Bannerlord Custom Server Not Showing in the List: How to Fix It

When a Bannerlord custom server is running but missing from the in game Custom Server List, the cause is usually one of four things: the auth token expired (they last three months), the server is on an older build than the players after a patch, the config never tells the server to start a game, or UDP port 7210 is not reachable. Check them in that order. A server that worked for weeks and then vanished is almost always the token.

How listing works

A Bannerlord custom server registers itself with TaleWorlds' services using an auth token made from a game owner's account. The Custom Server List shows what TaleWorlds knows about, and players then connect to your server directly over UDP. That gives three separate places to fail: the token, the game version, and the network.

Bannerlord multiplayer cavalry charge

Fix 1: Renew the auth token

Tokens expire after three months. When it lapses, the server can still start but it drops off the list.

Start Bannerlord and go into Multiplayer, logged into the lobby.
Press Alt and ~ to open the console.
Type customserver.gettoken and press Enter.
Open Documents\Mount & Blade II Bannerlord\Tokens and copy the token file's contents.
Give the server the new token, either as the token file on that machine or with /dedicatedcustomserverauthtoken on the launch line, and restart.

Signs it is the token: the server was fine for a while, nothing changed, and the server log mentions a failed login or authentication with the custom server service around start. If the token was copied with a missing character or a line break, you see the same thing on a brand new server.

Tokens are tied to your account, so a token generated by a friend who later leaves the group still works until it expires, but you will need someone with the game to make the next one.

Fix 2: Update after a patch

When TaleWorlds patches the game, players update through Steam right away. A server on the previous build either disappears from their list or refuses their join with a version message.

Self hosted: stop the server, run SteamCMD with +app_update 1863440 validate, start it again.
Hosted with auto update: restart, and the update runs at start.

Also check you did not opt the server or the players into a beta branch. Everyone, server included, must be on the same branch.

Fix 3: Make sure the config starts a game

The server reads your config file from Modules\Native line by line. Commands like ServerName and GameType only set things up. Per TaleWorlds' documentation, start_game is what makes the server visible, and start_mission begins the match. The sample configs use the combined command at the end:

enable_automated_battle_switching
start_game_and_mission

Without one of these, the server sits ready in the console and never shows up. Other config mistakes that stop a listing:

Wrong file name. The /dedicatedcustomserverconfigfile argument must match the file name exactly, and the file must be in Modules\Native.
Map does not match the mode. A Siege map with GameType Skirmish can fail to start the mission. Use map IDs that fit the mode, for example mp_skirmish_map_004 for Skirmish or mp_siege_map_003 for Siege.
Empty or broken file. If the file is empty, or contains an error page instead of commands (it happens when a download link dies), copy one of the ds_config_*.txt samples and edit that.

Our Bannerlord config guide has a complete working file for each mode.

Fix 4: Open UDP 7210

The game port is UDP 7210 by default, or whatever you passed with /port.

Forward UDP 7210 on your router to the server machine.
Allow DedicatedCustomServer.Starter.exe through Windows Defender Firewall.
If you run two servers on one machine, each needs its own /port.
Behind carrier grade NAT, port forwarding cannot work. Check with our port forwarding guide.

A closed port often shows as "listed but cannot join" rather than "not listed", but both happen.

Fix 5: Search properly

On the player side:

Use the search box in the Custom Server List with part of the server name.
Clear filters that hide password protected or full servers.
Refresh. The list does not update live.

If a single player cannot see it while everyone else can, it is their filters or their game version.

Quick reference

Symptom	Likely cause	Fix
Vanished after months of working	Token expired	`customserver.gettoken`, restart
Vanished on patch day	Server on old build	Update with SteamCMD or restart with auto update
Never appeared, console says ready	No start command in config	Add `start_game_and_mission`
Listed but join times out	UDP 7210 closed	Port forward and firewall
Some players see it, others do not	Filters or version	Check filters, update game

Bannerlord battle line on a multiplayer map

On a hosted server

On a Bannerlord server from GamezServers, the port is already open and auto update is on, so fixes 2 and 4 are handled by a restart. The token has its own field in the panel: paste the new one and restart when it expires. The config file is tdm_config.txt in Modules/Native, editable in the file manager, and despite the name it runs any mode. The live console shows the server coming up and any config line it does not understand. If you are still deciding how to run one, see how to host a Bannerlord dedicated server.

FAQ

Why did my Bannerlord server disappear from the list?

Most often the auth token expired, since tokens last three months. Generate a new one with customserver.gettoken and restart.

How do I know if my Bannerlord token expired?

Count from when you made it. If it is close to three months old and the server dropped off the list without other changes, renew it.

Can players join a Bannerlord server that is not listed?

The game is built around the Custom Server List, so fix the listing rather than relying on a direct connect.

Does the server update itself after a Bannerlord patch?

Only if your setup updates on start. Otherwise run SteamCMD with app 1863440 before restarting.