Game Server Auto-Restart: Crash Recovery and Scheduled Restarts
Game servers crash. Without auto-restart configured, a crashed server stays down until you notice, log in, and restart it manually. Here is what the panel supports and how to set it up.
Types of restart
Crash auto-restart
The server process is monitored. If it exits unexpectedly, it is automatically relaunched. This is the most fundamental type and should always be enabled.
Scheduled restart
The server is stopped and restarted at a defined time regardless of its state. Used for routine maintenance, memory management, and wipe preparation.
Admin-triggered restart
An admin issues a command via the panel, RCON, or in-game to restart the server cleanly with a grace period for players to finish what they are doing.
Crash auto-restart
Our panel monitors the server process and relaunches it if it exits unexpectedly. Crash detection works by watching the process exit code. If the server terminates without a clean stop signal from the panel, it is considered a crash and restarted automatically. The restart typically completes in under a minute for most games.
Crash loop warning
Auto-restart does not fix a server that crashes on startup. If the server crashes immediately after launch, auto-restart creates a loop of instant restarts. Disable auto-restart temporarily, check the crash logs, fix the underlying issue, then re-enable. The crash log will usually indicate what caused the exit.
Stuck process detection -- where the server is running but not responding to players -- is a separate concern. This requires a watchdog plugin or heartbeat check rather than process-level monitoring. Crash auto-restart cannot detect a live-but-unresponsive server.
Why scheduled restarts help
A daily restart at low-traffic hours gives you several benefits regardless of whether the server is crashing:
- Memory leak prevention. Game servers, especially modded ones, can slowly consume more memory over time. A restart clears accumulated state that would otherwise cause degraded performance.
- Log management. Large log files can be trimmed or archived on restart.
- Plugin state reset. Some plugins behave more reliably after a full restart cycle.
- Pre-peak clean start. Restarting before high-traffic periods (weekend evenings, wipe day) ensures the server enters those hours in a clean state.
Common schedule: daily at 04:00-06:00 in your player base's timezone. For Rust: a restart before each wipe is also standard.
How to configure in the panel
Crash auto-restart
Enabled by default for all servers on our platform. No configuration needed.
Scheduled restart
Available in the server's Schedules tab. Create a new schedule, set a cron time, and add a Restart Server action. You can chain actions: for example, run a backup action before the restart action.
Cron time examples
# 04:00 UTC daily 0 4 * * * # Every Monday at 03:00 UTC 0 3 * * 1 # First day of the month at 02:00 UTC 0 2 1 * *
Scheduled restart timing is based on UTC. Adjust for your player base's timezone when setting cron times. Use crontab.guru to verify your cron expression.
Notifying players before a restart
Give players time to find shelter, save progress, or finish what they are doing. Chain a notification step before the restart action in your schedule.
Configure a Discord notification webhook in the panel to post a message to your community's Discord channel a few minutes before the restart fires.
Chain a RCON broadcast command in your schedule before the restart action. The command pushes a message to all connected players.
A Lua-based MOTD notification or ULX "say" command can broadcast a countdown. Chain this as a scheduled action before the restart, or use a restart-warning addon.
Chain a console command (say Server restarting in 5 minutes) as a scheduled action that fires before the restart task.
Caveats and limitations
- Auto-restart does not fix a misconfigured server. If a plugin or config file is causing the crash, the server will keep crashing after each auto-restart.
- If your server is crash-looping, disable auto-restart temporarily, check the latest crash log, fix the underlying issue, then re-enable.
- Scheduled restarts should not overlap with high-population periods. Check your server's peak player hours before setting the schedule.
- Very frequent restarts (more than once per hour) are not normal and indicate a problem that needs investigation, not a restart policy that needs adjusting.
- Auto-restart reduces unplanned downtime but does not eliminate it. A server that takes 45 seconds to start will still have 45 seconds of downtime after a crash.
Crash auto-restart included by default
Our panel includes crash auto-restart enabled by default and a scheduler for daily or pre-wipe restarts. See what is included in each plan.
Frequently asked questions
Does my game server automatically restart if it crashes?
Yes, if you are hosted with us. Our panel monitors the server process and relaunches it automatically if it exits unexpectedly. This works for all game types we support.
How do I set up a scheduled daily restart for my game server?
In the panel, go to your server's Schedules tab, create a new schedule, set a cron time (e.g. 0 4 * * * for 04:00 UTC daily), and add a Restart Server action. You can also chain additional actions like backups before the restart.
Will auto-restart fix a server that keeps crashing?
No. Auto-restart relaunches the server process after a crash, but if the crash is caused by a broken plugin, bad config, or a bug triggered on startup, the server will crash again immediately. Check your crash logs to identify the root cause before relying on auto-restart.
Why do game servers benefit from a daily restart?
Over time, game servers can consume more memory due to slow leaks in plugins or the game engine. A daily restart clears this accumulated state, rotates logs, and keeps the server in a clean condition. Rust servers in particular benefit from a restart before peak play periods.
How do I notify players before a scheduled restart?
You can configure a Discord webhook notification via the panel, and chain a broadcast command (RCON say, Minecraft console say, or a GMod Lua plugin) as a schedule action that fires a few minutes before the restart action.
What is the difference between crash auto-restart and a watchdog?
Crash auto-restart detects when the server process has exited (terminated). A watchdog actively checks whether the server is responsive -- it can detect a stuck server that is still running as a process but not serving players. Our panel handles crash detection; game-specific watchdog tools are available as plugins for games like Rust (via Oxide) or Minecraft.