Change any Windrose server setting in two places: the Server Options page in the Game Panel for the most common fields, or R5/ServerDescription.json in the File Manager for the full list. Restart your server after any change.
Where Windrose Settings Live
Settings are stored in two places, and both write to the same underlying config:
- Server Options (Game Panel): the most common settings exposed as labelled form fields (invite code, server password, direct connection toggle, and others). Easiest place to start.
R5/ServerDescription.json(File Manager): the complete server config. Use this when a setting isn’t exposed in Server Options.
Method A: Change a Setting in Server Options
Try this first. Most common settings are here.
- Log in to the Game Control Panel
- Select your Windrose server
- In the sidebar, click Server Options
- Find the setting you want to change (press CTRL+F to search)
- Edit the value in the field
- Click Save
- Click Restart to apply the change
If your setting isn’t on this page, use Method B.
Method B: Edit ServerDescription.json
Use this when a setting isn’t in Server Options.
- In the Game Control Panel sidebar, click File Manager
- Open
R5/ServerDescription.json - Find the setting you want to change (press CTRL+F to search)
- Edit the value, keeping the JSON syntax intact. Don’t remove the quotes around strings, and keep the commas between fields.
- Click Save
- Return to the dashboard and click Restart
Confirming Your Change
- Wait for the server status to show Online. This usually takes 1-2 minutes.
- Reconnect using your invite code. See How to Connect to Your Windrose Server.
- Verify the new behaviour in-game.
Troubleshooting
The change didn’t apply. You probably skipped the restart. Settings load when the server starts. They don’t hot-reload while the server is running.
Server won’t come back online after editing ServerDescription.json. A JSON syntax error is the most likely cause. Open the file in the File Manager, look for missing commas or unmatched quotes near your edit, and fix them. If you’re stuck, restore from a recent automatic backup (see Backing Up Your Windrose Server).
Setting not found in either place. A small number of values are controlled by command-line arguments on the Startup page, or by other files inside R5/. Open a support ticket with the setting name and we’ll point you at the right file.
Frequently Asked Questions
Windrose loads settings at startup. Click Restart in the Game Panel after saving for the change to apply.
Open R5/ServerDescription.json in the File Manager. The Game Panel exposes the most common fields, but the full list of server settings lives in that config file.
No. Both reference the same underlying config. Editing the file is just an alternate way to change the same settings.