Any SCP: Secret Laboratory server can be joined by its address as soon as it is running. Finding it by name in the server browser only becomes possible once Northwood has verified it, so for a new server the address is the way in.
What to send your players
Your players need the full address from the connection card on the Overview tab of the control panel: IP and port together, for example 203.0.113.10:25600. The copy button takes both at once.
Do not drop the port. Direct Connect fills in 7777 when none is typed, and servers sharing a machine each run on a port of their own, so an IP on its own leads nowhere.
Direct Connect, step by step
- Launch SCP: Secret Laboratory through Steam. It is free to play, so your friends do not have to buy anything.
- Choose Play, then Server Browser.
- Click the Direct Connect icon.
- Enter the IP and port, then connect.
Finding a verified server by name
Once Northwood has verified your server, it shows up in the Server Browser. Search for an unusual word from its name. The filters (Internet, Favourites, Official, History, Friends) narrow things down, and a player who adds the server to Favourites finds it there from then on. To get listed in the first place, read getting your server verified.
A hostname instead of numbers
Got a domain of your own? Then an SRV record named _scpsl._udp.<name> lets players type a hostname into Direct Connect in place of IP and port. Game version 13.2 and later understand it. Point the record at your server's IP and port. It works on unverified servers too, but verification itself always runs on the IPv4 address, never on a domain.
Whitelisted servers
With the whitelist switched on, only players listed in UserIDWhitelist.txt get in. Each entry is a SteamID64 followed by @steam. Where that file lives is covered in setting up your server.
Troubleshooting
"The specified host is not available". The address is missing its port, or the server is not running. The console prints Waiting for players.. when it is ready.
Nobody can find the server in the browser. It is not verified. Join with Direct Connect.
Joining broke right after a game patch. Players update through Steam first, and the server pulls the new build when it starts. Restart it from the panel.
Players see a full server. Increase max_players (it lives in config_gameplay.txt), then restart. A verified server has to stay at 60 or below.
One player is turned away from a private server. Their whitelist line is missing, or it lacks @steam.
Frequently asked questions
Do my friends need to buy the game? No. SCP: Secret Laboratory is free on Steam.
Why is my port not 7777? Each server on a shared machine has its own port. The one on your connection card is the one that counts.
Will the server turn up in the list by itself after a while? No. Northwood only lists verified servers, and verification is something you apply for.
Still cannot connect? Contact support with your server address. No server yet? See SCP: Secret Laboratory server hosting.
