settings.png/m/)  
Manually Edit the `server.cfg` Configuration File

1. Open the Nodecraft Pro Panel for your The Forest game server.
2. Navigate to the **Server Files** tab and locate the `server.cfg` configuration file.
3. Select **Edit** to open the config file and manually input your desired server password.
4. Once the password has been entered, click **Save Changes**.  
  ![how to edit the server.cfg file](https://cms-a.nodecraft.com/f/133932/1845x910/c8d3db9f60/location_server_cfg.png/m/1000x0/smart)![Added password and select save for adding the password](https://cms-a.nodecraft.com/f/133932/1860x709/5a7adc6b4e/password_server_cfg.png/m/1000x0/smart)

## Verify Your Server is Private

To confirm your The Forest server is now set to private, look for a lock symbol next to your game server's name in the server list.   
![Server list with server name](https://cms-a.nodecraft.com/f/133932/1466x836/69dfdd62d0/server_list_the_forest.png/m/1000x0/smart)![Inputting password for the Forest server](https://cms-a.nodecraft.com/f/133932/713x609/0d71f3bd7c/join_prompt_the_forest.png/m/)Now, your The Forest game server is safe and secure! Only players who have your server password will be able to connect to your server.

If you encounter any issues or have questions, don't hesitate to contact our support team for assistance with your The Forest game server.