Templates are pre-built game configurations that save you from setting up everything from scratch. GameCP supports multiple ways to get templates into your library — from the official template store to importing configs from other panels.

What is a Template?

A template is a complete game configuration — Docker image, startup command, ports, environment variables, query settings, and more — packaged as a reusable blueprint. When you import a template, it becomes a game config in your library that you can customize and use to create servers.

Templates can come from:

The official GameCP Template Store (templates.gamecp.com)
Pterodactyl Eggs (JSON format)
TCAdmin exports (XML format)
Shared GameCP configs (JSON export from another GameCP instance)

Method 1: The Template Store

The easiest way to add games is through the built-in template store.

From the Games Library

Go to Games in the sidebar
Click the Template Store tab
Browse categories or search for a game
Click a template to import it directly into your library

Templates are organized by category (Survival, Sandbox, FPS, Minecraft, etc.) and each one comes pre-configured with tested defaults.

Auto-Import on Server Creation (Basic Mode)

When creating a game server using the Basic Mode form, you don't even need to import templates manually. Here's what happens:

Open the Create Server flow
Select a game from the selector — this shows both your library and available templates
If you pick a game that isn't in your library yet, GameCP automatically imports it in the background
The server creation continues seamlessly

This "auto-import" bridge means you can go from zero to a running server without ever touching the Games library directly.

Method 2: Import from the Panel

The Import Game modal handles all import formats through a single, unified interface.

Go to Games in the sidebar
Click the Import button

Ways to Import

The import modal accepts input in several ways:

Input Method	How It Works
Paste a URL	Paste a direct link to a JSON config — GameCP fetches and parses it automatically
Paste raw data	Paste JSON or XML directly into the editor
Upload a file	Drag-and-drop or browse for a `.json` or `.xml` file

GameCP auto-detects the format — whether it's a native GameCP config, a Pterodactyl Egg, or a TCAdmin export. You'll see a "Detected Format" indicator confirming what was found, but you can manually override it if needed.

Importing via URL

You can paste a URL pointing to a game config file. This is useful for:

Sharing configs via GitHub (GameCP automatically converts GitHub blob URLs to raw URLs)
Linking directly to templates on templates.gamecp.com
Pulling community-shared configs from any public URL

Just paste the URL and GameCP fetches, parses, and validates the config automatically.

Importing via File Upload

Drag a .json or .xml file onto the drop zone, or click Browse Files to select one. The file is read locally, auto-detected, and loaded into the editor for review before importing.

Method 3: Importing Pterodactyl Eggs

If you're migrating from Pterodactyl (or Pelican), you can import your existing Eggs directly.

What Gets Converted

GameCP translates the Pterodactyl format into its native schema:

Pterodactyl Field	GameCP Equivalent
`startup` command	Startup command (with variable syntax converted)
`variables` array	Environment variables
`docker_images`	Docker image
Steam references in install script	Steam Installer configuration
`eula` feature flag	Auto-EULA acceptance script

Variable Syntax

Pterodactyl uses {{VARIABLE}} syntax. GameCP automatically converts these to ${VARIABLE} format during import.

Where to Find Eggs

Pelican Eggs Repository — community-maintained collection
Pterodactyl Eggs Repository — the original egg repository
Export from your existing Pterodactyl panel under Nests > Eggs > Export

How to Import

Open the Import Game modal
Paste the Egg JSON, upload the .json file, or paste a GitHub URL to the egg file
GameCP detects it as Pterodactyl format automatically
Click Import Game

Method 4: Importing TCAdmin Templates

Migrating from TCAdmin? GameCP can convert TCAdmin XML exports into native configs.

What Gets Converted

TCAdmin Element	GameCP Equivalent
`<tc_games>`	Game name, description, OS settings
`<tc_game_cmdlines>`	Startup command
`<tc_game_ports>`	Port configuration
`<tc_game_config_files>`	Configuration file templates
`<tc_game_steam_config>`	Steam Installer settings
`<tc_game_text_console>`	Stop command
User variables (`![VarName]`)	Environment variables (`${VAR_NAME}`)

Variable Syntax

TCAdmin uses several proprietary variable formats that are automatically converted:

![VariableName] becomes ${VARIABLE_NAME}
$[Service.GamePort] becomes ${PORT}
$[Service.QueryPort] becomes ${QUERY_PORT}
$[Service.Slots] becomes ${MAX_PLAYERS}
$[Service.IpHostname] becomes ${IP}

How to Import

Export the game config from TCAdmin as XML
Open the Import Game modal in GameCP
Paste the XML content or upload the .xml file
GameCP detects it as TCAdmin format automatically
Click Import Game

Method 5: Importing GameCP Configs

You can import configs exported from another GameCP instance or shared by other users.

Exporting a Config

To export a game config for sharing:

Open the game in the Game Config Editor
Click the Download button in the editor header
Save the .json file

Importing a Shared Config

Open the Import Game modal
Paste the JSON, upload the file, or paste a URL to the config
GameCP detects it as native format
Click Import Game

This is also useful for backing up your configs before making major changes.

After Importing

Once a template is imported, you'll see a success screen with three options:

Action	What It Does
Add Another	Reset the modal to import another template
Edit Game	Open the game config editor to customize settings
Create Server	Jump straight to creating a server with this config

The imported game appears in your Games library and is ready to use immediately. You can customize any setting by opening the editor — the template is just a starting point.

Tips

Review after import — imported configs may need tweaking for your environment (Docker image tags, paths, port ranges)
Check ports — make sure the imported port configuration doesn't conflict with your existing servers
Steam credentials — if a template uses the Steam Installer, you may need to add your Steam credentials in the game config
Export your customizations — after tweaking an imported config, export it as a backup or to share with the community

What's Next

Part 2: Basic Information — naming and categorizing your game
Part 4: Environment Variables — the settings your users interact with
Part 10: Steam Installer — SteamCMD integration for automatic game downloads

What is a Template?

Method 1: The Template Store

From the Games Library

Auto-Import on Server Creation (Basic Mode)

Method 2: Import from the Panel

Opening the Import Modal

Ways to Import

Importing via URL

Importing via File Upload

Method 3: Importing Pterodactyl Eggs

What Gets Converted

Variable Syntax

Where to Find Eggs

How to Import

Method 4: Importing TCAdmin Templates

What Gets Converted

Variable Syntax

How to Import

Method 5: Importing GameCP Configs

Exporting a Config

Importing a Shared Config

After Importing

Tips

What's Next