How to Set a Password on Your Left 4 Dead Server
Learn how to password protect your Left 4 Dead server for private sessions and restricted access.
Setting a server password restricts access to only players who know the password. This is useful for private campaign runs with friends, community events, or competitive practice sessions.
Setting Your Server Password
Open the XGamingServer panel
Log in to the XGamingServer panel and stop your Left 4 Dead server.
Open server.cfg
In the sidebar, go to Files and navigate to left4dead > cfg. Open server.cfg.
Set the password
Add or update the sv_password line:
sv_password "YourServerPassword"Make sure the password is enclosed in double quotes.
Save and restart
Click Save and start your server.
Players will now be prompted to enter the password when connecting through the server browser or via direct connect.
How Password Protection Works
- Server browser — Your server still appears in the Steam server browser, but with a lock icon indicating it requires a password.
- Console connect — Players can include the password in their connect command:
connect 198.137.23.46:27015; password YourServerPassword - Steam invites — Friends who receive a Steam game invite will still need to enter the password when joining.
Removing the Password
Stop your server
Stop your server from the XGamingServer panel.
Clear the password
Open server.cfg and either remove the sv_password line entirely, or set it to empty:
sv_password ""Setting a Password via RCON
If you have RCON access, you can set or remove the password while the server is running:
To set a password:
rcon sv_password "NewPassword"To remove the password:
rcon sv_password ""📝 Note: Password changes made via RCON are temporary and revert on server restart or map change. For permanent changes, update
server.cfg.
Server Password vs. RCON Password
Left 4 Dead has two separate passwords:
| Password | Purpose | Config Command |
|---|---|---|
Server Password (sv_password) | Controls who can join the server | sv_password "password" |
RCON Password (rcon_password) | Controls who can manage the server remotely | rcon_password "password" |
These are completely independent. Setting a server password doesn't affect RCON access, and vice versa. Always use different passwords for each.
💡 Tip: For private sessions with friends, set the password before your play session and share it over Discord or a private message. Remove it afterward if you want to keep the server open during off-hours.
If you get stuck at any time, you can join our Discord.
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