Prepare and find your Squad server for its first match

A new Squad instance needs a successful game connection as well as a running process. Its place in the browser also depends on its licensing status. Hosting a server and obtaining Offworld's approval for the primary browser are separate tasks; a CloudExa purchase does not automatically supply that approval.

1. Record the service baseline

Open the correct game-panel service and record the server ID, assigned address and port allocations. Read the startup output and confirm that it belongs to Squad, with the intended server build and map or layer. Keep the original startup settings and configuration files before editing them. Do not replace a supplied configuration folder with a downloaded pack intended for another host.

For an existing community, make a completed backup of configuration, administrator and ban data before a change. Arrange a maintenance window if players are already connected. First setup should not become an accidental reset of an established community.

2. Make the server recognisable

Use the installed template's documented configuration to choose a clear server name.
Check the intended initial layer and player settings against the files supplied with that server build.
Keep administrative and remote-management credentials private; they are not player joining details.
Apply one controlled configuration change and read the next startup for parsing or loading errors.

A setting may be supplied by startup variables rather than the file you opened. If it changes back after starting, compare the template configuration before repeatedly editing the file. Ask support which setting is authoritative instead of guessing at a new host path.

3. Check the appropriate browser listing

Offworld's current policy distinguishes licensed servers appearing in the primary browser from other custom hosting. Check the appropriate browser category and its filters before concluding that the process is offline. Search for your exact chosen name, and allow empty or passworded entries when those filters apply to your test.

If you want licensed visibility, use the publisher's application route and read its current administration requirements. Keep any issued licence credentials private. Changes of ownership, hardware or provider can require publisher follow-up; do not assume a copied key is valid for every new instance. CloudExa cannot guarantee the publisher will grant or retain a licence.

4. Run a small first-match test

Ask an ordinary authorised player to join from outside the hosting network. Confirm that the expected layer loads, the player enters a team and normal gameplay begins. Have a second player repeat the test where possible. A browser entry or query response alone does not validate a full match connection.

Use only the allocations shown for your service. Game, discovery and remote management are different roles; never publish remote-management credentials or open all ports to improve visibility. If an additional allocation is needed, have support review it against the running template.

Finish with a recoverable configuration

Save the working configuration and backup location after the test. Record the server name, build and layer so staff can distinguish the production instance from a test. For failures, send the UTC timestamp, server ID, browser category, filter state and redacted startup messages. Stop before reinstalling, removing community data or changing licensing files without an agreed plan.