Rust is one of the few games where the console does more than the options menu.
The settings screen lets you move a key from one action to another, but anything clever, like an auto run key for long runs to a monument, a quick respawn when you are stuck in a rock, or a combat log that pops up after every fight, comes from a single bind line in the F1 console.
The trouble is that most lists of Rust console commands mix two very different things: commands any player can run and commands that only work for server admins. Typing noclip on an official server does nothing, and plenty of players assume their binds are broken because of it.
This guide sorts that out. It covers the bind syntax as it works in the current build (checked November 10, 2026), the player binds most people actually keep, where admin only commands begin, and how to save and back up your binds so a reinstall never wipes them.
Everything was checked on November 10, 2026. For game info and recorded clips, start at the Rust hub. If fights stutter before you even get to binds, fix frame rate first with Rust best settings for FPS. This page is only about which action sits on which key.
Decide first: toggle actions versus hold actions
The part of Rust binds that trips up most people is the + prefix. Without it, bind x forward;sprint starts running the moment you tap x and keeps going until you press your normal forward key, usually W, again. That is your auto run.
Add the prefix, bind x +forward;+sprint, and you only run while x is held down; let go and you stop. So the rule is simple. Anything you want to keep going after you let go, such as auto run, crouch toggle or auto attack while farming, goes in without +.
Anything you only want while a button is down, such as lowering sensitivity while aiming down sights or switching on a flashlight or laser when you aim, goes in with +.
The aim sensitivity bind looks like bind mouse1 "+attack2;+input.sensitivity .45;input.sensitivity .2", and choosing those numbers is its own topic, covered in Rust sensitivity settings. The second decision is key names.
Key names follow a UK QWERTY layout, and mouse side buttons are written as mouse3 or mouse4, though the numbering depends on your mouse. If you want an extra action on a key you already use, build a combo like [leftshift+k]; a combo bind does not replace what k already does on its own.
Finally, if you ever bind something to F1, keep consoletoggle in the chain. That is how the standard combat log bind is written, and it stops you from locking yourself out of the console.
How to make, test and save Rust binds
- 1Open the console with F1Press F1 in game. It also opens from the main menu without joining a server, which is the safest place to set binds before you load into a wipe. Command results appear in the log above the input line.
- 2Check the command name with findCommand names can change between monthly updates, so before binding something, type find followed by part of the name, for example find combat, to confirm it exists in your current build. The result includes a short description.
- 3Type one bind and test it right awayUse bind, the key, then the action. Separate several actions with semicolons, prefix hold actions with +, and put combos in square brackets. Close the console and press the key straight away to check it does what you expect.
- 4Clear binds you do not wantRemove a bad bind with bind x "" or bind x clear. If you overwrote a key that had a normal game action, set that action again in the controls section of Options.
- 5Save with writecfg and back up keys.cfgWhen you are happy, type writecfg. Binds are saved to keys.cfg in your Rust install folder. In Steam, right click Rust and choose Manage, then Browse local files. Copy keys.cfg somewhere safe and you can drop the same setup onto a new PC in seconds.
Common Rust binds and console commands, with permissions (checked November 10, 2026)
| Bind or command | What it does | Who can use it |
|---|---|---|
| bind x forward;sprint | Auto run. Tap x once and you keep sprinting until you press forward again. | Any player. Add + to both actions if you only want to run while holding x. |
| bind z duck | Crouch toggle. You stay crouched until you press crouch again. | Any player. Handy for holding an angle without keeping a finger on Ctrl. |
| bind [leftshift+k] kill | Kills your character and sends you to the respawn screen, same as Suicide in the ESC menu. | Any player. It has a cooldown, so if you just used it, it may not fire again right away. |
| bind f1 consoletoggle;combatlog | Opens the console and prints your recent damage dealt and received. | Any player for their own log. Viewing someone else's log needs admin. |
| bind h "craft.add -2072273936 1" | Queues one bandage. The number is the item ID. | Any player with the materials. Add chat.add for a chat confirmation. |
| perf 0 to 6, fps | Shows performance stats bottom left, or prints your current FPS. | Any player. Bind it to spot frame drops mid fight. |
| writecfg | Writes settings and keybinds to the cfg files; binds go to keys.cfg. | Any player. Skip it and new binds can vanish after a restart. |
| debugcamera, noclip, ent kill, teleport2marker | Free camera, flying, deleting the entity you look at, teleporting to your map marker. | Server admins only. Regular players on official or community servers cannot use them. |
Check these after binding
- You typed writecfg, and the binds are still there after restarting the game.
- If anything is bound to F1, consoletoggle is in the chain so the console still opens.
- Auto run stops when you press forward, and + binds stop when you let go.
- Your kill bind sits on a combo that is hard to hit by accident.
- You only use admin commands on a server where you actually have admin.
- A copy of keys.cfg is stored outside the Rust folder.
Keep a recording next to your combat log
DOR is a free Windows game recorder. When you launch Rust, it detects the game and records your play from start to finish, so there is no record key to press in the middle of a raid defense or a wipe day brawl. Recordings collect in the app's My Clips.
Find the moment your combat log points to and trim just that part as a 16:9, 9:16 or 1:1 clip. To string several fights together or add text, background music and effect templates, open DOR Studio at dor.gg/studio, merge the clips, then export an mp4 or share a dor.gg link.
On supported NVIDIA graphics cards such as the RTX series, DOR records with NVENC hardware encoding. The free plan records at 720p or 1080p and 30 or 60 fps (1080p at 30 fps by default), while 1440p, 4K, 120 fps and 144 fps are part of DOR Pro.
Storage is tidied only when the full gameplay recordings exceed their share (5 GB by default), oldest first, and recent recordings and liked videos stay. Sending a fight to your group is covered in how to share Rust gameplay videos.
