You've got an Assetto Corsa server running — now how do people actually join it, especially when it's running mods they don't have? The answer is Content Manager: it's the launcher the modded scene uses to join servers, install Custom Shaders Patch, and download missing cars and tracks. Getting players on comes down to three things — making your server findable, handling the content they're missing, and telling them how to connect. This guide covers all three.
It's written mainly for freeroam/modded servers, where content delivery is the tricky part, but the listing and connection bits apply to racing servers too.
Content Manager is how people join modded servers
Almost nobody in the modded Assetto Corsa community launches the game the vanilla way. They use Content Manager (CM) — a free third-party launcher that manages mods, installs and updates Custom Shaders Patch, browses the server list, and handles direct connections. For a freeroam server this is effectively required, because CSP is required, and CM is how players install and manage CSP.
So the practical baseline: your players need Content Manager and (for freeroam) a compatible CSP version. If someone is trying to join with the vanilla launcher and no CSP, that's usually why they can't — point them to Content Manager first.
The three ways players get your content
The awkward part of a modded server is that players need the same cars and track you're running. There are three ways that happens, and a good server uses more than one:
1. They already have it (Content Manager install). For popular content — a well-known map, common car packs — many players already have it installed through Content Manager. Nothing to do; they join and they're in.
2. A direct-download link on your server. You can point your server at a download URL for its content pack, so a joining player who's missing something is offered the file. This is the reliable way to distribute a specific car pack or map version and make sure everyone's on the same one.
3. Missing-content auto-download. CSP and Content Manager can prompt a joining player to automatically fetch content they're missing, straight from the server's advertised details. On a freeroam server this is the smoothest path — a new player joins, gets prompted for the missing map or cars, downloads, and they're on track without hunting mod sites.
On our freeroam servers, that third option is built in: there's a Content Manager auto-download toggle in the dashboard that publishes your server's content details so players are offered missing files automatically. It's the difference between "join and go" and "here's a five-step forum post on what to install".
One caveat worth setting expectations on: big maps are big. Shutoko is over a gigabyte. A first-time joiner downloading a large map will wait a bit — that's normal, and it only happens once.
Getting your server found: listing vs direct connect
Two ways players reach your server:
Public listing. Set REGISTER_TO_LOBBY=1 in server_cfg.ini and your server appears in the in-game and Content Manager server browsers, where anyone can find it. This is how you grow a public cruise or racing community. Give it a clear, descriptive name — people scan the list fast.
Direct connect. Players can join by your server's IP and port directly, without it being listed. This is how private groups and leagues operate: keep the server off the public list (or password it) and share the connection details with your members. Content Manager has a "direct connect" field for exactly this.
Most communities do both at different times — direct-connect while you set up and test, then flip to public listing once it's ready.
Controlling who joins
A few levers, depending on how open you want to be:
- Join password (
PASSWORDinserver_cfg.ini) — the simplest gate. Share it with your community; the server stays listed but locked. - Locked entry list — for racing leagues,
LOCKED_ENTRY_LIST=1restricts joining to specific Steam GUIDs. Covered in running a league race weekend. - Minimum CSP version — on freeroam, set
MinimumCSPVersioninextra_cfg.ymlto keep out clients too old to render your server properly. This prevents the "I joined but it looks broken" complaints. - Auto-moderation — freeroam servers can run the AutoModerationPlugin to auto-kick wrong-way driving, road-blocking and AFK players, which keeps a public cruise server civil without a full-time admin.
A quick pre-launch checklist
Before you share the address:
- Server name is clear and descriptive (it's your shopfront in the browser).
REGISTER_TO_LOBBY=1if you want it public — or keep it private for direct connect.- Content delivery sorted — auto-download on, and/or a direct-download link for your pack.
- For freeroam: publish the CSP version you expect, and set
MinimumCSPVersion. - Password or locked entry list if it's a private/league server.
- Test it yourself via Content Manager's direct connect before inviting anyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do players need Content Manager to join my server?
For a modded or freeroam server, effectively yes. Content Manager is how the community installs Custom Shaders Patch, manages mods, and joins servers — and CSP is required for freeroam. A vanilla launcher with no CSP usually can't join a freeroam server, so point new players to Content Manager first.
How do players get the mods my server uses?
Three ways: they already have popular content installed, you provide a direct-download link for your pack, or you enable missing-content auto-download so Content Manager fetches what they're missing on join. The auto-download route is smoothest — on our freeroam servers it's a dashboard toggle.
How do I make my Assetto Corsa server show up in the list?
Set REGISTER_TO_LOBBY=1 in server_cfg.ini and it appears in the in-game and Content Manager server browsers. Leave it off (or use a password) and players join by direct IP and port instead — which is how private groups and leagues run.
Why can players join but the server looks wrong for them?
Usually a Custom Shaders Patch mismatch on a freeroam server — the player's CSP is too old (or occasionally too new) for your server or map. Publish the CSP version you expect and set MinimumCSPVersion in extra_cfg.yml so incompatible clients are kept out rather than joining to a broken-looking session.
Want content delivery handled for you? Our freeroam Assetto Corsa servers include a Content Manager auto-download toggle, so players are offered your maps and cars automatically when they join — no forum post required. Set the name, flip it public, and grow your community.
