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NolimitHost

How to Edit Your Team Fortress 2 Server Config Files

Last updated: September 18, 2026

Most of your Team Fortress 2 server's behaviour is controlled by config files in the tf/cfg folder. This guide shows you how they work and how to edit them safely.

The Config Files

File When it runs Purpose
tf/cfg/server.cfg On every map change The main server config: name, password, RCON password, gameplay settings, and downloads.
tf/cfg/autoexec.cfg Once, when the server starts Settings that should apply before the first map loads.
tf/cfg/mapcycle.txt On every map change The map rotation. See Change the Map.
Tip: If server.cfg does not exist yet, create it in tf/cfg yourself. It is not generated automatically.

Step 1: Edit the Config

  1. Log in to the NolimitHost Game Panel and select your TF2 server.
  2. Stop the server from the Console page.
  3. In the left sidebar, click Files, open the tf/cfg folder, and edit server.cfg.
  4. Save the file.

Example server.cfg

hostname "My TF2 Server"
sv_password ""
rcon_password "change-this-to-something-strong"

mp_timelimit 30
mp_maxrounds 5
sv_pure 1
sv_cheats 0
sv_region 255

sv_downloadurl "https://fastdl.example.com/tf/"
sv_allowdownload 1

log on
Important: Never leave rcon_password empty or easy to guess. An open RCON console is one of the most common ways Source servers get hijacked.

Step 2: Apply Your Changes

Start the server from the Console page. Because server.cfg runs on every map change, you can also reload it without a full restart by typing exec server.cfg into the server console.

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