How to install Oxide plugins on a Rust server over SFTP

Before you start

• Oxide (uMod) or Carbon is already installed on the Rust server.
• You have SFTP/FTPS access — host, port, username, and password from your host panel.
• RCON is enabled if you want to reload plugins without waiting for auto-compile.

Step-by-step: install a plugin over SFTP

1. 1

   Get your server's SFTP/FTPS details

   From your host's control panel (Pterodactyl, TCAdmin, or a managed game host), copy the SFTP or FTPS host, port, username, and password. Any host that gives you SFTP/FTPS access will work, including self-hosted servers on Docker, LGSM, or bare metal.

2. 2

   Download the plugin

   Grab the plugin from its marketplace — uMod for free plugins, or Codefling and Lone.Design for paid ones. Rust plugins are C# files ending in .cs. If the download is a .zip, extract it first and keep the .cs file.

3. 3

   Connect to the server over SFTP/FTPS

   Open an SFTP/FTPS connection to the server with the credentials from step 1. Rust Server Admin connects for you, or you can use any SFTP client — the destination folder is the same either way.

4. 4

   Upload the .cs file into the plugins folder

   Drop the .cs file into oxide/plugins for an Oxide (uMod) server, or carbon/plugins for a Carbon server. On many managed hosts the full path is /home/container/oxide/plugins or /home/container/carbon/plugins.

5. 5

   Let it load, or reload over RCON

   Oxide and Carbon watch the plugins folder and compile new .cs files automatically within a few seconds. To load it immediately, run oxide.reload <PluginName> (or carbon.reload <PluginName>) from the RCON console.

6. 6

   Verify and configure the plugin

   Run oxide.plugins in RCON to confirm the plugin loaded without compile errors. Most plugins generate a config file under oxide/config and language files under oxide/lang on first load — edit those, then reload to apply your settings.

Configuring the plugin

Most plugins create a config file at oxide/config/<PluginName>.json and, if they show text to players, language files under oxide/lang. Edit those over the same SFTP connection, then run oxide.reload <PluginName> to apply your changes. Grant any permissions the plugin defines with oxide.grant from RCON.

Troubleshooting

• Plugin not listed after upload? Confirm the file is a .cs (not a .zip) and landed in oxide/plugins or carbon/plugins.
• Compile error in console? The plugin likely targets a different Rust/Oxide version — grab the latest release from the marketplace.
• Uploaded to the wrong path? Managed hosts often nest the folder under /home/container — check the full path in your panel.
• Changes not applying? Reload the plugin over RCON after editing its config or lang files.

FAQ

Where do Oxide plugins go on a Rust server?

Oxide (uMod) plugins go in the oxide/plugins folder. Carbon plugins go in carbon/plugins. The plugin file must be the C# source file with a .cs extension — that is what Oxide and Carbon compile at runtime.

Do I need to restart the server to install a plugin?

No. Oxide and Carbon hot-load new .cs files from the plugins folder automatically, usually within a few seconds. If you want it loaded instantly, use oxide.reload or carbon.reload over RCON — a full restart is not required.

My plugin didn't load after uploading — what's wrong?

Check the RCON console for a compile error. The most common causes are uploading to the wrong folder, uploading a .zip instead of the extracted .cs file, or a plugin built for a different Rust/Oxide version. Confirm the file is a .cs in oxide/plugins and that its version matches your current Oxide or Carbon build.

Can I install Codefling and Lone.Design plugins the same way?

Yes. Free uMod plugins and paid Codefling or Lone.Design plugins all install the same way — the only difference is where you download the .cs file. Rust Server Admin can pull from all three and upload over SFTP for you.