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Keep a Don't Starve Together cluster token private

A Don't Starve Together dedicated cluster uses a Klei token for online operation. Treat that token as an account secret when you upload settings, share logs or ask someone to help with the server. You do not need to post its contents to prove that you placed it in the expected cluster.

Find the cluster the process actually uses

Klei documents a cluster path assembled from -persistent_storage_root, -conf_dir and -cluster. Hosting templates can change these options. Record their effective values from your panel or ask support for the active location. Editing a similarly named directory elsewhere can leave the server reading an older token.

The official command-line guide allows a token argument as an alternative to cluster_token.txt. Prefer your panel's supported secret or file workflow. A token pasted into a visible startup field may appear in screenshots or shared diagnostic output. Ask who can view that field before using it, and avoid including it in public change notes.

Upload settings without exposing credentials

  1. Sign in to the official Klei account service using your own account. Use its game-server settings workflow to obtain the token or configuration for the intended server. Keep the downloaded archive private.
  2. Stop the dedicated cluster through the hosting panel. If it has multiple shards, check the relevant controls rather than stopping only the window currently on screen.
  3. Locate the cluster directory identified by the effective startup options. Upload the token through the supported file or secret control, preserving the expected filename and avoiding extra editor formatting.
  4. Review game-panel subusers and remove unnecessary file or startup access through normal permission controls. Do not take away a co-owner's access without an agreed responsibility change.
  5. Start the cluster, inspect its logs for authentication errors and ask a volunteer to join the intended world. Redact tokens before sharing any diagnostic material.

Keep useful evidence without the secret

Record the cluster name, server build, startup time and whether authentication completed. Those details let support compare a failed attempt without seeing a full token. If a log includes account material, share it through a private support channel and mark the sensitive section. Do not replace every token-looking string in the live file just to make a screenshot safe; redact a separate copy.

Backups of the cluster may also contain the token. Keep downloaded archives in private storage and check a sharing link's access before sending it. If your team keeps settings in version control, exclude the real token and store a placeholder that explains where operators retrieve the secret.

Respond to accidental disclosure

Use Klei's current account controls to replace the exposed token where available, then update the active cluster during a short maintenance window. Remove public copies that you control and review who could access the archive or startup field. Ask Klei or CloudExa support for the supported replacement process if the account interface is unclear. Reinstalling the game or creating a new world does not address an exposed credential.

Klei command-line and token documentation; Klei account service.

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