Rust Console Server Wipe Day Checklist

Short Answer

Most wipe-day incidents come from the same root cause: anything tied to map position does not survive a wipe. Zones, ORP zones, and saved homes all reference coordinates on a map that no longer exists.

The second most common cause is hosts rotating RCON credentials during a wipe or reinstall, which silently breaks the bot connection before you have started anything else.

Work in this order, because each step depends on the one before it:

1. Connection
2. Map-specific systems (zones, ORP, homes)
3. Economy and progression decisions
4. Feeds and alerts
5. A live smoke test before you announce

What Survives a Wipe and What Does Not

Survives	Must be re-checked or re-placed
Server entry and settings	RCON password and port (hosts often rotate these)
Discord roles and channels	Zones — positions are map-specific
Shop catalogue and prices	ORP zones — removed with the map
Kit definitions	Player homes — positions no longer exist
Bind and command definitions	Anything referencing a monument location

1. Connection First

Nothing else can be validated until commands reach the server.

/server list
/cmd send command:"fps"
/whoson

If /cmd send fails, stop and fix it before touching anything else — most "everything is broken" wipe days are one stale RCON password. See Why WebRCON Is Not Connecting.

2. Replace Map-Specific Systems

Zones

Every zone position refers to the old map. Re-place each one and verify its rules are still correct. Keep a written list of your standard zones between wipes so this is re-placement rather than redesign. See Zones Setup.

Offline raid protection

ORP zones are removed with the map. Confirm ORP is still enabled and that your Activation Time, Expires In, Size, and Minimum Team values are the ones you intend for this wipe — this is the right moment to change them, and the wrong moment is mid-wipe. See How ORP Works.

TP home

Saved homes point at coordinates that no longer exist. Confirm the feature is enabled, profiles are intact, and delay and cooldown are still what you want. See TP Home Setup.

3. Decide Economy and Progression Before Players Log In

• Are balances resetting this wipe? Decide and announce it before the wipe, not after.
• Are shop prices changing? Wipe day is the only clean time to change them.
• Is the battle pass resetting? Confirm progression state matches your announcement.
• Is a double XP event scheduled? Set it now rather than reactively.

See Economy Without Inflation.

4. Feeds and Alerts

Confirm each of these still posts to the right channel:

• Killfeed
• Player join/leave feed
• Admin action feed
• Raid alerts
• ORP feed
• TP home feed

A feed that points at a deleted or renamed channel fails silently, so check by triggering one rather than by reading settings.

5. Smoke Test Before You Announce

Do this with a real account, not by inspecting configuration:

1. Join the server as a normal player.
2. Trigger a killfeed event and confirm it appears in Discord.
3. Claim a starter kit.
4. Set a home and teleport to it.
5. Enter a zone and confirm its rules apply.
6. Run one economy command end to end.
7. Confirm staff commands work for a moderator, not just for you.

Only announce the wipe once all seven pass. Announcing first and testing after is what turns a small misconfiguration into a flood of reports during your highest-traffic hour.

Keep a Runbook

The owners who have quiet wipe days are the ones who work from a written list rather than memory. Record your standard zone layout, your ORP and TP values, your price list, and which channel each feed belongs in. Re-checking a list takes minutes; rediscovering it takes the whole day.

Related Pages

• Troubleshooting
• Common Setup Mistakes
• Server Connection Guide
• Zones Setup