Start your SCL server

Open Server in the sidebar, pick a map, a location and a game mode, and press Start. Then copy the connect command and paste it into the CS2 console.

Before you start

You need an SCL subscription. A player subscription gives you your own server. A team subscription gives your team one shared server.
Connect your Steam account. Without it, the Server page shows Please connect your Steam account and a Connect Steam link.
Right after you pay, the page can show Your server is being set up. Wait a few seconds and press Check again.

Start the server

Open Server in the sidebar.
On the Settings tab, pick a Map and a Server Location. The location closest to you usually gives the lowest ping.
Pick a Game Mode:
- Scrim & Practice on a team server, for scrims and practice. A personal server shows Practice instead. Scrims need a team subscription.
- Retake for retakes.
- Rush for Valve's 3v3 Rush. Our plugins are off in Rush, so run commands through Fake RCON.
Press Start. If you changed a setting first, pick Save and Start so the server starts with it.
Wait until the Game field shows Hidden IP. A server that was asleep takes up to 2 minutes to start.
Press the copy button next to the Game field. It copies the whole command, for example connect 1.2.3.4:27015; password abc. You don't need to show the address first.
Open the console in CS2, paste the command and press Enter. If the console does not open, turn on Enable Developer Console (~) under Settings > Game in CS2.

It worked when CS2 loads the map and you spawn on the server.

Change settings on a running server

Change the setting on the Settings tab, then press Apply changes and reboot. The server restarts with the new settings, and everyone on it has to connect again.

A new Server Location gives the server a new address. Copy the connect command again after the reboot.

Use commands in game

In Scrim & Practice or Practice, type .prac in chat for practice mode. On a team server, .match gets the server ready for a scrim. .help lists the commands for the mode you are in.
In Retake, commands start with !, for example !scramble.
The Commands section on the Settings tab lists the commands for your game mode, with a copy button.

Switching modes and running a match need server admin, for example .prac, .match and the retake ! commands. Practice commands such as .bot and .record work for everyone.

On a team server, every team member with a linked Steam account is an admin. On a personal server, only you are. Reboot the server after someone joins the team or links Steam, so their admin rights apply.

If it doesn't work

The Server page shows plans instead of your server. Your subscription is not active. Start or renew it to get the server back.
The Server page says your server is in another workspace. Your subscription belongs to your personal workspace or to another team. Press Switch to on that page.
The connect command times out. Follow Can't connect to the servers.
The game lags or your ping is high. Follow Server lags, loss or high ping.
A practice command does nothing. Type .prac first. Practice commands work only in practice mode.
Chat says you don't have permission. Link your Steam account and join the team, then reboot the server.
No chat command works. A CS2 update can stop our plugins until we update them. Use Fake RCON in the meantime.