Counter-Strike: Source server is not in the browser

A Source server that runs but does not appear in the list is nearly always one of these.

1. Prove the server works

Open the game console and run connect IP:Port with the details from your panel. If that works, the server is healthy and the rest of this is about the browser.

2. sv_lan must be 0

1. Stop the server and open cstrike/cfg/server.cfg.
2. Set sv_lan 0.
3. Save and start the server.

With sv_lan 1 the server never advertises itself, which looks exactly like a broken server from outside.

3. Check the browser tab and filters

• Look on the Internet tab, not LAN.
• Clear the filters for empty servers, full servers and password protected servers.
• Search on part of the hostname rather than the whole string.
• Add the server to Favorites once found, so you never have to search again.

4. Give it a few minutes

The master list takes time to pick up a newly started server. Favourites and the connect command both work immediately.

5. Check the console for errors

1. Open the Console tab in the panel and restart the server.
2. Read the first 40 lines. A missing map, a broken plugin or a config error stops the server before it registers.
3. Run status once it is up. It reports the map, the player count and the address the server thinks it has.

6. After a plugin change

A plugin that crashes on load can take the server down on every map change, which looks like the server disappearing at random. Move the last plugin you added out of cstrike/addons/sourcemod/plugins and restart to prove it.

Open a ticket from Support in the Client Area with the console output if the connect command also fails.