Game Configuration: Status Monitoring
This is Part 6 of the Game Configuration series. Monitoring lets GameCP query your game server for live status — player count, server name, map, and online/offline state.
What is Server Querying?
Most game servers support a query protocol — a lightweight network request that returns server information without joining the game. GameCP uses this to show:
- Whether the server is online or offline
- Current player count and max players
- Server name and current map
- Player list (for supported games)
Without query enabled, GameCP can only tell if the Docker container is running — not whether the game itself is responding.
Enabling Query
Toggle Enable Query to turn on server monitoring. Once enabled, you need to select a Query Type.
Query Type
The query type tells GameCP which protocol to use when checking the server. GameCP supports hundreds of games through the GameDig library. Common types include:
| Query Type | Games |
|---|---|
| minecraft | Minecraft Java Edition |
| csgo | Counter-Strike 2, TF2, Garry's Mod |
| rust | Rust |
| valheim | Valheim |
| ase | ARK: Survival Evolved |
Use the search bar or quick select buttons for popular types.
Auto-Port Detection
When you select a query type, GameCP shows the game's default ports as clickable badges:
- Game Port — click to set as the default game port in your Port Configuration
- Query Port — click to add a query port mapping
This auto-wires the ports so you don't have to look them up manually.
Advanced Query Settings
Expand Advanced Query Settings for fine-tuning:
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Max Retries | 3 | How many times to retry before marking offline |
| Socket Timeout | 5000ms | How long to wait for a response |
| Query Username | — | For games requiring authenticated queries (e.g., Palworld) |
| Query Password | — | Password for authenticated queries. Supports ${VAR} substitution |
| Custom Options | — | Protocol-specific key-value pairs (e.g., token for TShock) |
Most games work fine with the defaults. Increase timeout for servers on slow networks or overseas nodes.
RCON (Remote Console)
RCON lets GameCP send commands to the game server remotely — like running console commands without being in-game.
Toggle Enable RCON and select the protocol:
| RCON Type | Games |
|---|---|
| Source | CS2, TF2, Garry's Mod, Rust |
| Minecraft | Minecraft Java/Bedrock |
| GoldSrc | Half-Life, CS 1.6 |
| Call of Duty | CoD series |
| BattlEye | DayZ, ARMA |
| Quake 3 | Urban Terror, ioquake3 |
When RCON is enabled, users can send commands directly from the GameCP terminal interface.
Tips
- Not all games support query — some modern titles have non-standard or no query protocol. In these cases, leave query disabled and GameCP will rely on Docker container status
- If the query shows the server as offline but it's actually running, check that the query port is correctly mapped and the firewall allows UDP traffic on that port
- RCON requires an RCON port and password to be configured in the game server's settings (via environment variables)