Space Engineers Server Name & Description Setup

This guide walks you through setting the name and description of a Space Engineers dedicated server. You’ll learn where these settings live, how to edit them correctly, and how to avoid common pitfalls that can leave your server unnamed or with a broken description.

What You’ll Need

• Access to the server’s file system (either local or via FTP/SSH).
• A text editor that saves as UTF-8 (Notepad++, VS Code, or even Notepad on Windows works).
• The server must be stopped before editing the configuration file.
• Basic familiarity with XML structure (tags, attributes).

Step-by-Step

1. Stop the server. If the server is running, shut it down gracefully. Editing files while the server is running can cause your changes to be overwritten when the server saves its state.
2. Locate the configuration file. The file is named SpaceEngineers-Dedicated.cfg. It is typically found in the root folder of your dedicated server installation. If you’re using a hosting provider, it’s usually in the main server directory. If you can’t find it, search for *.cfg in the server folder.
3. Back up the file. Copy SpaceEngineers-Dedicated.cfg to a safe location (like your local computer) before making any changes. This allows you to revert if something goes wrong.
4. Open the file in a text editor. Right-click the file and choose “Open with” then select your text editor. Do not use a word processor like Microsoft Word, as it may save in a format the game can’t read.
5. Find the <ServerName> tag. Use the search function (Ctrl+F) to locate <ServerName>. It will look like this: <ServerName>My Server</ServerName>. Replace the text between the opening and closing tags with your desired server name. For example: <ServerName>Galactic Frontier</ServerName>.
6. Find the <ServerDescription> tag. Search for <ServerDescription>. It will look like <ServerDescription>A friendly PvE server</ServerDescription>. Replace the text between the tags with your description. You can include things like gameplay style, rules, or a welcome message. For example: <ServerDescription>Welcome! PvE-focused, with mods. Active admins. Discord: discord.gg/example</ServerDescription>.
7. Save the file. Save the file with the same name and location. Ensure the encoding is UTF-8 (most editors default to this). If your editor asks about encoding, choose UTF-8.
8. Start the server. Launch the server again. It will read the configuration file and apply your changes. The new name and description should appear in the server browser.

Common Mistakes

• Editing while the server is running. The server may overwrite your changes when it shuts down or saves. Always stop the server first.
• Using the wrong file. Some hosts have a separate SpaceEngineers-Dedicated.cfg for the game and a Server.cfg for other settings. Make sure you’re editing the correct one.
• Leaving special characters unescaped. XML reserves certain characters: &, <, >, ", and '. If you use them in your name or description, they will break the file. For example, use & for an ampersand, and < for a less-than sign.
• Forgetting to save the file in UTF-8. If you save with a different encoding, special characters (like é or ü) may display incorrectly or cause errors.
• Exceeding character limits. The server name has a maximum length (usually around 64 characters). The description is longer but still limited. Keep it concise.

Tips

• Use a unique name. A distinctive name helps players find your server in the list. Avoid generic names like “My Server” or “Survival”.
• Keep the description informative. Mention the game mode (Survival/Creative), PvE/PvP, mods, difficulty, and any rules. This helps players decide if they want to join.
• Test locally. If you’re new to editing, test on a local server before applying to a live one. This lets you verify the file is valid.
• Use a backup. Always keep a backup of a working config. If your edit breaks something, you can quickly restore.
• Check the log. If the server fails to start after editing, check the server log file (usually SpaceEngineers-Dedicated.log) for errors. It will often point to the exact line that caused the problem.

Troubleshooting

• Server won’t start after editing. This almost always means the XML is malformed. Revert to your backup, then carefully redo the edit. Double-check that all tags are properly closed and that you didn’t accidentally delete a bracket.
• Name/description doesn’t change in the browser. The server browser may cache old information. Wait a few minutes or restart the server again. Also, ensure you edited the correct file—some hosts use a separate config for the Steam query.
• Special characters appear as gibberish. This is an encoding issue. Save the file as UTF-8 without BOM (Byte Order Mark). In Notepad++, use “Encoding > Encode in UTF-8 without BOM”.
• Changes revert after a server restart. This happens if the server is not shutting down cleanly or if there’s a script that regenerates the config. Make sure you stop the server using the proper command (e.g., stop in the console) and wait for it to fully exit before editing.
• Server name shows as blank. This can occur if the <ServerName> tag is empty or contains only whitespace. Put at least one character between the tags.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I use HTML or formatting in the description?
A: No. The description is plain text. HTML tags will be displayed as literal text or may break the config.

Q: How long can the server name be?
A: The game limits the server name to 64 characters. The description is longer, but keep it under a few hundred characters for readability.

Q: Can I change the name and description while the server is running?
A: Not by editing the file. You can use the in-game admin commands or server console commands (if available) to change the name on the fly, but the file is only read at startup.

Q: My server is hosted by a provider. Can I edit the config file?
A: Yes, most providers give you access via a file manager or FTP. Some control panels also have fields for server name and description. Check your host’s documentation.

Q: What if I want the description to have line breaks?
A: You can use 
 (newline character) in the XML to create line breaks. For example: Line1
Line2.

Q: Why does my server name show the default “Space Engineers Server”?
A: This usually means the config file wasn’t read correctly. Check that the file is in the right location and that the XML is valid. Also, ensure the server is stopped when editing.

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