.cfg
Configuration file (or CFG) is a Source games text file used to execute a newline-delimited list of console commands to the Developer Console. The .cfg file extension can be found everywhere and is not specific to Source.
The folder <game>/cfg/
is usually dedicated to CFG files and can be further organized in subdirectories, and referred in exec
by relative path.

<game>/cfg/autoexec.cfg
is run when the game starts up if it exists, so one can easily create the file and put any commands that one doesn't want to type each time.Contents
Syntax
- Each line is considered a command. Note that each command can still consist of multiple commands delimited with the semicolon
;
. - Comments can be added by using
//
. These two characters and everything following after them is ignored by the engine until the next line starts. - Cheat commands require
sv_cheats 1
enabled, otherwise they have no effect. To configure a mod's default cheat convars, VScript or point_servercommand can achieve this on map start without having to enable sv_cheats.
Common CFGs
This is a table listing common CFG files found in mods and games alike.
CFG | Description |
---|---|
autoexec.cfg | Ran on game start up. |
modsettings.cfg | Ran on game start up, unless not found in mod folder. |
config.cfg | Ran on game start up, this is created automatically when the player runs the game/mod for the first time. ![]() |
config_default.cfg | Ran when no config.cfg is present or the player clicks the 'Use Defaults' button in the keyboard tab in the options panel, see Customizing Options: Keyboard. |
chapter#.cfg | Ran when the player picks the chapter, with # being the chapter number, see Adding chapters to your mod. |
game.cfg | Ran every time a map is loaded. |
sourcevr_modfoldername.cfg | (in all games since ![]() |
skill_manifest.cfg | Runs every time the map is changed, used to list the skill.cfgs to execute. |
360controller.cfg | Used for players using XBox 360 controllers, lists the controls for the controller. To do: Find out when this is executed. |
360controller-linux.cfg | Used for players using XBox 360 controllers on Linux systems, lists the controls for the controller. ![]() |
undo360controller.cfg | Used for players using XBox 360 controllers when they want to undo the effects of the controller. To do: Find out when this is executed. |
listenserver.cfg | Ran when a listen server is being started, and runs every time the map is changed. |
server.cfg | Ran when a dedicated server is being started, and runs every time the map is changed. |
valve.rc | Special cfg file with the .rc extension, it's ran on game start up and executes autoexec.cfg along with a few other commands. |
External links
See also
- Mini-mod tutorial
- vtest - Alternative to cfg files.
bind
alias
echo